In March of 1965, Dr. C.J. Johnson recorded an original song, “I Want to Go… Read Full Bio ↴In March of 1965, Dr. C.J. Johnson recorded an original song, “I Want to Go Where Jesus Is,” for Savoy Records. Sung a cappella and with thunderous enthusiasm by a jubilant congregation, the sound was so raw and primitive that one might have assumed it was recorded forty years prior by Alan Lomax and came straight from the Library of Congress archives. The composition itself sounded as if it was from the pages of Kentucky Harmony. But sure enough, it was recorded at the same time as other Savoy gospel hits of the day, by artists such as Alex Bradford, the Caravans, the Roberta Martin Singers and James Cleveland.

A succession of singles and albums established Dr. C.J. Johnson as one of the country’s foremost hymnologists. His recordings were at once anachronistic and refreshing at a time when gospel music focused squarely on hard-singing leads and heavy instrumental backing. Dr. Johnson’s commitment to the old time sound – straight congregational singing with occasional slaps of the tambourine – earned him an invitation to sing at the White House on three separate occasions.

Killing Me Softly
C.J. Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style

And so I came to see him to listen for a while
And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes

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

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd
I felt he 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
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

He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
And then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there
And he just kept on singing, singing clear and strong

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

He was strumming my pain, yeah, he was singing my life
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
With his song

Overall Meaning

In C.J. Johnson's classic song, "Killing Me Softly," we can see how the power of music can be transformative, even life-changing. When Johnson sings about a young boy who is able to capture the singer's attention with his song, it's clear that this is no ordinary performance. Instead, this singer is able to bring the singer's emotions to the surface, strumming her pain with his fingers and singing her life with his words. As the singer continues to perform, the singer becomes more and more vulnerable, feeling exposed and embarrassed by the crowds around her. She even imagines that the singer has read her private letters, yet she's unable to move away from his music. As the performance goes on, the singer realizes that this singer is able to speak to her on a deeper level, singing about her pain and telling the story of her life with his words. By the end of the song, she's been deeply moved, her pain transformed by the magic of music.

Line by Line Meaning

Strumming my pain with his fingers
He is playing a tune with his strings that is causing my emotional pain.

Singing my life with his words
He is telling a story with his vocals that relates to my personal experiences.

Killing me softly with his song
His music is so powerful that it's overwhelming me with emotions.

Telling my whole life with his words
His lyrics deeply resonate with my life story and reflect my innermost feelings.

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
I've heard people speak highly of his talent and unique approach to music.

And so I came to see him to listen for a while
I decided to go and see him perform in order to take in his music firsthand.

And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes
I saw him live for the first time and he was a complete stranger to me.

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd
His music made me feel so passionately that I was embarrassed by my own emotions in front of others.

I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud
His music feels so personal that it's like he's revealing my innermost thoughts to a crowd of strangers.

I prayed that he would finish but he just kept right on
I was so overwhelmed by his performance that I wanted it to stop, but he continued playing.

He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
His singing was so personal that it felt like he knew my innermost struggles and darkest moments.

And then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there
Despite the deeply personal nature of his music, it also felt like he was completely disconnected from me as an individual.

And he just kept on singing, singing clear and strong
He continued to sing confidently and powerfully, as if he knew the impact his music was having on me.

He was strumming my pain, yeah, he was singing my life
His music felt like he was taking my emotional pain and story and reproducing it through his art.

With his song
My intense emotional response was solely due to the impact of the song on me.

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robin Spielberg, Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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