It has been 30 years to the day since The Fugees released “Killing Me Softly”. The track was a reimagining of a timeless classic, made popular in the early 70s by Roberta Flack. Interestingly, the Fugees’ version almost featured completely different lyrics.
The original track is titled “Killing Me Softly with His Song“, composed and written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. Additionally, singer-songwriter Lori Lieberman said she collaborated with the two. She claimed that she was inspired to write the song after attending a Don McLean concert. However, Fox and Gimbel have disputed her involvement and ultimately denied her songwriting credits. After Lieberman’s version failed to chart, Roberta Flack covered the tune, and it became an instant hit.
Roberta Flack released ‘Killing Me Softly with His Song’ in 1973
Then, in 1996, came the Fugees’ version, which was a reinvention of the tune. It was the second single off the band’s sophomore album, The Score (1996). The song quickly soared to #1 on numerous global music charts, and critics rank The Score as one of the greatest albums of all time.
In a 2016 editorial, Pitchfork explored the Fugees’ version of the song and spoke with some of the people in its past. During a conversation with Roberta Flack, the iconic singer confessed that she wasn’t familiar with The Fugees before she heard their cover.
“Honestly, I had not [heard of the Fugees before ‘Killing Me Softly’],” she said. “The Score came on us like a mighty wind, and I was totally blown away by the power of the group—their musicality, their political message, and their creativity.”
Flack went on to reveal that the group actually wanted to change the song, but Fox and Gimbel were not keen on it. “They wanted to change the lyrics [to ‘Killing Me Softly’] to make the song about anti-drugs and anti-poverty,” she shared. “They were all about politics. Given their name and all, the (Re)Fugees, it made sense. It was more Norman [Gimbel] and Charlie [Fox] that wanted their song to not be changed.”
The Fugees’ version of ‘Killing Them Softly’ is certified multi-platinum by the RIAA
“I feel that the meaning of the song changes depending upon the singer, depending upon the listener,” Flack continued. “They gave the song a new meaning and exposed it to a new generation. They invented a new version of the song, using some musical ideas from my version.”
Finally, Flack added, “I was surprised they picked that song to be included with the others on that album, as it didn’t have the political emphasis, but then again it depends on the frame of reference from which you listen, right?”
The post On This Day in 1996, The Fugees Soared to #1 With a Song That ‘Exposed’ a New Generation to a Classic (And Almost Featured Competely Different Lyrics) appeared first on VICE.
