If I Had Words

"If I Had Words" is a 1978 UK hit song by Scott Fitzgerald as a duet with Yvonne Keeley. It reached number 3 in the UK charts and number 24 in the Australian charts in 1978. It sold more than one million copies worldwide. It was also a hit in Ireland (number 9), New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

The tune was taken from the main theme of the maestoso section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (Symphony with organ) with an added reggae beat. (In the symphony, the theme used in the song is first exposed by the strings section in the second movement; it is later also played by the organ.[1]) The lyrics and arrangement were by Jonathan Hodge, a prolific writer of TV jingles and movie themes, who also produced the single.

The backing was by the St Thomas More Roman Catholic School Choir in Chelsea, London.[2]

  • The song was heard in the 1995 film Babe, sung both by Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) and by a trio of mice (a sped-up version of Fitzgerald's original). It was also partially incorporated into the film's suite (instrumental). It was also featured in the film's sequel, Babe: Pig in the City.
  • The song was covered in German by Angie Gold. Her version, titled "Der schönste Tag" (English translation: "The most beautiful day"), was released as a single in Germany on Polydor in 1978.[3]
  • The song was covered by Hawaiian musician Kealiʻi Reichel in the 1997 album ʻE O Mai.
  • In 1999, boy band Westlife collaborated with the Vard Sisters and recorded the song.
  • In 2014, Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Joanna Wang covered the song on her album Midnight Cinema.

Notes
  1. Saint-Saëns, Camille (19--). Symphony no. 3 in C minor, opus 78, for orchestra and organ. Available at: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/aef8378/index.html, New York, N.Y.: International Music Co., pp. 126–129.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 201. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. "ultratop.be - Angie Gold - Der schönste Tag". Retrieved 2019-12-07.
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