‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’: one of the most romantic songs ever written, I think, for the poeticism of the lyrics. When I am writing romantic fiction, the three most pivotal moments, for me, are the first meeting, the first kiss, and then the first time the characters make love. This song so eloquently and simply sums up the sensations and sentiment for these three moments. Here are the central lyrics:

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, my love


The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move through my hands
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love


The first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the Earth
And last till the end of time, my love

With such beautiful wording, and a haunting, soothing tune, it’s no wonder that this song has been recorded by so many artists – from Elvis to Shirley Bassey, Celine Dion to The Temptations, Matt Cardle to The Stereophonics. But my favourite version is the version that popularised the song shortly after it was written – Roberta Flack’s 1972 recording. If you’d like to hear it, take a look at this YouTube clip.