Artist: Roberta Flack    Genre: Blues-Rock    Strum Pattern: D–Du–uD–    Roman Numerals: I, II, ii, ii7, IV, V, V7, VI, vi, VIsus4    Instrument: Guitar - Standard Tuning [E,A,D,G,B,E]   
Song Notes:  
Strum: | D–Du–uD– | or, Pick Pattern: | 4321–23– | (1 and second 3 each rings for two beats)

Note that this is a very basic version leaving out some of her extra lines.

NOTE: Where you see this symbol "(=)" it means that a new measure is starting, but don't change chords (I would write the chord in, instead of an equals sign, but then "transpose" won’t look right).

1971. Composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel.
Entered by: Cheryl Leon Levy   
▼ Show transpose, instrument, and other display options ▼
G
(G,B,D)

G B D G B G
A
(A,C♯,E)

- A E A C♯ E
Am
(A,C,E)

- A E A C E
Am7
(A,C,E,G)

- A E G C E
C
(C,E,G)

x,3,2,0,1,0
- C E G C E
D
(D,F♯,A)

- - D A D F♯
D7
(D,F♯,A,C)

- - D A C F♯
E
(E,G♯,B)

- - E B E G♯
Em
(E,G,B)

E B E G B E
Esus4
(E,A,B)

- - E A B E


Chorus 1:
"(=)" means that a new measure/strum-pattern is starting, but don't change chords
strum slowly D---D---
sing {G}
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Strumming my pain with his
[AmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
fingers,
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
singing my life with his
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
words
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Killing me softly with
[AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
his song, killing me
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
softly with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his song
Telling my [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
whole life with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his words, killing me
[Esus4Suspended 4th Chord (U,P4,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
softly (=)
With his [EMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
song (=)

Instrumental:
start regular Strum/Pick pattern
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
(=)

Verse 1:
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
I heard he
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
sang a good song,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
I heard he
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
had a style
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
And so I
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
came to see him, to
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
listen for a (=) while
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
And there he
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
was, this young boy,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
a stranger
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
to my eyes

Chorus 2:
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Strumming my pain with his
[AmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
fingers,
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
singing my life with his
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
words
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Killing me softly with
[AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
his song, killing me
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
softly with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his song
Telling my [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
whole life with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his words, killing me
[Esus4Suspended 4th Chord (U,P4,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
softly (=)
With his [EMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
song (=)

Verse 2:
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
I felt all
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
flushed with fever,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
embarrassed
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
by the crowd
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
I felt he
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
found my letters, and
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
read each one out (=) loud
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
I prayed that
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
he would finish,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
but he just
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
kept right on

Chorus 3:
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Strumming my pain with his
[AmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
fingers,
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
singing my life with his
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
words
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Killing me softly with
[AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
his song, killing me
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
softly with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his song
Telling my [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
whole life with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his words, killing me
[Esus4Suspended 4th Chord (U,P4,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
softly (=)
With his [EMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
song (=)

Verse 3:
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
He sang as
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
if he knew me,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
in all my
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
dark despair
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
And then he
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
looked right through me, as
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
if I wasn't (=) there
[Am7Minor 7th Chord (U,m3,P5,m7)
on the Major Second
]
And he just
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
kept on singing,
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
singing
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
clear and strong

Chorus 4:
"/– – –" at the end means finish with one strum & let it ring 4 beats
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Strumming my pain with his
[AmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
fingers,
[D7Dominant 7th Chord (U,M3,P5,m7)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
singing my life with his
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
words
[EmMinor Chord (U,m3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
Killing me softly with
[AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
his song, killing me
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
softly with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his song
Telling my [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
whole life with
[CMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
his words, killing me
[Esus4Suspended 4th Chord (U,P4,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
softly (=)
With his [EMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Sixth
]
song (=)/– – –