Katana VentraIP

Killing Me Softly with His Song

"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credit by Fox and Gimbel, Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. The song has been covered by many other artists.

"Killing Me Softly with His Song"

1972

1971

Folk

3:46

Capitol

Fox and Gimbel

In 1973, it became a number-one hit in the United States, Australia and Canada for Roberta Flack, and also reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. In 1996, Fugees recorded the song with Lauryn Hill on lead vocals. Their version became a number-one hit in twenty countries; including Germany, where it became the first single to debut atop the chart. The version by Flack won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The version by Fugees won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Propelled by the success of the Fugees track, the 1972 recording by Roberta Flack was remixed in 1996 by Jonathan Peters, with Flack adding some new vocal flourishes; this version topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart.[3]


Since then, Flack and Fugees have performed the song together.[4] The versions by Fugees and Roberta Flack were both placed on the 2021 revised list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[5] According to Billboard, it is one of nearly a dozen songs to be Grammy nominated for Song of the Year that have had two versions reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6]


After decades of confirming Lieberman's contribution, Fox and Gimbel changed their story about the song's origins to downplay her role. Gimbel threatened McLean with a lawsuit in 2008, demanding he remove from his website an assertion that McLean was the inspiration for "Killing Me Softly", but McLean responded by showing Gimbel the latter's own words confirming the inspiration, published in 1973.

"Killing Me Softly with His Song"

"Just Like a Woman"

January 22, 1973[17]

November 17, 1972

Atlantic, New York City[18]

4:46

Atlantic

Joel Dorn

Roberta Flack – vocals, pianos, rhythm track arrangement

—harmony vocals

Donny Hathaway

– guitars

Eric Gale

– bass

Ron Carter

– drums

Grady Tate

– congas, percussion, tambourine

Ralph MacDonald

"Killing Me Softly"

May 27, 1996 (1996-05-27)

  • 4:58 (album version)
  • 4:16 (radio edit)
  • 4:00 (radio edit without intro)

Fugees

UK CD1

(1973)[154]

Johnny Mathis

on his album And I Love You So (1973)[154]

Perry Como

and John Williams (1976)[154]

Cleo Laine

and Sky Train (1980)[154]

Precious Wilson

Greek singer covers the song in Greek on her 1981 album Αν ξαναγεννιόμουνα (If I was born again).[155][156]

Aleka Kanellidou

(1994)[154]

Luther Vandross

(1994)[154]

Amii Stewart

(spanish cover) (2021)

Elysanij

The song has been recorded by a number of other artists, including:

List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1970s

List of RPM number-one singles of 1973

List of number-one singles in 1973 (New Zealand)

List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1973 (U.S.)

List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s

List of number-one hits of 1996 (Austria)

List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1996

List of European number-one hits of 1996

List of number-one hits of 1996 (France)

List of number-one singles of 1996 (Ireland)

List of number-one singles in 1996 (New Zealand)

List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)

List of number-one dance singles of 1996 (U.S.)

List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 1996 (U.S.)

List of Billboard Rhythmic number-one songs of the 1990s