Killing Me Softly
43. The Fugees Lyrics

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Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

(Ha) (yo) (yeah yeah)

This is Wyclef, Refugee Camp (L-Boogie up in here)
Praswell (Praswell up in here, haha)
Lil' Base sittin' up here on the bass (Refugees up in here)
While I'm on this, I got my girl L (ah, ah)
One time (one time), one time (one time)
Ayo, L, you know you got the lyrics

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, and listen for a while
And there he was, this young boy, stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with his fingers (one time, one time)
Singing my life with his words (two times, two times)
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd
I felt he'd found my letters and read each one out loud
I prayed that he would finish, but he just kept right on

Strumming my pain with his fingers (one time, one time)
Singing my life with his words (two times, two times)
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

Yo, L-Boog, take me to the bridge

Whoa
Woah-oah-ah-ah-ah uh, uh
La-la-la, la, la, la
Whoa, la
Whoa, la (ha, ha, ha, ha)
La-ah-ah-ah-ah

Strumming my pain with his fingers (yes, he was singing my life)
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words (whole life, with his words)
Killing me softly with his song

Yo, put your hands together for L-Boogie (strumming my pain)
From the Refugee Camp (yeah, yeah)
(Singing my life) up in here, you know how we do, L-Boogie up in here
Wyclef, Praswell, said L-Boogie up in here
Wyclef up in here
My man Lil' Base (Praswell up in here)
Jerry one time
T Rocks up in here, we got Warren up in here
This is how we (Warren up, up in here, Outsiders up here)
We got Fallon up in here, Mulaney, Mulaney's up in here
(Refugee Camp, Refugee Camp, yeah)

Everybody got a breakin' point kid
And they'll rat on you

The family niggas will rat on you
That's why we gotta be prepared to take whoever out we need to

Overall Meaning

"Killing Me Softly" is a song that talks about how a song, sung with passion and emotion, can evoke deep-seated feelings that move and change someone profoundly. The song describes a woman, who heard a young boy sing a song that spoke to her heart, touched her soul and made her relive every aspect of her life experiences. The boy strums his guitar and sings words that tell her stories so accurate that she feels like he knows her best. The woman feels a flush of fever and embarrassment as she listens to the boy, thinking that he had read her letters aloud. However, she can't help but be entranced and continue listening to him, killing her softly with the song he sings.

The song goes on with Wyclef Jean, a Haitian rapper, and producer from the Fugees, encouraging Lauryn Hill, also known as L-Boogie or Ms. Hill, to bring it to the bridge. The powerful bridge shows the depth of emotion behind the song, with long, drawn-out notes that almost sound like a cry of pain or passion.

Overall, the song "Killing Me Softly" describes how music can bring someone to a new level of experience, expose them to different kinds of emotions, and make them relive their experiences with each verse.

Line by Line Meaning

Strumming my pain with his fingers
He plays a guitar and the melody carries emotions that resonate with mine

Singing my life with his words
His lyrics capture my experiences, thoughts, and feelings in a way that makes sense and feels authentic

Killing me softly with his song
This song has a powerful impact on me, stirring up emotions and memories that I am struggling to cope with

Telling my whole life with his words
The lyrics in this song are so true to my personal experiences that I feel like my entire life story is being told through them

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
I have heard that this musician is talented and has a unique approach to his artistry

And so I came to see him, and listen for a while
I decided to check out his music and give it a chance, even though I did not know anything about him

And there he was, this young boy, stranger to my eyes
The performer was young and unfamiliar to me, but he had a presence that was compelling and intriguing

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd
I became overwhelmed by my emotions and felt self-conscious in the midst of the large audience

I felt he'd found my letters and read each one out loud
I imagined that the artist had somehow gotten access to my personal writings and was revealing their contents on stage

I prayed that he would finish, but he just kept right on
I hoped that the song would end soon so that I could regain my composure, but he continued to play with intensity

Yo, L-Boog, take me to the bridge
Wyclef Jean addresses one of his collaborators to cue a musical transition in the song

Everybody got a breakin' point kid
Everyone has a limit to what they can endure before reaching a breaking point

And they'll rat on you
People can turn on you and betray you if they are pushed too far

The family niggas will rat on you
Even members of your own family can betray you if they feel that it serves their self-interest

That's why we gotta be prepared to take whoever out we need to
In order to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we may need to resort to violence and eliminate threats when necessary

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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