SCOTT WALKER – If You Go Away [Ne Me Quitte Pas] (1969)

“If You Go Away” is an adaptation of the 1959 Jacques Brel song “Ne me quitte pas” with English lyrics by Rod McKuen. Created as part of a larger project to translate Brel’s work, “If You Go Away” is considered a pop standard and has been recorded by many artists, including Greta Keller, for whom some say McKuen wrote the lyrics. Here is Scott Walker’s rendition of the French chanson.

PS: The complex melody is partly derivative of classical music: the “But if you stay…” passage comes from Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6.

If you go away On this summer day Then you might as well Take the sun away All the birds that flew In the summer sky When our love was new And our hearts were high And the day was young And the night was long And the moon stood still For the night bird’s song ** But if you stay I’ll make you a day Like no day has been Or will be again We’ll sail the sun We’ll ride on the rain And talk to the trees And worship the wind ** Then if you go I’ll understand Leave me just enough love To fill up my hand ** If you go away As I know you will You must tell the world To stop turning, turning ’til you return again If you ever do For what good is love Without loving you? Can I tell you now As you turn to go I’ll be dying slowly ’til the next hello ** But if you stay I’ll make you a night Like no night has been Or will be again I’ll sail on your smile I’ll glide on your touch I’ll talk to your eyes That I love so much ** But if you go I won’t cry Though the good is gone From the word goodbye ** If you go away As I know you must There’ll be nothing left In this world to trust Just an empty room Full of empty space Like the empty look I see on your face And I’d have been the shadow Of your shadow If it might have kept me By your side