♫ First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

Being really exhausted tonight, I was seeking inspiration for a song to post and decided to check out what the number one hits were 50 years ago, way back in 1972.  A lot of good ones came up, but when I saw that this one was in the #1 slot from April 22 through May 13 of 1972, and remembering how much I love this song, I decided to redux this one tonight.

This was the breakout hit for Roberta Flack; it was #1 in the US for six weeks. Flack had released two solo albums without commercial success, as her blend of jazz and folk styles struggled to find an audience.

British folk singer Ewan MacColl wrote this in 1957 for his lover Peggy Seeger. She was in a play in the U.S. and phoned him for suggestions on a song for a romantic scene. MacColl wrote this on the spot in less than an hour, then taught it to her over the phone to use in her play. MacColl, by the way, had been banned from the U.S. because of his communist past.  His history is really quite interesting.

“We weren’t really getting along at the time.  After all, he was married to someone else then.” – Peggy Seeger

MacColl was married to his second wife, Jean Newlove at the time. He left her for Peggy Seeger and the pair eventually tied the knot in 1977.

MacColl won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, while Flack received a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Like so many of the songs I’ve posted, this one has been recorded by many others, including Peter, Paul & Mary, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Mel Torme, Isaac Hayes, and Gordon Lightfoot.  While I am a big fan of PP&M, I like the Roberta Flack version of this song best.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Roberta Flack

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the endless skies

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command my love

And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love

The first time ever I saw your face
Your face, your face

Songwriters: Ewan Mccoll
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face lyrics © The Royalty Network Inc.

28 thoughts on “♫ First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ♫ (Redux)”

  1. Pingback: ♫ Take It Easy ♫ | Filosofa's Word

  3. Great and iconic! Have you seen on smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com ? William Price King, himself a great entertainer, singer, composer and pianst had brought a series about Ms. Flack, over the last few weeks. I recommend it very much! xx Michael

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    • Oh yes … Sally Cronin’s blog!!! I haven’t been over there in years, but I’m familiar with it. Thanks for the heads up … I will check out the series about Roberta Flack tomorrow … er, later today! xx

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  5. Pingback: FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE ( REDUX ) |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

      • There were quite a lot that year. It was when the first Eagles album came out and later gave my blog its title. Loads of others too: Starman, by David Bowie, was a particular favourite. But I guess our charts may have been different from yours?

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        • Well … I don’t recall Starman by Bowie … just now went and had a listen and don’t recall ever hearing it. It did, however, reach #65 here and #10 in the UK, so perhaps you guys had slightly different tastes than we did? Anyway … stay tuned … don’t know if I’ll have a music post this morning, for I’m just now getting started on comments and it’s already after 1:30, but I’ve got something I think you’ll like … if not today, then tomorrow for sure!

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  8. Pingback: ♫ First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ♫ (Redux) — Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

    • Larry, Jill, I sure did. Jessica Walters was one scary stalker. Eastwood waking up to a knife wielding Walters was true horror. I do love this song, as it has unusual phrasing “ever I saw” and her sweet and soulful voice. Keith

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      • I haven’t seen it, but now I’m intrigued and may well try to watch it soon. As I told Larry, though, I think it might be best to watch it during daylight hours rather than right before bed, yes? Glad you liked Roberta Flack and this song … it’s among my favourites!

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    • I’m really glad you enjoyed it! No, I’ve heard of the movie, but never watched it. I went to Amazon tonight to see if it was available on Amazon Prime, but it’s currently unavailable to watch for free, though I could rent it for $3.99, which I may yet do. But I think it’s not the sort of movie I should watch right before bedtime, yes? Glad you loved the song!

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