About the song
“(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story” is a timeless ballad that has captured the hearts of millions of music lovers around the world. Written by Carl Sigman and composed by Francis Lai, the song was first introduced as an instrumental theme in the 1970 film Love Story. The film’s distributor, Paramount Pictures, initially rejected the first set of lyrics, but Andy Williams eventually recorded the new lyrics and took the song to number nine on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 and number one on their Easy Listening chart.
The song’s history is a fascinating tale of creative collaboration and compromise. Francis Lai wrote the score for Love Story, and the company that published the music for Paramount felt that the track heard over the opening and closing credits needed lyrics. Michael Sigman, son of lyricist Carl Sigman, recalled that his father was asked to provide the words and received a synopsis of the script and the lead sheet of the music. The initial set of lyrics his father wrote mirrored the storyline of the film from the perspective of the male protagonist, who describes a woman who enters his life and then suddenly leaves.
However, Paramount executive Robert Evans was not satisfied with the initial lyrics, deeming them too sad and sexually suggestive. He demanded a rewrite, which upset Carl Sigman. But the next day, Carl cooled off and, pacing around his living room, said to his wife, “Where do I begin?” and the new lyric was launched. The rest, as they say, is history. The song has since become a classic, with Andy Williams’ smooth vocals and the iconic melody making it a staple of romantic playlists around the world.
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Lyrics
Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There’d never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with very special things
With angels’ songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That anywhere I go I’m never lonely
With her around, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it’s always there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there