Killing me softly with his song

Everyone knows the Fugees version of this song, but have you heard the original(s)?

I want to share a little story about the song "Killing me softly with his song". The original song has roots back in the 70s and it's not so well known, but worth knowing about and listen to.

The song was originally based on a poem written by Lori Lieberman. The lyrics was written by Norman Gimbel and the song was composed by Charles Fox.

The song is Liebermans tribute to the singer Don McLean (who himself is famous for "American Pie", a tribute to Buddy Holly who died after his plane crashed).

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Lieberman made the first recording of the song back in 1971 and it was an orchestral composition. According to the history, Roberta Flack heard the song on an flight and immediately started working on the tune.

She later contacted her friend Quincy Jones which put her in contact with Charles Fox and recorded the song in 1973. Later covered by many artists including the well known Fugees version.

It's hard to say which version is the best as they all got qualities, so decide for yourself!

Lori Lieberman version

Roberta Flack version

Roberta Flack version (live)