I agree, Kevin. Here are the lyrics to the first verse of McKuen's "If You Go Away":

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
And 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 night bird's song
If you go away, if you go away, 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 on the sun, we'll ride on the rain
We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind.
But if you go, I'll understand
Leave me just enough love to fill up my hand
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away


And here is the first verse of Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas":

Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas

Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas

(There is a literal translation of the song here.)

Brel's song is heart-wrenching and tragic. McKuen's is vapid and dumb. But of course, that's just my opinion.

Aloha,
Mark