Teng was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. Many became standards in her lifetime, such as "When Will You Return?" (何日君再來) and "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心).[1] She recorded songs not only in her native Mandarin but also in Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and English.
Teng, a lifelong sufferer from asthma, died in 1995 from a severe respiratory attack while vacationing in Thailand. She was 42.
Killing Me Softly With His Song
Teresa Teng Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes.
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.
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.
But he just came to singing, singing clear and strong.
The lyrics to Killing Me Softly with His Song reveal the emotional and psychological impact a musician's performance can have on a listener. Throughout the song, the singer describes how the singer is able to strum her pain with his fingers, sing her life with his words, and tell her whole life story through his lyrics. The result is that the singer feels as though she is being killed softly by his song.
The lyrics also suggest that the power of music is not limited to just the lyrics or the melody, but rather it is the combination of the two that makes a song truly powerful. The singer describes the singer as having a style that she is drawn to, and she goes to listen to him perform. However, it is not until he begins to sing that she feels an intense emotional reaction, as if he is speaking directly to her and telling her story.
The lyrics also touch on the element of vulnerability that comes with listening to music. The singer is embarrassed by the crowd and feels as though the singer has read her private letters. However, despite this vulnerability, she remains transfixed by the power of his performance, as he sings as if he knows her in all her dark despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
Playing my emotional turmoil on a guitar with his fingers.
Singing my life with his words,
Expressing my life experiences and feelings through his lyrics.
Killing me softly with his song,
Affecting me deeply and emotionally with the power of his song.
Killing me softly with his song,
Continuing to have a strong impact on my emotions through his music.
Telling my whole life with his words,
Revealing my whole life story through the lyrics he sings.
Killing me softly with his song
Continuing to have an emotional impact on me through his song.
I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style.
Rumors circulated about his lyrical talent and unique performing style.
And so I came to see him to listen for a while.
Curiosity drew me to listen to him sing.
And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes.
A young man I had never met before was performing.
I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd,
I experienced an intense emotional reaction, feeling embarrassed by the attention of the crowd.
I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud.
I believed he was singing about personal experiences I had written about in letters.
I prayed that he would finish but he just kept right on.
I wished for the song to be over, but he continued singing without pause.
He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
His lyrics spoke to my deepest feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
And then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there.
Despite singing to my emotions, he didn't acknowledge my presence.
But he just came to singing, singing clear and strong.
He continued to perform with great intensity and clarity.
Writer(s): Fox, Gimbel
Contributed by Brody T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.