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Cydne Campbell

Prof. Hughes

English 1201

9 February 2020

Analyzing Visual Texts

Two songs, both titled “Killing Me Softly With His Song” have different artists. The first

version is recorded by Roberta Flack and was released in 1973. This version of the song is much

slower and is sung softer. The genre of the first version is pop. The second version was recorded

by The Fugees and was released in 1996. This version of the song has a faster tempo and is more

upbeat. The genre of this version is hip hop/R&B. The first version’s claim is that the artist had

originally listened to a song and realized the words to the song matched what she was going

through in life and she wrote a song about the experience and how the song sounded to her. The

second version has the same claim.

The 1973 video is recorded in an old studio. In the video, Roberta Flack is playing the

piano while singing her song alongside the other musicians that were playing their instruments as

well. The song is about a song and how the words reflected what a person’s life is and being

moved by the words. Roberta Flack was not the first to record this song. Lori Lieberman was the

first to record it. Artists write songs when they are sad, mad, depressed, and happy. The audience

intended for this video/song to be for people of all ages, genders, races, etc.

The second version, made in 1996, was recorded in a club where The Fugees performed

in front of the audience singing this fast tempo, upbeat, R&B hip hop song. The Fugees
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originally wanted to remake the song and make it about poverty and drug abuse in the inner city.

They would have named the remake “Killing Him Softly.” Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel

refused to let them change the words and title. Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel are apart of the

songwriting team.

These two songs have the exact same words and exact same titles. There are differences

in the videos. In the video of the first version of the song, the scenery is older. You cannot really

dance to the first version and if you are watching the video it does not make you want to dance.

Roberta Flack is singing softly and playing the piano. In the video of the second version, since

they are at the club and the beat and tempo is faster it makes the song seem more easier to dance

to. It makes the song seem more positive and happier. There are clips of people in the club

dancing.

The two versions of the songs give off the same story. They do not really give off a

message, but they tell a story. The songs show and tell the same exact song. In the song “Killing

Me Softly With His Song” some of the lyrics are “singing my life with his words”… “telling my

whole life with his words.” These lyrics are explaining how they came to see a young boy and

listen to his words. The young boy’s words were relating to this person’s life. The song sings,

“And so I came to see him and listen for a while, And there he was this young boy, A stranger to

my eyes.”

These two songs use the pathos appeal. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is an

emotional song and uses words to express those emotions. In the first version, the song is slow

and soft which makes it easy for the listeners to realize it is an emotional song. The second

version is more upbeat and a faster tempo but if the listeners pay attention to the words, they will
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realize it is still an emotional song. These videos are for people of any age, gender, race, and/or

someone going through a rough time and relates to the story the song is telling.

In conclusion, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack and “Killing Me

Softly With His Song” by The Fugees are the same song. They have the same title and have the

same meaning. Both versions tell the same story. The only differences are the pace of the song,

how they are sung, and the genres they are. The first version is pop and the second version is

R&B hip hop. The second version by The Fugees could have had different lyrics and a different

meaning but Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, who are apart of the song writing team, refused to

let this happen. Both versions won Grammy’s but for different reasons.
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Works Cited

Mihajlow, Luis. “The Fugees (Lauryn Hill) – Killing Me Softly [Lyrics English -Espanol

Subtitulado].” Youtube, 6 Aug. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lv2mT1w78I.

Accessed on 5 Feb. 2020.

Pocharoen, Smitti. “Roberta Flack – Killing me softly with his song 1973 Original MV stereo).”

Youtube, 4 Jan. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw380nL67nE. Accessed on 5

Feb. 2020.