Rodney Marvin “Rod” McKuen (April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter, musician and poet.
He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks and classical music. He earned two Academy Award nominations and one Pulitzer nomination for his music compositions. McKuen’s translations and adaptations of the songs of Jacques Brel were instrumental in bringing the Belgian songwriter to prominence in the English-speaking world. His poetry deals with themes of love, the natural world and spirituality. McKuen’s songs sold over 100 million recordings worldwide, and 60 million books of his poetry were sold as well, according to the Associated Press.
IF YOU GO AWAY
Rod McKuen
If you go away on this summer day
Then you might as well take the sun away
All the birds that flew in a 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
Ne me quitté pas
If you go away
Ne me quitté pas
But if you stay I’ll make you a day like no day has been or will be again
We’ll sail on 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
Ne me quitté pas
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 ’til your next hello
Ne me quitté pas
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
Then if you go I’ll understand
Leave me just enough love to hold up my hand
If you go away
If you go away
Ne me quitté pas
If you go away
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
I’d have been the shadow of your dog
If I thought it’d have kept me by your side
If you go away
Ne me quitté pas
If you go away
Please, don’t go away