Look Away

Look Away

Chicago

From the album

Chicago 19 (1988)

Written by

Diane Warren

Key:F major
Duration:4:28

Listen to the Song

Summary

Written by hitmaker Diane Warren and produced by Ron Nevison, "Look Away" became Chicago's biggest single of the late 1980s, topping the Billboard Hot 100. The song captures the ache of watching a former love move on, wrapped in lush keyboards and Bill Champlin's emotive vocal delivery — a defining moment of the band's pop-era reinvention.

power ballad80s popadult contemporaryDiane WarrenChicago

Musical Analysis

Despite Chicago's jazz-rock origins, "Look Away" employs a straightforward diatonic palette typical of late-80s pop ballads. The iii chord adds a touch of harmonic sophistication, providing a wistful color that distinguishes it from a basic I-IV-V-vi pattern.…

Chords

verse:F - Am - Bb - C
chorus:Bb - C - Am - Dm - Bb - C - F

History

Diane Warren, one of the most prolific songwriters of the late 1980s, wrote "Look Away" as a bittersweet narrative about receiving a phone call from an ex-lover announcing a new relationship. The lyrics explore the pain of letting go while putting on a brave f…

“Ron Nevison replaced David Foster as producer, marking a significant sonic shift for the band”

Full Musical Analysis

Despite Chicago's jazz-rock origins, "Look Away" employs a straightforward diatonic palette typical of late-80s pop ballads. The iii chord adds a touch of harmonic sophistication, providing a wistful color that distinguishes it from a basic I-IV-V-vi pattern. The overall harmony serves the emotional narrative without drawing attention to itself.

Diane Warren, one of the most prolific songwriters of the late 1980s, wrote "Look Away" as a bittersweet narrative about receiving a phone call from an ex-lover announcing a new relationship. The lyrics explore the pain of letting go while putting on a brave face. Warren crafted the song with Chicago's evolving pop sound in mind, building on the commercial momentum the band had found after shifting away from their jazz-rock roots.

Written by hitmaker Diane Warren and produced by Ron Nevison, "Look Away" became Chicago's biggest single of the late 1980s, topping the Billboard Hot 100. The song captures the ache of watching a former love move on, wrapped in lush keyboards and Bill Champlin's emotive vocal delivery — a defining moment of the band's pop-era reinvention.

Deep Analysis Available

Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.

Song DNA

Genre

Pop

Era

80s

Mood

Melancholic

Tempo

Mid-tempo

Key

Major

Texture

Layered

Sound

Piano-led

Feel

Straight

Explore More

Listen & Learn

Statistics

282K

Plays

80K

Listeners

11K

Genius Views

100%

Popularity

4:28

Duration

4/4

Time

Credits

Written by

Diane Warren

Produced by

Ron Nevison

From the album Chicago 19