"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 adaptation, with English lyrics by Rod McKuen, is "If You Go Away".
Background
Moi, je t'offrirai des perles de pluie venues de pays où il ne pleut pas
"Ne me quitte pas" is considered by some as "Brel's ultimate classic".[1] It was written after Brel's mistress "Zizou" (Suzanne Gabriello) threw him out of her life.[2] Zizou was pregnant with Brel's child, but Brel refused to acknowledge the child as his own. Zizou later had an abortion due to Brel's actions.[2] Brel first recorded the song on 11 September 1959, and it was released on his fourth album La Valse à mille temps.[3] It was published by Warner-Chappell Publishing. In 1961 a Dutch-language version sung by Brel was released on the Philips label; entitled "Laat me niet alleen", with lyrics by Ernst van Altena, it was a B-side to Marieke (also a Dutch-language version).[4] Brel recorded "Ne me quitte pas" again as the title track of his 1972 album.
In a 1966 interview, Brel said that "Ne me quitte pas" was not a love song, but rather "a hymn to the cowardice of men", and the degree to which they were willing to humiliate themselves. He knew, he said, that it would give pleasure to women who assumed it was a love song, and he understood that.[5]
The lyrics "Moi, je t'offrirai des perles de pluie venues de pays où il ne pleut pas" ("I'll offer you rain pearls from lands where it does not rain") are sung to a theme borrowed from the second part, Lassan (Andante), of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 by the composer Franz Liszt.
French singer Johnny Hallyday released a live version of this song as a single in November 1984. It was recorded during his performances at Le Zénith. The song was part of his 1984 album Johnny Hallyday au Zénith.
Critical reception
Alain Wodrascka in his 2008 book Johnny Hallyday: les adieux du rock'cœur notes how Hallyday put in his 1984 cover of Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" his special vocal qualities, i.e. his vocals that are "full of sensuality and expression of physical strength of an indestructible man, who sings as if making love".[6]
Simone Langlois – possibly the very first recording: Brel would have passed it to her prior to recording his own version[9]
1961:
Maysa Matarazzo in Maysa Sings Songs Before Dawn and Maysa Matarazzo 1961 (released in Argentina). released again in 1966 álbum Maysa (1966). This version was used by Pedro Almodóvar in the movie Law of Desire (1987). Also used in 2001 for the Brazilian mini-series Presença de Anita (Anita's Presence) and in 2009 miniseries Maysa: Quando Fala o Coração.
Frida Boccara (some versions): 1. Duet with Luis Recatero (EP Belter 51532, 1965); 2. Frida Boccara Sings – 1967, LP Melodia, made in USSR (Поёт Фрида Боккара [Д-20579-80]); 3. Place des Arts – Montreal '71 Live (2 LP Philips, 1971 and CD 2006, Canada); 4.An Evening With Frida Boccara (1978, Live at Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne – 2 LP Philips and some CD compilations); 5. Un jour, un enfant – posthumous CD (1999)
Vicky Leandros – Brel asked Leandros to sing this song after they met in a French TV studio. The song was released on the album Ich Bin released January 1971 and on the French album " Vicky "(Je Suis Comme Je Suis) released in Canada September 1970 .
Gela Guralia 23 June in Saint-Petersburg in both French and English
Arabic
2012: Mashrou' Leila's version "ما تتركني هيك - ne me quitte pas". Indie band from Lebanon performed the cover-version at Paleo Festival Nyon – (Chapiteau / Switzerland) in 2012.
2017: Mike Massy adapted the song in Arabic, Lebanese slang "ما تفل Ma Tfell / Ne Me Quitte Pas" and released it in his EP "Le Délire". Lyrics by Nami Moukheiber, Arranged by Mike Massy.
Armenian
1976: Onnik Dinkjian's version "Yete Heranas." Recorded by Onnik Dinkjian with John Berberian (oud) and others (all from the US) on the album "Inner Feelings of Onnik." (US release)
2015: Lilit Bleyan's version "Չթողնես երբեք": Recorded at Ardini studio (Yerevan, Armenia)
2018: Berge Turabian's version "Դու ինծ մի լքիր": Arrangements by Tigran Nanian on the album "Brel, Brassens, Ferré in Armenian" (US release)
Afrikaans
1980: Laurika Rauch's version "Moenie weggaan nie". Dutch artist Herman van Veen performed a cover-version in the 2000s.
2011: Herman van den Berg's version "Laat my by jou bly".
Belarusian
2008: Źmicier Vajciuškievič's version "Nie hublaj mianie" ("Не губляй мяне") was recorded on the album Toje što treba.
The pop standard "If You Go Away", with lyrics by Rod McKuen, has been covered by many artists including Ray Charles. Different lyrics by Momus, closer to those of the original, render the song as "Don't Leave", added to all reissues of his 1986 album Circus Maximus. American duo the Black Veils translate the song as "Don't Leave Me" on their 2009 album Troubadours, which includes translations of six other French chansons. Sung by Holcombe Waller in Ryan Trecartin's "Sibling Topics (section a)" at 23:10.
1967: Shirley Bassey released a version as a single which also appeared on her album And We Were Lovers, re-issued 1973 as "Big Spender".
1969: Scott Walker recorded a cover of "Ne me quitte pas" on his third solo album Scott 3, originally released in 1969. Scott Walker released various Brel covers on the albums Scott 1, 2 & 3, which were translated by Mort Shuman.
1971: Neil Diamond covered "Ne me quitte pas" on his seventh studio album "Stones".
1974: Terry Jacks covered "If You Go Away" and released it as a stand-alone single.[13]
1974: Dani Granot Sang "Ana Al Telchi" - Please don't go(אנא אל תלכי), a translation by Dafna Eilat, in his album Shkiot Nashim Vechol Hashar.
1992: The late Yossi Banai sings Al telchi mikan - Don't go from here(אל תלכי מכאן), a translation by Naomi Shemer, in the Im neda' le'ehov – Songs of Jacques Brel (אם נדע לאהוב) record
2001: Rita and Rami Kleinstein sang the same Hebrew version live in their tour, that was later released on a CD, Rita Rami on Stage
2008: Itay Pearl Israeli composer Itay Pearl, wrote a song as a response to the original Jacques Brel version.
2009: Shlomi Shaban: Translated by Dory Manor, Al Telchi Achshav - Don't go now (אל תלכי עכשיו).
2005: Lam Nhat Tien's version of "Ne Me Quitte Pas": Người Yêu Nếu Ra Đi in French and Vietnamese, from the album Giờ Đã Không Còn Nữa.
2007: Das Blaue Einhorn's version of "Ne Me Quitte Pas" in French and German, from their album Verkauf dein Pferd – Lieder vom Halten und Lassen (2007)
2014: Caro Emerald as a digital download performed in both French and English.
The song was used in season 1 episode 19 of the critically acclaimed TV show Person of Interest and in the final episode of Mr. Robot. It was also used in season 1 finale of The Leftovers. "Ne Me Quitte Pas" was used by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar in his sixth film, Law of Desire, in a striking performance by Brazilian singer Maysa Matarazzo. A parody of the song and the singer, as the archetypal chansonnier, was performed by Italian actor Gigi Proietti.[16] Claudio Corneiro performed a clown act with this song in Cirque du Soleil's Varekai.[17] It is also the name of an episode in the series Ramy.
^Dialogue between Jacques Brel and Geneviève de Vilmorin, interviewed by Emmanuel Poulet (RTL, 1966)
^Alain Wodrascka (2008). Johnny Hallyday: les adieux du rock'cœur. Carpentier. ISBN978-2-84167-565-4. ... à fleur de sensualité et l'expression de la force physique d'un homme indestructible, qui chante comme s'il faisait l'amour - Johnny mettra ces mêmes qualités vocales au service de sa reprise de «Ne me quitte pas» de Jacques Brel (1984)
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