THIS is the most SURREAL performance you’re ever likely to see!

[@chaliceguard4575]

Lori hasn't received sufficient credit for writing the lyrics to this beautiful song. Love her performance of this song many years ago on the Mike Douglas show (1975).

[@Millianeyes]

I just like to watch to see your fabulous smile. I love watching you when you’re listening to the music and you’re just smiling away.

[@kirajlerner]

Much love and respect to you, Fil, for highlighting Lori's extraordinary performance. Roberta Flack's version is a classic, but it's good to hear the original--and she has such a warm, tender and emotional voice.

[@CalJennings]

I hear Roberta Flack's version even when I listen to this.

[@graceholaday4793]

I have always loved Lori and her beautiful voice. The song was written for her, but it was her experience of hearing Don McLean in concert. I saw a video of a live performance by McClean where Lori was in the audience and he acknowledged her and the song.

[@ktkitty1903]

I love watching you smiling, enjoying, appreciating the artists performance.

[@anne.enrique]

My goodness to think I never heard this golden voice before, ty Phil

[@stevecampin5361]

I fell head-over-heels for this original version upon it's release. I was a bit sore when the Roberta Flack version became more popular on the air, as after that we never got to hear Lori's better, more tender rendition. Thanks for featuring this song and Lori's heart-felt performance.

[@harriz24]

Lori is an extraordinary artist. I’ve been a fan since her first album. I’ve seen her in concert numerous times in New York. Thank you for adding the background of this song. She deserves the credit.

[@elisabethaxelsson4736]

Wounderful song and voice love this song so much

[@tnmoppylaura5476]

Singing and playing from the heart. There’s nothing better. Thanks Fil.

[@debravirden7130]

Beautiful.

[@marggie4129]

Don's song Empty Chair is what Lori was inspired by. He sang it to her in a live performance later in their lives.

[@cak8132]

Wow… my first time hearing this version of “Killing Me Softly”. I love not only Ms. Lieberman’s voice but the emotion in her voice as she sings the song. Nice guitar work, too.

[@deirdre108]

One of your best uploads, Fil. You describe perfectly that the greatness of Lori's art lies in simplicity. That which is beautiful becomes even more beautiful when you remove what is unnecessary for its beauty.

[@trishbresolin8212]

Wow. So much emotion in that song. She sang it so beautifully!

[@janetf23]

Lori's still got it, and which ever version is your favorite, I think we all know by now who we have to thank for this masterpiece of evocative storytelling.💖

[@devlincolleen]

This is so fabulous. I'm old enough to remember when the first recordings came out on the radio but none of us knew about Lori Lieberman.... I love watching your face as you watch the musicians. I mirror you as you watch. Thank you.

[@beeleo]

I'm plenty old enough and was certainly listening to LOTS of radio back in the '70s but I've NEVER heard of Lori Lieberman. She's obviously a wonderful and talented singer/performer but I've never heard of her. So this is a nice, if not late, introduction to Lori. The only version of this song that I remember is the Roberta Flack version and I even had the single on 45.

[@BONNIEGRESHAM]

I was just coming to make this exact comment.

[@kevinm6790]

Same

[@carolinegray7510]

Radios gutted the air with Roberta Flack's version but the first (and only) time I heard Lori's version I stopped in my tracks just to listen. It was captivating. Her voice was full of a rich and mellow emotion that made the words into poetry. That day I found her album. I still have it. I never understood why her song wasn't played at least as often as Ms Flack's.

[@TennesseeMelanie]

@@carolinegray7510 I agree--at least in this version, Lori has a lot more invested emotion. This is not to say I don't like Roberta Flack, because I do.

[@localnetsolutions]

Roberta heard it first on airplane,when Lori's original first came out, on the way to London

[@qgde3rty8uiojh90]

I love how Fil loves what he does, dissecting this song (and other songs of course). His facial expressions speak volumes about his feelings towards the artist and their skills. Bless your heart, Fil Mate !!

[@pauldover1403]

Lori is a great composer, a great lyricist, a great musician (usually the piano) and a great human being. I know the stories about this song but I've always felt that it was more of her song than she would claim. As you say, it is very much her song and it seems connected to her by a close bond. Roberta Flack (who Lori met fairly recently) heard Lori singing the song on an aeroplane's playlist and jotted it down because she was so impressed and because she was a trained musician and able to do this. Lori is still making albums, her most recent one, "The Girl and the Cat" (with the Matangi Quartet) is absolutely magnificent, everyone should give it a listen. In my pantheon of female singers, she would rank alongside Sinead O'Connor and I don't think that anyone's higher on my list. Thanks for playing this and commenting so well on it, she deserves to be much better known.

[@gchristopherklug]

Loved Lori in the day. Had her albums. Thank you for putting this video up. Her version is the best, IMO

[@riccottrell369]

Lori wrote the poem that became this song, actually stolen by her management. But she was later able to prove her story, with the friends who attended the Don McClean concert at the Troubadour. It was on her first album as was I've got a name written by her management. I always thought it was a Jim Croce original. Roberta Flack heard her version on a plane & instantly called her manager. She records albums straight through with a small string ensemble. She's a great piano player also. I've got every CD she's out out. She first caught my attention with 2 songs in the early 70's movie Harrad Experiment. I looked for a decade & the album showed up 2 miles from my home! I searched LA, , San Francisco,Detroit & Chicago. It took the Internet to find the LP.

[@04beni04]

I'm sorry to say I've never heard of her, but on the other hand, always happy to discover a new artist! Looking forward to finding more of her work.

[@lindamcnelis6374]

Lori has a Beautiful voice!!! I can feel Her emotion in this song. Thank you for your analysis of her singing voice.

[@brucekalter4206]

Great job, Fil... educational and interesting and enjoyable, as always!

[@shaunbeare4183]

Sometimes less is more...fantastic

[@moonstone1159]

Beautiful performance! Thanks again!

[@lieslwindjulie3230]

That was beautiful. I hadn't heard it before. Now I know who Lori Lieberman is. Thank you, Fil 🖤🕊️

[@johanna7502]

Ooh, I loved this! Both the song and the analysis. Thank you Fil and whoever requested this!🥰

[@honeybadgers1996]

Such a beautiful song💕 Thank you for the breakdown of her performance 👍

[@maryjanewesterlund9958]

BEST explanation I’ve ever heard on how music communicates emotion and a performance becomes so powerful. Thank you! You are really brilliant at analyzing and teaching us laymen why/how the music we love has such powerful impact.

[@matthirn7858]

Thank you for doing what you do so well with this analysis, Fil. You instinctively know that what makes this performance so good is emotion and nuance. Then you proceed to break that down and explain how Lori carries the listener to that place of emotional vulnerability by descending below the note, how she varies her phrasing pace by coming in late to create a bit of emotional suspense and how her playing further adds to the performance. You truly have a gift. Thank you again for sharing that gift with all of us.

[@hezbb]

Thank you for sharing Lori's story with us, by way of this analysis!

[@marypthompson6349]

I had heard she wrote Killing Me Softly in the 70s, as well. Great voice!

[@deepquake9]

So happy I’ve trained my yt algorithm to bring me this channel 🤙🏽

[@yaanaallen2303]

I love listening to your posts!

[@Weegeekatz]

Beyond the expert analysis, I particularly enjoy seeing your obviously genuine appreciation of the voice, in your facial expressions. So glad and appreciative of your channel. Please continue!

[@lynndow3185]

Gorgeous analysis! The apparent simplicity of this acoustic presentation is an accurate arrow straight to the heart.

[@nadinerogers5653]

I have never heard of this artist before. She is extraordinary! Loved this video.

[@waynesmith7487]

As though the words are hers and from her heart! So much emotion! Love ❤ it.

[@alexcerdan4500]

Beautiful song, beautiful voice. She deserves a lot of credit. You did a great job as always FIL.

[@janbarnes9377]

One of these best singers ever!! Gorgeous alto voice! Listen to her sing There's A Harbor. One of my favorite albums!!

[@drewpall2598]

I know Roberta Flack had a number one hit with this song in 1973. I went back to an early performance of Lori Lieberman and she still has it after all these years.

[@drewpall2598]

Here is an early performance of Lori Lieberman in 1973 performing Killing Me Softly with his Song and a brief story behind this song at the end. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYXceH94drOohck

[@god_and_country5782]

Beautiful and brilliant, Fil.

[@JCPJCPJCP]

Fil! Have a great spring!

[@corilia9529]

Her voice is really nice. Ive always loved this song. Thanks Fil.

[@sheireland3737]

Love your videos Fil. You learn so much. Invaluable.

[@juliethompson1370]

Thank you for another great analysis. As I watch I’m learning how to improve my own performance.

[@gweno9901]

I really enjoyed this analysis. Thank you Fil!

[@BudandBloomWithBlossom]

This version of the song is really beautiful. I never knew Roberta's was not the original! What a singer - my goodness!

[@ruthneumann429]

I am also hearing this version of the song by Lori Lieberman for the first time today. And today I also understand the lyrics for the first time. I am very touched. It's so beautiful. I always liked the Fugees' version very much, although I didn't understand at all what it was actually about. I watch and listen from Germany.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

A great performance here. Thanks for sharing this analysis video. Cheers, Fil! ✌️

[@popogast]

One of the best songs ever. I love some female singers. They give me a shiver on my spine. This one is a very good one. Nice analysis.

[@1SeanBond]

Fill appreciate all you do my friend! Cheers! & Luv&Peace Sean&family .

[@bradwaters3891]

That is an exceptional video Fil. What an incredible version of an incredible song. Fantastic video. Thank you

[@carolburnett2926]

Thank you so much! This has been one of my favorites since it was released. I was only around 11-12 then, but I could still feel the emotion, the longing, just from the performance without knowing the “adult” ideas behind it.

[@o.aldenproductions.9858]

What an INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE. Goooooood bumps and 😭. She is one of these rare finds on KZbin that heals you with their musical talents THANKS FOR SHARING 👍

[@suehollar2578]

I never thought I'd like this song with a guitar instead of a piano, but it's lively! Thanks!

[@sweetpea4967]

Your breakdown of the music and notes is amazing. And I love how we can tell looking at your expression when you really love something. Thanks for another great video.

[@blindkimberly1360]

Wow. Surreal is right. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you Fil.

[@Teewriter]

Sublime

[@theironherder]

Well done, Fil. I love all of your videos, which is a source of frustration. Before I retired, I didn't have enough time to keep up with your content, and now that I have time on a daily basis, I'm so far behind I don't think that I have enough decades to catch up. (Maybe I could if it weren't for Rick Beato & Mary Spender, etc.) But I feel blessed to watch and listen to what I can. Thank you.

[@ranaraeuchle6485]

So, this song was written about Don McLean, and a lot of people I've talked to have only heard "American Pie" and "Vincent" by him, so they didn't understand how this song could be about that same artist. I've played "Empty Chairs" and "Oh What a Shame" for them, or sometimes "Tapestry" and they have a completely different appreciation for his skills. I think a lot of great musicians have their best work hidden on the records in tracks that aren't what the music industry considers "sellable." Thinking of other bands that are what's called one-hit-wonders, and nobody delves deeper into their work... If you appreciate this song and want to hear where it stems from. I highly recommend listening to "Empty Chairs." Oh, and Lori Lieberman also... her body of work is far more rich than this one song that everyone knows.

[@julieanna50]

What a great ability you possess to analyze musical performances!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@angelaboncore3132]

Ahhh what a refreshing version of this song and the acoustic just makes it all the more expressive. I have never heard of Lori Liberman before and I quite frankly enjoyed this version more than Robert Flakes hit. A Master Class of technique and artistry. Thank you my dear Fil. Appreciate what you do more than you will ever know.

[@r.b.somers2052]

I love your videos and this is a great cover of one of my all-time favorite songs.

[@NJ-Cathie]

You just have the coolest channel. I learn so much from your videos.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@chrismanheim1224]

Yes, about 1972 or 73, when I was in college. Never heard Lori’s version before. Great version!

[@napolisquared]

Thanks for this my friend!

[@hereigoagain5050]

Thanks for posting another classic performance. Take care of your arm!

[@suzanneespinola6509]

Love this song. I have this song on my playlist. From Roberta Flack. This is good also. I listen to Roberta Flacks version a lot 👍❤️

[@NJ-Cathie]

Roberta Flack’s version is interesting to compare. They are both beautiful renditions of this song.

[@suzanneespinola6509]

@@NJ-Cathie So true. When I hear Roberta Flacks singing it. I can feel it.

[@freespiritwithnature4384]

❤️ Beautiful Voice.

[@Walesbornandbred]

I heard the story of this song, I thought it was great that she was able to write it down so beautifully. I've always wanted to hear her version of it, so pure and raw.

[@lordjs9726]

This is the first time I hear the correct lyrics for this song. My aunt used to sing it to me and my sister when we were little, but with different lyrics.

[@catbreath8361]

Very excellent chap.

[@eg8419]

Thank you,fil,for this exquisite video ! from ETG ,San Rafael,CA. USA

[@tammydoolittle6054]

I believe this is the best version of this song that I've heard! Lori's singing and playing the guitar seems effortless, and you can hear the feelings in her voice when she sings, it can make you cry. Beautiful! It was another awesome analysis! ❤

[@suzzyrivercrossing5542]

Beautiful natural voice. Very warm and reminds me of a female Gordon Lightfoot.

[@wandaburnsworth1588]

Beautiful ❤️

[@BoltonLass]

Great performance, so organic.

[@nancyboyd6273]

I've never heard of this lovely lady or any of her music. I think she did a good. But, I agree, I can't stop hearing Roberta.

[@ellie698]

I sing a version of this song on my channel (see my playlists) but i only knew the Flack version so I based mine on hers. Good to hear this. I like learning new techniques. I'm very new to singing. Great tips thank you 😚

[@Derrick1762]

Phenomenal

[@sondra4789]

I Re-heard this song as an adult a couple of years ago (It was probably the Roberta Flack version but not sure) on the radio and the words suddenly sunk in. I never really consciously heard the lyrics until then and I had an epiphany. So moving really! I never knew! I just took the song for granted

[@larryzigler6812]

THANK'S !!! My most surreal is watching the divine TARJA playing the piano while singing ☮☮💘💘 Oasis being just one example.

[@peterkinberger9741]

This song has a very deep special meaning to me from back in the day that I served in the US Marines. I get very emotional listening to Roberta Flack's satin smooth voice. No one has been able to beat the original. When it first came out, I had to hear it again and again and again. Roberta is from Kinston, NC not far from where I live now. Where she is now, I don't know . I felt as though she knew me deeply and she was playing my heart with her voice. Very few songs affect me like this one. The lady that is singing it here does a good treatment of the song and reminds me of someone I loved in 1974. To me a song that could follow this song in performance is the Bee Gee's How Do You Mend a Broken Heart. In tandem those songs would be wonderful to hear at some beach at night with moderate winds alone on top of the tallest sand dune embracing someone I used to love ( which reminds me of another beloved song. Mrs. Flack released Killing Me Softly in 1973. Gone are the days of romance for me but the memories still linger like tremors after an earthquake. I loved to live and I lived to love, for me there is no other purpose greater than this in life.May love find it's home in you !

[@pauldover1403]

The original is Lori's recording though.

[@stevewood01]

Wonderful!!

[@fergo7010]

That was beautifully sung thanks Fill 👍👍✌🤘

[@sdingeswho]

Oh, yeah ❤️! Thanks, Fil - so glad you brought Lori to my attention 😁! Like most people, I know the song from the Roberta Flack rendition. When you can go head to head with Roberta Flack, you have serious chops 😮! Bravo, Lori 😁❤️!

[@anteres9821]

Such a pretty song

[@Alydra_]

Very nice. I've never heard the reason behind the song, and I really only knew the version that the Fugees did, but this was lovely!

[@disneylana]

I thought at the time that Loretta Flacks versions was one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard until I heard this OMG what an emotional experience I felt her pain Thank You Sincerely, Lana

[@celestearellano3720]

Wow I learned so much from this video about Lori Lieberman and her song, I was so disappointed at first to hear her sing so well, (envious), and to learn this was her song and not Roberta Flack's. I have listened to Roberta sing it and always felt such deep emotion as a child. Then when I was old enough to understand the complexity and connect with the lyrics I adored and thought this moving voice was telling her own story. The soulful insight and embarrassment of the moment of watching the intimacy of being sung on stage. Thanks for the back story and teaching me all about the guitar and how her voice is almost lagging behind her playing. You're a terrific teacher. I had a music teacher frequently tell me I sounded out of breath now I have confidence in the airy quality of others voices as well as my own because of you I don't feel as I need to force my voice. I laughed so hard at your comments about the man in kitchen with the pumpkins. How distracting actually.

[@elizabethspedding1975]

So beautiful♥️

[@joeozelis6313]

The "drop down" of a semi tone or two is analogous to picking a bent note (strimg) in guitar and then relaxing down to the "un-bent" note... the effect can be dramatic in both cases.

[@callmechristian3900]

That was beautiful

[@napamoonlight9997]

A person, an instrument, an insanely killer interpretation of an iconic song . . . I am transported to Blissville.

[@publicclammer]

Lovely!!

[@dianeswanson5948]

“Pure art.” Yes, indeed!

[@glynismccartneyintricatesc5281]

So beautiful!❄️❤️❄️🇨🇦