1976 (Shirley Bassey performs the Jacques Brel classic, 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' with the English Lyrics written by Rod McKuen, as 'If You Go Away'. Rod McKuen then sings one of his hits, 'Love's Been Good To Me')
Shirley recorded and released this song on her 1967 LP titled, 'Shirley Bassey - And We Were Lovers' - (Although, The LP title may be different depending on the country where the LP was sold.)
ABOUT this song:
"If You Go Away" is a song in English based upon the French song "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (1959), written by Jacques Brel. The English lyrics were written by Rod McKuen 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. Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Brenda Lee, Violetta Villas, Daliah Lavi, Marc Almond, Emilíana Torrini, Neil Diamond, Scott Walker, Farhad Mehrad, Dusty Springfield and Cyndi Lauper have also recorded versions of it, with several of the numerous versions becoming hits and achieving success on the charts. The complex melody is partly derivative of classical music - the poignant "But if you stay..." passage comes from Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3.
LYRICS:
If you go away, on this summers 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
When the day was young and the night was long
And the moon stood still for the night birds' song
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
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
We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind
Then if you go, I'll understand
Leave me just enough love to hold in my hand
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
If you go away, as I know you will
You must tell the world to stop turning till
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 till the next hello
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
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 ride 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, if you go away, if you go away
If you go away as I know you must
There'll be nothing left in the world to trust
Just an empty room full of empty space
Like the empty look I see on your face
I'd have been the shadow of your dog
If I thought it might have kept me by your side
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away