I recently wrote a short article on Don McLean’s number one classic, “American Pie.”

As I composed that story, I was reminded of another #1, Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” which topped the charts in 1973.

It occurred to me that “Killing Me Softly” was written or inspired by a performance by Don McLean. So, I set out to clarify the facts as much as possible.

It is widely reported on the web that “Killing Me Softly” was written about (or inspired by) a Don McLean concert attended by Roberta Flack. This is not the case.

It’s also widely (and apparently correctly) documented that singer Lori Lieberman inspired the song, not Roberta Flack.

Here is the press release on this topic from Lori Lieberman’s website:

Press Release: “The Killing Me Softly Connection”

In 1973, Don played a show at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. Singing “Empty Chairs” inspired Lori Lieberman to write the song “Killing Me Softly” on a napkin. “I was actually tired of going,” says Lieberman. “I didn’t know who he was, but from the moment he walked on stage, I was spellbound. I felt like he knew me and his songs were about my life. I felt like he sang in my soul.”

originally called Killing me softly with your blues, Lori’s poem inspired songwriters Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox to write the song for her. It was released on her debut album in 1971.

Hearing it on an airline’s in-flight music show, Roberta Flack researched the song upon landing and contacted Gimbel & Fox. She offered to record it and in 1973 it became number 1 for her. Lieberman to this day is never given credit for the lyrics and his version. McLean said that she had no idea the song was about him. “Someone called me and said a song had been written about me and it was number 1,” McLean recalled. “It was an honor and a delight, and I give Lieberman credit. My songs always come from my personal thoughts and experiences, so it’s overwhelming when someone is moved and moved the way Lori did.” The song was also released by The Fugees in 1997.

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This is where the mystery comes into play.

Okay, I’m not privy to all the details of this matter. Perhaps some kind of deal was struck between Ms. Lieberman and the credited songwriters, Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox (both veteran songwriters with huge resumes), and/or the song’s publishers.

But the statement in Lori Lieberman’s website press release (“Lieberman to this day never receives credit for the lyrics and his version”) is puzzling.

I wrote to LoriLeiberman.com to try to get clarification. This is what I wrote:

“I’ve read that the Fox/Gimbel-penned song “Killing Me Softly” was inspired by Mrs. Lieberman’s poem Killing me softly with your blues, written about Don McLean. This seems to be pretty well documented… My question is, why the hell wasn’t Ms. Lieberman credited as co-writing the song? In Nashville, this would never happen. The boy or girl with THE IDEA is as important, or even more so, than the word and the blacksmiths.”

I have not received a reply.

Here’s the disturbing part. This isn’t a case of someone saying to a songwriter, “Hey, I saw this guy performing at the Bluebird and it was killing me.” And then the songwriter goes and writes a song about a memorable performer or performance. Lori Leiberman actually wrote a poem (LYRICS) called “Killing Me Softly With His Blues”. It is PRECISELY that line, “Killing Me Softly” that is the basis of the worldwide hit song. In fact, “Killing Me Softly” has become a pop culture cliché, not unlike “Hit the Road Jack” or countless other sayings that have been popularized with songs. (Except that in this case Lieberman may have been the Author of the expression!) “Killing Me Softly” is a standard and to this observer it appears that Lieberman was at least a CO-AUTHOR.

I don’t get it. FORTUNES have been made with “Killing Me Softly.” And Lori Lieberman is credited with “introducing” the song (having been the first to record it)…? BIG FLU. GREAT songs are treasures, figuratively and literally.

“Killing Me Softly” was a huge hit. Roberta Flack’s 1973 version was #1 TWICE, being knocked off the top spot by The O’Jays’ “Love Train” but then returning to #1 again. then “Love Train”.

The song has been performed and/or recorded by giants of the recording industry, including Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, among many others, and even translated into various foreign languages. It was a remake of Hip-Hop #2 in 1996 for The Fugees with Lauryn Hill. He featured prominently in the 2002 main film. about a boy. “Killing Me Softly” is one of those “career-making” songs.

So, as a student of songwriting and the music business, as an educator trying to dispel myths and inspire young creatives to make it in music and the arts…and as someone who professes that success it’s really about THE IDEA: songwriting, filmmaking, ENTERTAINMENT… I just don’t get this. Someone please explain it to me.