Written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, the song was first recorded by Lori Lieberman . Lieberman was inspired by a poem she wrote after being deeply moved by a Don McLean concert at the Troubadour theater in Los Angeles.
Recorded for their multi-platinum album The Score , this version added a hip-hop "boom-bap" beat and a sitar sample from A Tribe Called Quest’s "Bonita Applebum". Although the group originally wanted to change the lyrics to focus on social issues like poverty, the original songwriters refused, leading them to keep the classic lyrics while modernizing the production. Legal Ways to Listen and Download
If you are looking for an MP3 of the Fugees' version, it is important to use official and legal channels to support the artists:
Flack heard Lieberman’s version while on a flight and was immediately captivated. Her soulful, piano-driven rendition spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year .
The song has a rich history that spans decades and multiple genres:
While the phrase "Refugee Killing Me Softly" likely refers to the legendary 1996 cover of by the hip-hop group Fugees , it highlights one of the most successful records in music history. Featuring the soul-stirring vocals of Lauryn Hill, this version reimagined a 1970s classic for a new generation, eventually becoming the best-selling single of 1996 in over 20 countries. The History of "Killing Me Softly"
