If You Go Away
Scott Walker Lyrics

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.