87. Lauryn Hill, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
This song was originally a creamy late-60s groove-fest—the aural companion to seduction with shag carpet and psychedelic wallpaper in the background. There was a hint of irony and insincerity to it, coated with thick orchestration and Frankie Valli’s smooth croon. That is, until Lauryn Hill covered it in the late 90s, 30 years later. She torched the cheesiness with her deliberately lo-fi version, which she recorded—beat box included—in just a handful of takes while lying on the floor eight months pregnant. She inhabited the lyrics with earthy vulnerability, turning the song into something sweet and nearly devotional.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” arranged and performed by Lauryn Hill, 1998. Written by Bob Gaudio & Bob Crewe, 1967.
This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through early June, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.
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I enjoyed thinking about the two arrangements and I was not familiar at all with Lauryn Hill's version, but I liked it....sounded confident to me....thanks for the memories!