The Left Banke - Walk Away Renée (1966)

This group produced two big hits, the song below in mid-1966, and the other, “Pretty Ballerina,” in late 1966. Afterward, the band struggled creating their new album, The Left Banke Too, when members kept quitting, rejoining, and boycotting one another’s work. The final product had multiple people playing throughout the album; one noteworthy individual was Steven Tyler (of future Aerosmith fame) who provided backing vocals on three tracks.

Michael Brown, the bands keyboardist, wrote this song when he was 16 years old. The Renée in the lyrics was his bassist’s, Tom Finn's, girlfriend, whom he was infatuated with. When Renée was in the control room for the song to be recorded, Brown’s hands shook uncontrollably and he had to come back to record it later.

Update: We received a story from Tom Finn of The Left Banke! You can read it and listen to "Pretty Ballerina" here.



The Left Banke - Walk Away Renée (1966)

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Lyrics:

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

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

From deep inside the tears that I'm forced to cry
From deep inside the pain I- I chose to hide

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

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

Your name and mine inside a heart up on a wall
Still finds a way to haunt me, though they're so small

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