Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack: a cloze exercise

Composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, the song was successful with the interpretation of Roberta Flack in 1973. The hip-hop group Fugees launched a cover in 1996, sung by Lauryn Hill. The song was included in the film "About a Boy" where the young Marcus sings this song in a school contest.

Words and Verbs to insert:

came= venni -- clear= chiaro -- crowd= folla -- dark= oscura -- flushed= arrossita -- found = aveva trovato -- had = aveva -- kept= continuava -- knew= sapeva -- listen= ascoltare -- looked= guardava -- prayed= pregavo -- read= leggeva -- sang = cantava -- singing= a cantare -- stranger= sconosciuto -- was= era -- wasn't= non fossi

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or the version from "About a Boy", starring Nicholas Hoult as Marcus and Hugh Grant as Will

[transcript from "About a boy"]
MARCUS: Will, come on. Will, we're finished.
WILL (to himself): So there I was, killing them softly with my song. Or rather, being killed. And not that softly, either. I was singing with my eyes closed. Was I frightened? I was petrified. This was definitely not "island" living.
WILL (to the audience): Killing me softly - With his song
Thank you, Finsbury. I'd like to introduce one or two members of the band. Marcus Brewer on vocals and tambourine. And that's about it.
WILL (to Marcus): Let's get off quick. Get off.

[ Show Solutions ] ---- [ ]

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
and listen for a while
And there he was this young boy
A stranger to my eyes

Strumming my pain with his fingers...

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...

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

[trascrizione da "About a boy"]
MARCUS: Will, andiamo. Will, abbiamo finito.
WILL (a se stesso): Quindi ero lì, a ucciderli dolcemente con la mia canzone. O meglio, a essere ucciso. E neanche tanto dolcemente. Stavo cantando con gli occhi chiusi. Ero spaventato? Ero pietrificato. Questo certo non era come vivere in una "isola".
WILL (al pubblico): Killing me softly - with his song... Grazie, Finsbury. Vorrei introdurre uno o due membri della band. Marcus Brewer alla voce e tamburello. E questo è tutto.
WILL (a Marcus): Andiamocene subito. Andiamocene!