"If You Go Away" is an adaptation of the 1959

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

song "

Ne me quitte pas "Ne me quitte pas" (''"Don't leave me"'') is a 1959 song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages. A well-known ...

" with English lyrics by

Rod McKuen Rodney Marvin McKuen (; April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015) was an American poet, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range ...

. 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 Margaretha "Greta" Keller (8 February 1903 - 11 November 1977) was an Austrian and American cabaret singer and actress, who worked in some Hollywood movies and television dramas. Early years Born Margaretha Keller in Vienna, Austria, she studie ...

, for whom some say McKuen wrote the lyrics. The complex melody is partly derivative of classical music: the "But if you stay..." passage comes from Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6.

Lyrics

A sad but hopeful

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, the lyrics are told from the perspective of someone telling their lover how much they'd be missed if they left. This is described in vivid, hyperbolic terms, such as "''there'll be nothing left in the world to trust''". If the lover stays, the narrator promises them both devotion and good times ("''I'll make you a day / Like no day has been, or will be again''"). Some lines show that the narrator is speaking to the lover as they are already leaving, or considering doing so ("''Can I tell you now, as you turn to go...''"). The lines "''If you go, as I know you will''" and later "''...as I know you must''" make clear that despite the narrator's protests, the lover's leaving is inevitable. McKuen's translation is significantly different from the original Brel lyric. The English version is based around contrasting what would happen "if you go away" and what could happen "if you stay". In the original French version, the singer begs for his lover not to leave him and is more supplicant and almost self-humiliating (the title "Ne me quitte pas" translates "Do not leave me"). Significant is the last image of the French version; although the McKuen version has lyrics that come close to the original sentiment, the French lyrics are far bleaker (as is the song in general): "''Let me become the shadow of your shadow, the shadow of your hand, the shadow of your dog''" (lit. translation of the original) as opposed to "''I'd have been the shadow of your shadow if I thought it might have kept me by your side''" (English lyrics). The English version omits a section of the original version in which the singer begs his lover to give their relationship a second chance, using examples derived from the natural world: "''I will tell you of those lovers who saw their hearts catch fire twice'';" "''Fire has often been seen gushing out of an ancient volcano we thought too old''"; "''There are, people say, burnt lands that produce more wheat than the best of Aprils''".

Recordings

Damita Jo reached no. 10 on the

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

and no. 68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1966 for her version of the song.

Terry Jacks Terrence Ross Jacks (born March 29, 1944) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer and environmentalist, best known for his 1974 hit song " Seasons in the Sun". Early life Terry Jacks was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His fa ...

recorded a version of the song which was released as a single in 1974 and reached no. 29 on the

, no. 68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and went to no. 8 in the UK. Many other artists have recorded the song. Among the most notable is

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

's version released as a single which also appeared on her album '' And We Were Lovers''. McKuen was very fond of Bassey's version and wrote to her saying he enjoyed it and thanking her.Rod McKuen, letter to Bassey reproduced in CD liner notes, BGO CD693 In 2002, her version of the song featured in the movie '' Merci Docteur Rey''.

Related songs

Nick Currie, better known as

Momus Momus (; Ancient Greek: Μῶμος ''Momos'') in Greek mythology was the personification of satire and mockery, two stories about whom figure among Aesop's Fables. During the Renaissance, several literary works used him as a mouthpiece for their ...

, returned to Brel's original song and translated it as "Don't Leave" in 1986, released initially on the ''Jacques'' EP and then on an expanded reissue of the album ''Circus Maximus''. This was lyrically closer to the original, notably using the formulation "Me, I'll ..." (common as "moi, je ..." in French but rarely used in English).

References

External links

Brelitude
Jacques Brel's covers website {{DEFAULTSORT:If You Go Away Songs about heartache Songs about parting Songs written by Jacques Brel Jacques Brel songs Dusty Springfield songs Shirley Bassey songs Brenda Lee songs Tom Jones (singer) songs Frank Sinatra songs Oliver (singer) songs Neil Diamond songs Ray Charles songs Cyndi Lauper songs Madonna songs Glen Campbell songs Barbra Streisand songs Eartha Kitt songs Scott Walker (singer) songs Number-one singles in Norway Pop standards Pop ballads Songs written by Rod McKuen