Ne me quitte pas

"Ne Me Quitte Pas"
Song by Jacques Brel from the album La Valse à Mille Temps
Published	1959
Released	1959
Recorded	11 September 1959
Length	3:52
Label	Philips Records
Writer	Jacques Brel

"Ne me quitte pas" ("Don't Leave Me") is a song written and sung in French and in Dutch (as "Laat me niet alleen") by the Belgian chansonnier (singer-songwriter) Jacques Brel in 1959. 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 English adaptation - by Rod McKuen - is called "If You Go Away".

Contents 1 History 2 Cover versions 2.1 French 2.2 Afrikaans 2.3 Catalan 2.4 Croatian 2.5 Czech 2.6 Dutch 2.7 English 2.8 Finnish 2.9 Frisian 2.10 German 2.11 Greek 2.12 Hebrew 2.13 Italian 2.14 Polish 2.15 Portuguese 2.16 Russian 2.17 Slovene 2.18 Spanish 2.19 Swedish 2.20 Turkish 2.21 Yiddish 2.22 Multilingual 2.23 Instrumental 3 References 4 External links 4.1 Lyrics

History

Jacques Brel first recorded this song on 11 September 1959, and it is on his album La Valse à Mille Temps. The song is published by Warner-Chappell Publishing. In 1961, he recorded a Flemish version of the song, entitled "Laat Me Niet Alleen". In 1972, Brel recorded another version as the title track of his album Ne Me Quitte Pas.

The lyrics "Moi, je t'offrirai des perles de pluie venues de pays où il ne pleut pas" ("I'll give you pearls of rain that come from lands where it does not rain") are sung to a theme borrowed from the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 by the composer Franz Liszt.

Ne me quitte pas was written after Brel's mistress "Zizou" (Suzanne Gabriello) threw him out of her life. Zizou was pregnant with Brel's child, but Brel refused to acknowledge he fathered the child. Zizou later had an abortion as a result of Brel's actions.

It is considered by some as "Brel's ultimate classic".^[1] He would later say in an interview that the song is not a love song, but rather a song about the cowardice of men.

Nina Simone performed a well known cover of the song, in her 1965 album I Put A Spell On You. "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.

Cover versions

French

• 1959:

• Simone Langlois (possibly the very first recording: Brel would have passed it to her prior to recording his own version^[2])

• 1961:

• Maysa Matarazzo in Maysa Sings Songs Before Dawn and Maysa Matarazzo 1961 (released in Argentina). This version was used by Pedro Almodovar in the movie Law of Desire (1987). Also used in 2001 for the Brazilian mini-series Presença de Anita (Anita's Presence).

• 1961:

• Barbara chante Brel

• 1965:

• Nina Simone in her June 1965 I Put a Spell on You album
• 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)

• 1970:

• 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 Je Suis Comme Je Suis released in Canada (October 1971

• 1974:

• Gigliola Cinquetti in Bonjour Paris (album CGD 65978)

• 1987:

• Alison Moyet Appears as the B-side to "Love Letters"

• 1988:

• Juliette Gréco in Gréco 88: Hommage à Brel
• Sting live on his ...Nothing Like the Sun tour^[3]

• 1994:

• Alison Moyet Appears as the B-side to "Getting Into Something"

• 1995::*Isabelle Aubret in her Chante Brel album
• 1998:

• Hugues Aufray in Hommage - Ils chantent Jacques Brel CD
• Yuri Buenaventura in Herencia Africana
• Miguel Bosé in 11 maneras de ponerse un sombrero CD

• 1999:

• The late Frida Boccara in her posthumous Un jour, un enfant CD

• 2001:

• Natacha Atlas in her album Ayeshteni

• Maria Bill sings Jacques Brel
• 2002:

• Paloma Berganza in the Avec le temps CD
• Cirque du Soleil's 2002 production Varekai features a performance of the song.
• Ute Lemper in But One Day

• 2003:

• Bic Runga in Live in Concert with the Christchurch Symphony.

• 2004:

• In-Grid in her album La vie en rose
• Angélique Beauvence in the Still...love you CD
• Wende Snijders on the Quand tu Dors CD

• 2005:

• Pierre Bachelet in the Tu ne nous quittes pas CD.
• Olivier Laurent ('à la manière de Patrick Bruel, Julien Clerc, Serge Lama, Johnny Hallyday') in Ces gens-là

• 2006:

• Estrella Morente, a flamenco singer, on her album Mujeres, whose arrangement and performance is based on Nina Simone's.

• 2007:

• Belinda Carlisle on the Voila CD.

• 2009:

• Maria Gadú in the Maria Gadú CD & live at Vivo Altas Horas (Brazil) 19 September 2009.^[4] Used in 2010 for the brazilian mini-series Cinquentinha.
• Barbra Streisand sings a mixed French/English lyric on her album Love Is the Answer.

• 2010:

• Brian Molko performed the song in the "I love EU" concert in Brussels .

• 2011

• Celine Dion performs the song during her Las Vegas residency show, Celine

Afrikaans

• 1980:

• Laurika Rauch's version "Moenie weggaan nie". Dutch artist Herman van Veen performed a cover-version in the 2000s.

Catalan

• 1965 :

• Emili Vendrell - "No em deixis tan sol"

• 1967 :

• Mercè Madolell - "No te'n vagis pas"

• 1968 :

• Salomé - "No em deixis mai"

• 2005:

• Albert Fibla - "No em deixis, no"

Croatian

• 1971 :

• Arsen Dedić - Nemoj poći sad

Czech

• 1977:

• Hana Hegerova, "Lásko prokletá"

Dutch

• 1961:

• Jacques Brel's version "Laat me niet alleen"

• 1968:

• Liesbeth List's version "Laat me niet alleen".

English

See the "If You Go Away" article.

• In 1967, singer Lana Cantrell - album LP 1967 "And Then There Was Lana" - CD 'Lana Cantrell', 1998

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.

There is also another translation of the song by Nick Currie, aka Momus, called "Don't Leave". This is closer literally to the original text than "If You Go Away", and was released first in 1986 on the Jacques EP and later on an extended version of the album Circus Maximus.

Regina Spektor released a different song by the name "Ne Me Quitte Pas" on her 2002 album, Songs.

American duo the Black Veils translate the song as "Don't Leave Me" on their 2009 CD Troubadours, which includes translations of six other French chansons.

Finnish

• 1968

• Brita Koivunen "Jos nyt menet pois"

• 1979

• Toni Edelmann "Ethän lähde pois"

• 1984

• Susanna Haavisto "Ala vetää vaan"

• 1985

• Vera Telenius "Ala vetää vaan"

• 2010

• Samuli Edelmann "Ethän lähde pois"

Frisian

• 2007:

• Douwe Heeringa "Leafste bliuw by my"

German

• 1963:

• Marlene Dietrich "Bitte geh nicht fort"

• 1976

• Klaus Hoffmann "Geh nicht fort von mir"; "Bitte geh nicht fort" (1997)

• 1977

• Markus Pol Lass mich nicht allein

Greek

• 1971:

• Vicky Leandros in the album Pes mou pos mporeis (Tell me how you can).

• 1979:

• Yiannis Parios in the LP Tha Me Thymithis (You will remember me), with the title "Mi me afinis mi" (Don't leave me, don't).

• 1996:

• Haris Alexiou in her live album: Gyrizontas ton kosmo (During my world tour).

• 2007:

• Yiannnis Parios' live rendition of the aforementioned song.

• 2009:

• Vassilikos in the album "Vintage"

Hebrew

• 1974: Dani Granot Sang "Ana Al Telchi", a translation by Dafna Eilat, in his album Shkiot Nashim Vechol Hashar.
• 1992: The late Yossi Banai sings Al tilchi mikan, a translation by Naomi Shemer, in the Im neda' le'ehow - Songs of Jacques Brel 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 http://www.itaypearl.com, 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)

Italian

• 1962:

• Gino Paoli, "Non Andare Via"

• 1970:

• Dalida, "Non Andare Via"
• Patty Pravo, "Non Andare Via"

• 2006:

• Petra Magoni & Ferruccio Spinetti, "Non Andare Via"

Polish

• 1986:

• Irena Jarocka & Jacques Hustin, "Nie zostawiaj mnie/Ne me quitte pas"

• 1995:

• Michał Bajor, "Nie opuszczaj mnie"

• 1995:

• Edyta Górniak, "Nie opuszczaj mnie"

• 1998:

• Edyta Jungowska, "Nie opuszczaj mnie"

• 2007:

• Joanna Jabłczyńska, "Nie opuszczaj mnie"

Portuguese

• 1974:

• Simone de Oliveira (Portugal) "Não me vás deixar (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" (J. Brel - David Mourão Ferreira) in Nunca mais a Solidão

• 1979:

• Altemar Dutra (Brazil) "Se Você Partir" - Se Você Partir (Ne Me Quitte Pas) (J.Brel - Romeo Nunes)

• 1989:

• Raimundo Fagner (Brazil) "Não Me Deixes" - Não Me Deixes (Ne Me Quitte Pas) (J. Brel - Fausto Nilo)

Russian

• Radmila Karaklajić's version "Если ты уйдёшь"

• 2001:

• Mumiy Troll's version "Если ты уйдёшь"

Slovene

• 2009:

• Branko Završan "Saj ne boš kar šla"

Spanish

• 1997:

• Sandy Aruba's salsa music version "No Me Dejes Mas"

• 1977:

• Angélica María "No me dejes"

• ?:

• Matt Monroe "No me dejes no"
• Alma Ritano "No me dejes no"

Swedish

• 1968:

• Lill Lindfors: "Om du går din väg" in Kom i min värld

• 1982:

• Tommy Körberg & Stefan Nilsson: "Du får inte gå" in Tommy Körberg & Stefan Nilsson tolkar Jacques Brel

• 2000:

• Maria Stoltz: "Du Får Inte Gå" in Franska chansoner

Turkish

• 1972:

• Zeki Müren "Beni Bırakma"

• 1975:

• Ertan Anapa "Beni Terketme"

• 1977:

• Lale Belkıs "Beni Bırakma"

Yiddish

• 2008:

• Mendy Cahan's version "לאָז מיך נישט אַלײן"

Multilingual

• 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)

Instrumental

• 1982:

• Richard Clayderman, for his 1982 album 'Reveries No.2'

• 2005:

• Charles Lloyd, in the album Jumping the Creek

• 2008:

• Farhad Besharati, in the album Zenith

References

External links

• (English)Ne Me Quitte Pas cover hierarchy
• (Italian)[1]
• [2]
• See the article "List of Jacques Brel cover versions".

Lyrics

• Lyrics at Wikia
• Alfred de Grazia: Don't Leave Me: a translation into English by Anne-Marie de Grazia at the Wayback Machine (archived January 14, 2008)

Jacques Brel Studio albums Grand Jacques · Quand on n'a que l'amour · Au Printemps · La Valse à Mille Temps · Marieke · Les Bourgeois · Les Bonbons · Ces Gens-Là · Jacques Brel 67 · J'arrive · L'Homme de la Mancha · Ne Me Quitte Pas · Les Marquises Live albums Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1961 · Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964 Compilation albums Infiniment Rarities Chansons ou Versions Inédites de Jeunesse Box sets Boîte à Bonbons Songs "Ne me quitte pas" ("If You Go Away") · "Marieke" · "Le Moribond" ("Seasons in the Sun") · "Le Plat Pays" · "Ces Gens-Là" · "Amsterdam" · "La Quête" · "Un enfant" · "Jacky" Related articles Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris · Man of La Mancha · Covers and Tributes · François Rauber · Barclay Records