"If I Had Words" is a 1977 song by

Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

as a duet with

Yvonne Keeley Yvonne Keeley (born Yvonne Paaij, 6 September 1952) is a Dutch pop music singer. She is the sister of Patricia Paay. She began her career as a session singer in the music industry in London. She was the girlfriend of Steve Harley of Steve ...

. In 1978, it reached number 3 on the UK charts and number 3 on the Australian charts. 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 ''Maestoso'' () is an Italian musical term and is used to direct performers to play a certain passage of music in a stately, dignified and majestic fashion (sometimes march-like) or, it is used to describe music as such. ''Maestoso'' also is ass ...

section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (''Symphony with organ'') with an added

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

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.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.) The lyrics and arrangement were by

Jonathan Hodge Jonathan Philip Hodge (26 January 1941 – 7 July 2019) was a British composer who wrote more than 2,000 jingles for TV and radio, including the Shake n' Vac tune. Life and career Hodge was born in London in 1941. Jonathan wrote the score ...

, 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.

In popular culture/cover versions

* The song was heard in the 1995 film ''

Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Maj ...

'', sung both by Farmer Hoggett ( James Cromwell) and by a trio of mice for a sped up version. 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 Angie Gold (born Angelina Fiorina Kyte) is a British singer whose song " Eat You Up" was a dance hit in 1985. Biography Born into a musical and artistic Italian family, at the age of eight she was already performing in clubs on weekends. At 17 ...

. Her version, titled "Der schönste Tag" (English translation: "The most beautiful day"), was released as a single in Germany on Polydor in 1978. * The song was covered by Hawaiian musician

Kealiʻi Reichel Carleton Lewis Kealiinaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born June 26, 1962) popularly known as Kealii Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from Hawaii. He has spent ...

in the 1997 album ''ʻE O Mai''. * In 1999, boy band

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

collaborated with the Vard Sisters and recorded the song. * In 2014, Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter

Joanna Wang Joanna Wang () is a Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter, daughter of renowned music producer Wang Zhi-ping (王治平). Born in Taipei but raised in Los Angeles, California, Wang dropped out from Gabrielino High School when she was 16. Her de ...

covered the song on her album ''Midnight Cinema''.

Sales and certifications

Notes

{{authority control 1977 songs 1977 singles Male–female vocal duets