Killing Me Softly

When this song came up for me this morning, I thought how its lyrics epitomize what this blog is all about: so many of the songs I write about involve some strumming of my pain with his fingers (e.g. Eddie Vedder's) and singing my life with his words (e.g. Bob Dylan's). Doing a bit of research, I learned that this song was written in 1971 in response to seeing Don McLean live, but it was Roberta Flack who took it to number one and traveled the globe singing it -- I found versions of her singing the song with lyrics translated in Japanese and Polish, among others.

I can definitely understand Roberta Flack's international appeal. But it's the version by the Fugees, with that amazing Lauryn Hill, that moves me most. I remember when I bought that CD -- I didn't really care for the rest of it, so I'd just put this track on indefinite repeat:

I prayed that he would finish
But he just kept right on
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song...

Yep, that's just the way I want to go.
Over and over again.