Greatest love songs ever: #39 “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”

By Tom Quiner

I’m not a big fan of the notion of ‘love at first sight.’ ‘Like’ at first sight … or ‘infatuation’ at first sight, that makes sense. Love is more than emotion alone, because emotions change. But the song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” tenderly captures the emotion of the first blush of love.

The song was written by one of the few communist songwriters, Ewan MacColl, (maybe the only?) to make my list. Born James Henry Miller in England, he adopted the stage name, Ewan MacColl, as he pursued a career as a folk singer/songwriter and labour activist.

He composed “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in 1957 for his lover and future third wife, Peggy Seeger (Pete Seeger’s sister). It was a bust. Here is an early recording of the song by the folk group, Peter, Paul, and Mary:

Peter, Paul & Mary

The song found a new audience and tremendous success when Clint Eastwood used a recording by Roberta Flack (top of page) in his movie, “Play Misty For Me.” It topped Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles chart of 1972 and made Flack a star.

Interestingly, she actually recorded it in 1968. When Eastwood heard it, he called Ms. Flack and asked if he could use it in his movie:

“’I’d like to use your song in this movie…about a disc jockey [with] a lot of music in it. I’d use it in the only part of the movie where there’s absolute love.’

That’s what the song conveys. Audiences everywhere feel it. Contrast Flack’s version with Peter, Paul, and Mary’s. She slowed it down dramatically, doubling the length of the song. In fact, Flack told Eastwood she wanted to re-record the song, as she felt it was too slow. Eastwood said no, it was perfect, and the rest is history.

The lyrics are tender and pure:

“The first time, ever I saw your face,

I thought the sun rose in your eyes,

And the moon and the stars

Were the gifts you gave,

To the dark, and the endless skies.”

These lyrics take you for ride. They soften your heart. If you’re old, they remind you of the that wonderful glow of young love you might have once experienced. If you’re young, they encourage you to seek the most beautiful thing the world has to offer, and that is love. The song continues,

“And I knew our joy

Would fill the earth, and last ’til the end of time.”

Beautiful. Amazing that someone who revered Joseph Stalin, one of the most prolific mass murderers in history,  could write such a tender text!

Celine Dion sings “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”

Celine Dion sings it beautifully, as you would expect. But there is something about Roberta Flack’s interpretation of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” that moves me more than any other.

One more thing. Two models of romance compete with each other in this age. One is the soul-mate model; the other is the family-first model of marriage.

Soul-mate or Family-first?

Senior Fellow at The Institute for Family Studies, W. Bradford Wilcox, compares the two:

“The soul mate model—trumpeted in books like Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love,” not to mention countless songs and rom-coms—is the idea that marriage is primarily about an intense emotional and romantic connection between two people and should last only so long as that connection remains happy and fulfilling for both parties. This self-centered model gained in popularity for many Americans starting in the 1970s, the “Me Decade. But feelings are a fragile foundation for marriage.

A recent YouGov survey indicates that married people in California who hold this view of marriage are about 60% more likely to think their marriage might end in divorce, compared with those who have a more family-first model of marriage, believing that “Marriage is about romance but also the kids, money, raising a family together.”

Wilcox refers to songs in his analysis, and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” surely taps into our deepest feelings, to which he refers. This blogger views the song as a beautiful prelude to the family-first model, where love is more than a feeling, it’s a choice, it’s a decision, it is a commitment, it’s for life. Love songs help us keep the romance alive. Let us keep listening … and singing along with them!

About next week: I know what you’re thinking. How in the world could we possibly top any of the songs already discussed in my list of the “52 Greatest Love Songs Ever?” Well, we’re going to do it with one that I can only describe as high drama. You won’t want to miss it!

Be sure to encourage your friends to subscribe to our blog. Seriously. We’re counting down the ’52 Greatest Love Songs Ever’ a week at a time. Why? Because love is the greatest antidote to abortion. Thanks for checking in. See you next week!

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