All Together Now

I love songs that start with “And.”

“And” tells us something has been going on.
“And” suggests we are in the middle of a story.
“And” means we have to fill in the blanks.

“My Love” by Paul McCartney begins “and when I go away, I know my heart can stay with my love.“
The U2 song “A Sort of Homecoming” begins “and you know it’s time to go, through the sleet and driving snow.”
“And if I say to you tomorrow…take my hand, child come with me” is the first line of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be.”

Every line is poignant. Every line leaves us wanting to hear more, to know more.

“Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke, released in July 1966 however, may be the sweetest of “and’s.”

“And when I see the sign that points one way
The lot we used to pass by every day”

Considered part of the baroque pop genre, “Walk Away Renee” begins with strings and a harpsichord, evoking classical music. Sung with a plaintive alto voice, the song immediately sounds sad, longing and wistful. The title itself tells us that the couple in this story is breaking up. The music emphasizes the regret. We have heard the word “and,” and now we want to know more. We go right into the chorus.

“Just walk away, Renée
You won’t see me follow you back home
The empty sidewalks on my block are not the same
You’re not to blame”

Songwriter Michael Brown was only 16 years old when we wrote “this song”Walk Away Renee,” but the sparse prose and imagery makes him sound so much older. He had a crush Renee Fladen, a bandmate’s girlfriend, and realized she would never be his. This is not a song of anger or spite. There is no suggestion of jealousy or frustration. Only a cold realization that they will never be together. And that she’s not to blame.

“From deep inside the tears that I’m forced to cry
From deep inside the pain that I chose to hide”

At first, Renee was actually in the room when they began to record the song, but it was so difficult for Brown to concentrate as he looked across the room and saw her there. They had to come back later in the evening to finish the track.

Singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw said “”There’s something about ‘Walk Away Renee’ that’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard, just in terms of provoking an emotional reaction.”

There are no contrasts in this song. No loud guitars over the sweet lyrics, and no angry or sharp words over the beautiful music. Everything serves the message of sweet memories tinged with gentle sadness. We can all relate.

“Just walk away, Renée
You won’t see me follow you back home
Now, as the rain beats down upon my weary eyes
For me it cries”

As the gentle rhythm of the high-hat cymbal continues to move the song along, the instrumental bridge features an alto flute, inspired by “California Dreamin‘” by the Mamas and the Papas, which was released just the year before. The chorus is repeated again, and then at only 2:43, the song ends.

At almost 60 years old, “Walk Away Renee” is a staple. The song is so easy to recall. The chorus demands that we sing along, and we can all relate to the tone, to the message, and to what the singer must be feeling.

“Walk Away Renee” has been covered repeatedly, most notably by the Four Tops who took it to #15 on the Billboard charts in 1967, followed by countless other versions of different genres and styles throughout the years.

In 1986, British songwriter Billy Bragg released a brilliant version of “Walk Away Renee” that tells his own sad love story, in spoken word, over an acoustic guitar playing the sweet and sad “Walk Away Renee” music.

“But all love is strange
And you have to learn to take the crunchy with the smooth, I suppose.”

“And” welcomes us in, and makes us feel part of the story. “And” makes us feel part of this story, because we’ve all been there, and “Walk Away Renee” is for all of us.

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“Walk Away Renee”
Written by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli and Tony Sansone
Performed by the Left Banke
Released July, 1966