I heard she sang a good song,
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,
stranger to my eyes.
 [bad word] 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

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.
 [bad word] 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

She sang as if he knew me
In all my dark despair
And then she looked right through me
As if I wasn't there.
But she just came to singing,
Singing clear and strong.
 [bad word] 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