I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song

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"I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" is the title of a posthumously-released single by the American singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The song was written by Croce and was originally found on his album I Got a Name.
Croce was killed in a small-plane crash in September 1973, the same week that a 45RPM single, the title cut from his studio album I Got a Name was released. Following the delayed release of a song from his previous album ("Time in a Bottle") in late 1973, "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" was chosen as the second single released from his final studio album. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974, becoming his fifth Top 10 hit.Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications) In addition, the song went to #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart and reached #68 on the Billboard country music chart, Croce's only song to chart there.Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
Croce wrote the song in early 1973 when he arrived home and got into a disagreement with his wife, Ingrid. Instead of arguing with her, she has stated that Croce "went downstairs, and he started to play, like he always did when he wrote...the next morning, he came up early in the morning and sang it to me."
This song is noted for the use of male backup singers, as well as a string section, that plays a counterpoint melody during the concluding instrumental.
==Songwriting==
Croce's wife Ingrid Croce wrote an autobiographical cookbook, Thyme In A Bottle, in which she includes interesting anecdotes about Jim. She wrote the following about "I'll Have To Say 'I Love You' in a Song":
"One weekend, after being on the road for many months, Jim got a chance to come home to relax with his family. We settled in to enjoy our time alone together. Though Jim was expecting company the next day, avoiding confrontation he never told me that we were to be joined by an entire film crew! The next morning, 15 people from Acorn Productions descended upon our house to record a promotional film of Jim Croce at Home on the Farm.
"I prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole film crew and after the group left, I questioned Jim about our finances. After a year and a half of his working so very hard on the road, we were barely making ends meet, but Jim wouldn't talk about it. He hated questions as much as he hated confrontation, especially about money. He stormed out of our bedroom and went down to the kitchen table to brood. The next morning he woke me gently by singing his new song. 'Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong. So I'll have to say "I love you" in a song.'"Songfacts on "I Have to Say I Love You in a Song", Songfacts.com
==Covers==
*Cilla Black covered this song on her 1974 album In My Life.
*Country music singer Clint Black recorded a cover version of this song that is found on his 2007 album The Love Songs.
*Lane Brody covered it on Jim Croce: A Nashville Tribute
*The Ventures covered it on The Ventures Play the Jim Croce Songbook
*Jerry Reed on Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce
*Bonnie Koloc on Bonnie Koloc at Her Best
*Andy Williams on You Lay So Easy on My Mind
*Cleo Laine on Gonna Get Through
*Mary Travers on Circles
*Johnny Lee on Hey Bartender
==Track listing==
7" Single (ABC-11424)Jim Croce - I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song / Salon And Saloon
# "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" - 2:30
# "Salon And Saloon" - 2:30
==Chart performance==
===Weekly charts===
Chart (1974) 	Peakposition
US Billboard Hot 100 	9
US Billboard Easy ListeningI'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song 	1
US Billboard Hot Country Singles 	68
US Cash Box Top 100Cash Box Top 100 4/27/74 	7
Australian Top 100 SinglesAustralian Top 100 Singles - Week ending 04 August 1974 	100
Canadian RPM Top SinglesTop Singles - Volume 21, No. 12, May 11 1974 	4
Netherlands Dutch Top 40Dutch Charts - Jim Croce I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song	28
===Year-end charts===
Chart (1974) 	Peakposition
Canadian RPM Top SinglesThe RPM Year-End Charts: 1974	75
US Billboard Hot 100 	85
US Cash Box Top 100The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1974	88
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:1974 singles
Category:Songs written by Jim Croce
Category:Jim Croce songs
Category:Andy Williams songs
Category:Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles
Category:Songs released posthumously
Category:Metasongs
Category:1973 songs
Category:ABC Records singles