Introduction:
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is a classic love song, originally written in 1957 by British folk artist Ewan MacColl for his then-lover, Peggy Seeger. MacColl, a political songwriter, crafted this romantic piece with heartfelt lyrics about the impact of seeing his beloved for the first time. The song remained relatively obscure until Roberta Flack’s transformative version in the 1970s. Her rendition was recorded in a slow, soulful style on her debut album, First Take (1969), but it didn’t become widely recognized until filmmaker Clint Eastwood used it in a pivotal scene in Play Misty for Me (1971).
Following the film’s release, Atlantic Records released Flack’s version as a single, and it rapidly gained popularity. In 1972, it soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks, and also earned Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Flack’s version was praised for its haunting and tender approach, which brought out the song’s emotional depth in a way that captivated listeners worldwide.
The success of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” cemented Flack’s reputation and established the song as a timeless anthem of love and devotion. Her interpretation transformed a folk ballad into a soul classic that continues to resonate, highlighting the enduring power of love and memory through music.