Born in Los Angeles, California, Alpert began trumpet lessons at about the age of eight and played at dances as a teenager. Acquiring an early wire recorder in high school, he experimented with recording on this crude equipment. After graduating from Fairfax High School in 1952, he joined the U.S. Army and frequently performed at military ceremonies. After his service in the Army, Alpert tried his hand at acting, but eventually settled on pursuing a career in music. While attending the University of Southern California in the 1950s, he was a member of the USC Trojan Marching Band for two years. He graduated with a BM in 1954.
In 1957, Alpert teamed up with Lou Adler, another burgeoning lyricist, as a songwriter for Keen Records. A number of songs written or co-written by Alpert during the following two years became top twenty hits, including "Baby Talk" by Jan and Dean, "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke, and "Alley-Oop" by The Hollywood Argyles and by Dante and The Evergreens. In 1960, Alpert began his recording career as a vocalist at RCA Records under the name of Dore Alpert, where he recorded early vocals.
"Tell It To The Birds" was recorded as the first release on the Alpert & Moss label, Carnival Records. When Herb & Jerry found that there was prior usage of the Carnival name, their label became A&M Records.
More information on the band can be found at: http://www.tijuanabrass.com/herb-alpert-faq/
Killing Me Softly
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Lyrics
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I heard she had a style
And so I came to see her
And listen for a while
And there she was, this young girl
A stranger to my eyes
Strumming my pain with her fingers
Killing me softly with her song
Killing me softly with her song
Telling my whole life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
I felt all flushed with fever
Embarrassed by the crowd
I felt she found my letters
And read each one out loud
I prayed that she would finish
But she just kept right on
Strumming my pain with her fingers
Oh, singing my life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
Killing me softly with her song
Telling my whole life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
She sang as if she knew me
In all the God despair
And then she looked right through me
As if I wasn't there
And she just kept on singing
Singing clear and strong
Strumming my pain with her fingers
Singing my life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
Killing me softly with her song
Telling my whole life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
Strumming my pain with her fingers
Singing my life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
Killing me softly with her song
Telling my whole life with her words
Killing me softly with her song
The lyrics to "Killing Me Softly" by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass are a poignant portrayal of the impact of music on the listener. The singer hears about a young girl who can sing well, and he decides to go and see her perform. He is immediately entranced by her style and her ability to tell a story through her music. He feels that she is singing his life with her words, and that she is able to strum his pain with her fingers.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes ever more affected by the performance, feeling embarrassed by the crowd and believing that the singer has read his letters out loud. He prays for her to finish, but she keeps on singing, almost as if she knows him intimately. In the final verse, the singer feels as if the performer is singing directly to him, looking right through him, and telling his whole life with her words.
The power of music to touch people's emotions is at the heart of this song, and the lyrics and melody both serve to underscore this message. The singer's experience is one that many of us can relate to, as we have all been moved by a powerful musical performance at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard she sang a good song
I had heard that she was a great singer
I heard she had a style
I had heard that she had a unique and distinctive singing style
And so I came to see her
I decided to go and see her perform in person
And listen for a while
I wanted to hear her sing for a little bit
And there she was, this young girl
And I saw her, this young and unknown girl
A stranger to my eyes
Someone who I did not know
Strumming my pain with her fingers
Playing the music that speaks to my emotional pain
Singing my life with her words
Singing about my own experiences and life through her lyrics
Killing me softly with her song
Affecting me emotionally and deeply with her music
Telling my whole life with her words
Expressing and summarizing my life through her lyrics
I felt all flushed with fever
I started to feel hot and nervous
Embarrassed by the crowd
Feeling ashamed and self-conscious in front of other people
I felt she found my letters
I felt like she had been reading my personal letters
And read each one out loud
And exposed my private thoughts to everyone in the audience
I prayed that she would finish
I hoped that she would soon end her performance
But she just kept right on
However, she continued to sing and play
She sang as if she knew me
She sang like she really understood me
In all the God despair
In all my struggles and feelings of hopelessness
And then she looked right through me
And then she seemed to ignore me completely
As if I wasn't there
As if I didn't matter or wasn't important
And she just kept on singing
And she continued to sing her heart out
Singing clear and strong
Singing with a clear and powerful voice
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES FOX, NORMAN GIMBEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind