[Verse 1: Brenda Lee]
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

[Verse 2: Brenda Lee]
I heard he sang a good song
I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, to listen for a while
And there he was this young boy
A stranger to my eyes

[Refrain: Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee & backing singers]
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.

[Verse 3: Brenda Lee]
I felt all flushed with fever
Embarrassed by a 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
[Refrain: Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee & backing singers]
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.

[Verse 4: Brenda Lee]
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
Oh, there he was this stranger
Singing clear and strong

[Refrain: Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee & backing singers]
And, 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.

[Instrumental]
[Refrain: Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee & backing singers]
Oh, He was 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...

[Refrain: Brenda Lee, backing singers, Brenda Lee & backing singers]
Whoa-oh
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Whoa-wo-oh-oh-oh-oh
Singing my life with his words
Na-na-na-na
Killing me softly with his song
Ohhhhhhhhh - wo- ohhh
Killing me softly with his song
Just killing me softly
Telling my whole life
With his words
Killing me softly
Killing me softly
With His Song

[Outro: Brenda Lee, backing singers]
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Who-ooo-ooo-ooo
Singing my life with his words
Ooo-oooo-ooo
Killing me softly with his song
Oo-oo-oo
Killing me softly with his song
Whoa-oo
Telling my whole life
He was killing me