Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
If
Scott Walker Lyrics
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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
And the night was long
And the moon stood still
For the night bird's song
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
And 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
As I know you will
You must tell the world
To stop turning, 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
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 glide 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
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
And I'd have been the shadow
Of your shadow
If it might have kept me
By your side
The song "If You Go Away" by Scott Walker is a melancholic ballad about the end of a love affair. The song starts with the sorrowful plea that if the loved one leaves, they might as well take away the sun and everything beautiful that exists in the world. The singer reminisces about the good times they had together, such as the summer when their love was new and the birds were singing. The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia mixed with regret and heartbreak.
The singer continues to plead with their significant other that if they leave, they need to make sure to take enough love to fill up their hands. The singer goes on to offer an appealing vision of their future together filled with beautiful days, sailing the sun, and worshipping the wind. But, the song ends with a sense of resignation, saying that if the loved one chooses to leave, the singer won't cry because the good is already gone. The final verse uses a poetic metaphor, illustrating that the singer prefer to be a "shadow" of their significant other's shadow to stay by their side.
Overall, the song is an emotional tribute to an ending relationship, capturing the sense of loss, regret, and heartbreak so well. The imagery used in the song is potent and brings the listener on an emotional journey.
Line by Line Meaning
If you go away
The singer is concerned with their lover leaving them and expresses how important their presence is to them.
On this summer day
The time of the year is a reminder of when the singer and their lover's love was new and their hearts were high.
Then you might as well
The singer believes that without their lover, all the warmth and joy of life will disappear.
Take the sun away
The sun represents light and warmth, and without their lover, the artist believes they will be left in a cold and dark world.
All the birds that flew
The birds symbolize the happy memories of their love when it was new and exciting.
In the summer sky
The birds flew in the summer sky, which represents a happy time and recalls the beautiful memories of their love.
When our love was new
The singer recalls the time when they and their lover had just fallen in love, and this was a beautiful time in their lives.
And our hearts were high
Their love was flourishing, and they both felt an intense connection to each other.
And the day was young
The day symbolizes the start of their relationship, and the beginning of their love story.
And the night was long
The night represents the moments that they shared together, talking and getting to know each other.
And the moon stood still
The moon is a symbol of the timelessness of their love and how it transcends time and space.
For the night bird's song
The night bird's song represents the beauty of their love and the memories they shared.
But if you stay
The singer offers a beautiful and promising future with their lover, filled with meaningful experiences, and expresses their deep love for them.
I'll make you a day
The singer promises to create special moments for their lover that they will cherish forever.
Like no day has been
The singer promises to make every day with their lover special and unique.
Or will be again
The love and experiences they will share together will be so special that they'll never be able to be duplicated, and no one else would ever share those kinds of memories.
We'll sail the sun
Together they will explore and experience everything in the world.
We'll ride on the rain
They will embrace every moment of life, both good and bad.
And talk to the trees
The singer and their lover will embrace the beauty of nature and find tranquility in its embrace.
And worship the wind
The wind symbolizes the unpredictability of life and the way their love will conquer all.
Then if you go
Despite their hope that their lover will stay, the artist understands that they may still leave, but they will always leave with love and understanding.
I'll understand
The artist has accepted the possibility of their lover leaving and understands it'll be for the better.
Leave me just enough love
The singer is asking their lover to leave just enough love behind to help them manage the pain of their departure.
To fill up my hand
The only tangible thing the artist asks for is their lover's love, which will help them hold on to the memories of their love.
As I know you will
Despite their hope that their lover will stay, deep down, the singer knows that their lover will leave them someday.
You must tell the world
Their love is significant, and it cannot be ignored or forgotten, and the singer believes their lover should take this message to the world.
To stop turning, turning
The world should stop turning until their lover returns because the singer doesn't believe they can keep going without them.
'til you return again
The world should stop until their lover comes back because the artist's happiness depends solely on them.
If you ever do
There's a high chance that the lover won't come back, but the artist will still hold on to the hope that they will come back someday.
For what good is love
Without their lover, the singer cannot find any purpose or meaning in their love.
Without loving you?
The love that the singer feels for their lover is the only thing that matters; without it, nothing else counts.
Can I tell you now
The artist expresses their emotion; they cannot bear to see their lover leave.
As you turn to go
The artist is preparing themselves for the final goodbye while feeling a deep and painful sadness.
I'll be dying slowly
The artist is using hyperbole to express the strong emotions they are feeling, which will slowly kill them inside.
'til the next hello
The singer hopes that they will have another moment to be with their lover again.
I won't cry
The artist loves their lover too much to show any weakness through crying, but deep down, they're hurt that their lover is leaving.
Though the good is gone
The singer acknowledges their love and the good times that they shared are leaving, but they are focusing on the future.
From the word goodbye
The singer knows that goodbyes can be final, and it's essential to focus on moving towards the future.
As I know you must
The singer is accepting the inevitability of their lover's departure.
There'll be nothing left
With their lover gone, there'll be nothing to look forward to or hope for in the future.
In this world to trust
With their lover gone, the artist will be left empty and lost, losing their faith in the world.
Just an empty room
The singer's heart will be empty without their lover, and their life will be filled with hollow memories.
Full of empty space
The singer feels like their life will have gone, leaving behind nothing but empty space.
Like the empty look
The lover's face will remind the artist of all the empty spaces in their life without them, and it'll hurt them every time they see it.
I see on your face
Looking at their lover's face will forever remind the artist of the hurt they felt when they left them.
And I'd have been the shadow
The artist has relied on their lover's existence, and without them, they will only be left with their memories of them.
Of your shadow
The singer experienced only the slight reflection of their lover's existence when they were with them.
If it might have kept me
The artist is expressing that they would have done things differently if it meant they could have stayed with their lover.
By your side
The singer wants to stay by their lover's side because they are the only person who fills them up with love and purpose.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Roman Brel, Rod McKuen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Kaplan
Il existe plus de 70 versions de « Ne Me Quitte pas », rien qu’en Français et en Anglais. Il est donc difficile de toutes les connaître et il est fort à parier qu’une bonne majorité de ces reprises soient dispensables.
Celle de Scott Walker est mémorable et essentielle pour diverses raisons :
Déjà parce que c’est ma préférée de toutes les versions que je connais, le chant de mon crooner favori atteint les étoiles.
Ensuite parce Scott Walker est le plus classe ambassadeur du Grand Jacques pour avoir repris 9 de ses chansons sur ses 3 premiers albums solo (même si « Scott 4 » ne comprend aucun reprise de Brel, il est vivement conseillé de le connaître), il disait de la voix que « c’est comme un ouragan qui souffle dans la pièce ».
Et enfin parce que Scott Walker interprète une version traduite en anglais par Mort Shuman qui s’éloigne du texte original de Jacques Brel en lui donnant une très nette orientation de chanson d’amour.
Le texte de Brel aussi est une chanson d’amour, c’est évident ! Pas du tout en fait… Brel expliqua sept ans après la création de ce monument de la chanson mondiale que cette chanson n’est pas une chanson d’amour mais un hymne à la lâcheté des hommes, capable de s’humilier au plus haut point pour retenir celle qui part (probablement pour de bonnes raisons).
Piaf disait de cette chanson qu’un homme ne devrait pas chanter des trucs comme ça… Heureusement que Scott Walker ne l’a pas écouté.
Ben Lotus
This is my getting up in the morning, lighting cigarette, wondering where the woman from night before has gone,
and hitting the shower, and getting ready to hit the city again in my Camaro - theme music.
Of course I live in a dirty bedsit. There has been no woman for many years, and I have one of those detachable
slip-on slip-off shower bungs that go over the faucets and
I live on the outskirts of an industrial town in Scotland..
I also have a paunch (Beer Belly).
My shower bung is held onto the bath taps with hose clamps and there is algae on the walls !
Marvellous
Steve Baker
A song sung by many exceptional singers.......but never sung better and with more emotion than by Scott Walker.
Mark Glassman
One of the greatest songs sung by one of the greatest singers! Utterly stunning in every way.
Martin Callaghan
pure quality x
Matt Taylor
You obviously haven't heard 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua then...
Harry Wymeers
Gonna send this to my lovely gf
Jan Colman
Absolutely gorgeous. Gorgeous man with a haunting voice. Sang Jaques Brel so beautifully. Love him.still even in death.
Arlene Culshaw
Superb Scott’s voice and interpretation are never to be beaten love Arlene xxxxx
Levon Marutyan
Такие песни будут вечно жить. Прекрасное и оригинальное исполнение великой песни!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍
Janet Ware
The pain and emotion that Scott can put into a song speaks for my heart and I'm sure many others. A true master with a voice that words cannot describe, I will miss him very much and am so grateful that his music is still here to enjoy. Saw him live many, many years ago and although I couldn't always appreciate his later work he will always have a place in my life. Rest in peace, Scott.
Many thanks for the hard work in tracking down and making available all these songs. (Just love the version from his show by the way).
Tancred De Hauteville
I've felt that pain and that emotion and never really recovered. This is why this song is so important to me.