MacColl wrote the song for Seeger, also a folk singer, after she asked him to pen a song for a play she was in. MacColl wrote the song and taught it to Seeger over the phone. The alternative version of the creation of this song is that MacColl was challenged by a friend to write a love song, with no politics. This song was the result.
MacColl and Seeger included the song in their repertoire, when performing in folk clubs around Britain. During the 1960s, it was recorded by various folk singers (including a version as a solo guitar instrumental by Bert Jansch).
The song entered the pop mainstream when it was released by Roberta Flack, in 1969. The Flack version was much slower than the original: an early solo recording by Seeger, for example, clocked in at two and a half minutes long, whereas Flack's is more than twice that length. It was subsequently covered by numerous other artists.
MacColl reputedly hated almost all the recordings of the song, including Flack's. His daughter-in-law is quoted as saying:
"He hated all of them. He had a special section in his record collection for them, entitled 'The Chamber of Horrors'. He said that the Elvis version was like Romeo at the bottom of the Post Office Tower singing up to Juliet. And the other versions, he thought, were travesties: bludgeoning, histrionic and lacking in grace."
Roberta Flack version
The song was popularized by Roberta Flack and became a breakout hit for the singer after it appeared in the film Play Misty for Me. Though the song first appeared on Flack's 1969 album First Take, Flack's recording of the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year three years later.
Flack's slower, more sensual version was used by Clint Eastwood in his 1971 directorial debut Play Misty for Me during a lovemaking scene. With the new exposure, Atlantic Records cut the song down to four minutes and released it to radio. It became an extremely successful single in the United States, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts in April 1972 for six week runs on each. It reached number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart.
Céline Dion version
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is the third single from Celine Dion's All the Way… A Decade of Song album. It was released on March 27, 2000, in the United Kingdom and Ireland only.
Celine Dion performed it earlier, during the Let's Talk About Love Tour and on her CBS TV special in 1998. She also sang it on a German TV show at the end of 1999. The song was included later on the 2004 Miracle album.
The music video was taken from Dion's second CBS TV special of 1999 and released in 2000. It was directed by Bud Schaetzle and included later on her All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video DVD.
Ewan MacColl himself made no secret of the fact that he disliked almost all of the cover versions of the song, referring to them collectively as "the Chamber of Horrors".
Read more details about this song at English Wikipedia
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Céline Dion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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, my love
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the Earth move through my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
The first time ever I saw your face
Your face, your face, your face
Céline Dion's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a song that captures the overwhelming and all-consuming feeling of falling in love. The song begins with Dion singing about the first time she saw her beloved, describing him as if he were a celestial being whose presence brightened up her world. The reference to the sun rising in his eyes and the stars that seemed to be gifts from him to the dark skies paint a romantic image. The lyrics capture the incredible sensations that come from experiencing a deep connection with someone else; Dion sings about how the first time she kissed her beloved, she physically felt the Earth move beneath her hands as if all of nature was responding to the power of their love. She repeats the idea of having her lover at her command, which speaks to the power and intensity of her feelings.
In the song's final verse, Dion reveals that the experience of being with her lover is equally intense on an emotional level. She describes feeling as if their hearts were beating as one, expressing the depths of her love and adoration. The song's repetition of the phrase "your face, your face, your face" underscores the idea that the singer is fixated on and captivated by this person.
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a song that perfectly captures the all-encompassing feeling of falling in love. Dion's powerful vocals combined with the gorgeous and intensely romantic lyrics make for a mesmerizing track that evokes strong emotions in listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
When I first laid my eyes on you, I knew that you are an incredibly special person
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
Your eyes are just as radiant and as bright as the sun itself
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
Your presence in my life is as precious and valuable as the moon and the stars
To the dark and the endless skies, my love
Your light has filled up the dark and endless voids of my life
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
The moment when our lips touched was magical and surreal
I felt the Earth move through my hand
My whole world shook and transformed with that one kiss
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
It was as if my heart was freed from captivity and emerged in full force during that kiss
That was there at my command, my love
It felt like I could have you at my command, and that we were meant to be
And the first time ever I lay with you
Being physically intimate with you was a truly unforgettable experience
I felt your heart so close to mine
I could feel a deep connection between us that was both emotional and physical
Your face, your face, your face
You are always on my mind, and your face is the image that brings me the most joy and comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Wahana Musik Indonesia (WAMI)
Written by: Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrysopoylosgiorgos2729
For my son....all doctors said I would never be a mother but God had another opinion...a gave birth to my miracle...
@gerhardh.2384
Alles Gute für EUCH!!!!!
@gloriaalvarez3192
la
@TheSupermosiman
One of the most romantic songs ever written.
@ClarenceRoydes
For my son, James. When I saw for the first time the baby that had been kicking me for 9 months, well all I could do was cry with joy. I love you James.
@galimatias
Celine at her finest. Yes she is more known for her commercial ballads filled with what many consider to be overblown vocals and manufactured emotions for the masses. But here in this song, she shows us she is also really capable to express pure emotion, in a very raw, vulnerable way - playing with her tone, her breaths, delivering the words at times like it’s a fragile object that could break, at other times like it’s a precious jewel, with a whole variety of vibratos and subtle melismas, an amazing sense of vocal dynamics and capable to sing softer than soft when she wants to, and then overwhelmingly powerful when needed. Name me another singer who can do all that, with the same emotional dedication and truly shine in each and every single vocal aspects she’s giving us in this song. No one. She is an absolute legend! And that song is such an experience to listen to, a moment to take to really feel feelings in all their beauty.
@charlesandsandra7305
Please don`t forget the Roberta Flacks version........outstanding and #1 on Billboard`s list for weeks thus launching Flacks career!
@sarakeith2246
It took my breath away every time I hear this beautiful song.
@karleyklein-SupportCelineDion
Celine Dion has always created great master piece with a glorious voice
@shwil2857
I had my sons natural.....nothing I will ever forget. There's nothing like the the kiss of your child's first kiss. Blessing.