NE ME QUITTE PAS 
(Jacques Brel)

Jacques Brel (Belgium)

Also recorded by: 
Karrin Allyson; Natacha Atlas; Isabelle Aubret; Barbara; 
Frida Boccara; Miguel Bosé; Michiel Braam; Timna Brauer; 
Alain Brunet; Yuri Buenaventura; Caravelli; 
Jean Paul Celea; Richard Clayderman; George Davidson; 
Deishovida; Dyango; Faudel; Mario Frangoulis; 
Daniel Guichard; Johnny Hallyday; Jocelyne Jocya; 
Barb Jungr; Lisa Kirchner; Largo; Ute Lemper; 
Giorgio Li Calzi; Enrico Macias; Eileen Mager; 
Paul Mauriat; Liliane Montevecchi; Nana Mouskouri; 
Alison Moyet; Franck Pourcel; Georges Schmitt; 
Sandie Shaw; Nina Simone; Jean Stilwell; Sudden Infant; 
Jacky Terrasson; Toots Thielemans; Mari Trini; 
Ornella Vanoni; Velvet Sound Orch.; Anthony Ventura;
Violet Indiana.


Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le coeur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas (4x)
Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas (5x)
Je t'inventerai
Des mots insensés
Que tu comprendras
Je te parlerai
De ces amants-là
Qui ont vue deux fois
Leurs coeurs s'embraser
Je te raconterai
L'histoire de ce roi
Mort de n'avoir pas
Pu te rencontrer
Ne me quitte pas (4x)
On a vu souvent
Rejaillir le feu
De l'ancien volcan
Qu'on croyait trop vieux
Il est paraît-il
Des terres brûlées
Donnant plus de blé
Qu'un meilleur avril
Et quand vient le soir
Pour qu'un ciel flamboie
Le rouge et le noir
Ne s'épousent-ils pas
Ne me quitte pas (5x)
Je ne vais plus pleurer
Je ne vais plus parler
Je me cacherai là
A te regarder
Danser et sourire
Et à t'écouter 
Chanter et puis rire
Laisse-moi devenir
L'ombre de ton ombre
L'ombre de ta main
L'ombre de ton chien
Ne me quitte pas (4x)


*****


IF YOU GO AWAY
(Ne Me Quitte Pas)
(Jacques Brel / Rod McKuen)

Recorded by: 
Larry Alexander; Marc Almond; Shirley Bassey; Acker Bilk; 
Ray Bryant; Glen Campbell; Fay Claassen; Damita Jo; 
Neil Diamond; Barbara Dickson; Giovanni; Richard Hayman; 
Shirley Horn; Julio Iglesias; Hamish Imlach; Terry Jacks; 
Jack Jones; Tom Jones; Patricia Kaas; Sofia Laiti; 
Cyndi Lauper; Brenda Lee; Lee Lessack; Al Martino; 
Paul Mauriat; Rod McKuen; Helen Merrill; Ronnie Milsap; 
Mystic Moods Orch.; Oliver; Emile Pandolfi; Freda Payne; 
Ginette Reno; Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels; 
Tony Sandler; The Seekers; Frank Sinatra; 
Dusty Springfield; Emiliana Torrini; Jackie Trent; 
Regine Velasquez; Scott Walker; Wave In Head.


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
When the day was young, and the night was long
And the moon stood still for the nightbird's 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 fill up 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 '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?
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, 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 shadow
If I thought it might have kept me by your side


*****


NON ANDARE VIA
(Jacques Brel / Gino Paoli)

Dalida (France)

Also recorded by: 
Gino Paoli; Patty Pravo; Ornella Vanoni.


Non andare via 
Puoi dimenticare 
Tutto quello che, se n'è andato già 
Tutti i malintesi, e tulti i perchè 
Che uccidevano, la felicità 
Puoi dimenticare, tutto il tempo che 
E passato già, non esiste più
Non andare via, non andare via , non andare via 
Non andare via

Io io ti offriro 
Perle di pioggia venute da dove non piove mai 
Apriro la terra giù fino nel fondo 
Per coprirti d'oro, d'oro e di luce 
E ti portero, dove non c'è più 
Che quel che tu vuoi, che quel che tu cerchi
Non andare via, non andare via, non andare via 
Non andare via

Non andare via 
Per te inventero 
Le parole pazze, che tu capirai 
E ti parlero, di due amanti che 
Per due volte già, hanno visto il fuoco 
Ti raccontero, la storia di un re, che mori perchè 
Non li vide mai
Non andare via, non andare via, non andare via 

Nel vulcano spento, che credevi morto 
Molte volte il fuoco è rinato ancora 
Ed il fuoco brucia, tutto quanto intorno 
E non riconosce, niente e nessuno 
E quando c'è sera, e c'è il fuoco in cielo 
Il rosso ed il nero, non hanno un confine
Non andare via, non andare via, non andare via 
Non andare via

Non andare via
Io non piango più, io non parlo più, mi nascondero 
E ti guardero, quando riderai e ti sentiro, quando canterai 
Saro solo l'ombra, della tua ombra 
Della tua mano, l'ombra del tuo cuore 
Non andare via, non andare via 
Non andare via.


*****

Ne Me Quitte Pas
Jacques Brel
Momus

Don't go away
If you can't forgive
Believe, just to live
We must forget
Forget the times
We misunderstand
Let them slip through your hand
With the sand of time
Forget those hours
When 'perhapses' die
At the hands of 'why'
And our lack of faith
Don't go away
Don't go away
Don't leave
Me

I'll offer you pearls
Made out of the rain
That falls in a world
Where rain never falls
I'll ransack the earth
By day and by night
To cover your body
With gold and with light
I'll make a domain
Where love will be king
Love will be everything
You'll be the queen
Don't go away
Dont' go away
Don't leave

Don't go away
I'll invent for you
Words just meant for you
And you'll know what's meant
And I'll tell you the truth
About how other lovers
Looked into each other
And how they were moved
Then I'll read to you
The story of kings
Who lived without meeting you
Died without knowing you
Don't go away
Dont' go away
Don't leave

And just when you think
The volcano's expired
The craters turn pink
And the ash turns to fire
In a charred barren land
You can still be surprised
Wheat suddenly stands
Like a dream of July's
When the sun sets
In a brilliant sky
The black and the red
Never touch as they die
Don't go away
Dont' go away
Don't leave

Don't go away
I won't cry anymore
I won't talk anymore
I'll crawl under the bed
And I'll watch you from there
As you smile and you dance
And I'll listen to hear
How you talk, and you laugh it's enough
Being the shadow of your shadow
The shadow of your hand
The shadow of your man
Don't go away
Dont' go away
Don't leave




(Contributed by Fletcher-K - January 2011)