Single:
I Saw the Light entered the Australian singles chart* on 3 July 1972 and peaked at #21.
Album:
The song is on Todd’s 1972 album Something/Anything?
Songwriter:
Todd Rundgren
Producer:
Todd Rundgren
Record label of Australian release:
Bearsville
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Live version at Todd’s picturesque home on Kilauea, Hawaii by Daryl Hall, Todd and friends. This clip was released as part of the Live from Daryl’s House video series, although this one wasn’t at Daryl’s home in Millerton, New York:
BONUS VIDEO BELOW – learn more about I Saw the Light and Todd’s Something/Anything? album
Songfacts – I Saw the Light:
Rundgren learned piano on his own, which gave him a non-traditional approach to the instrument. When he wrote this song, he was doing what came naturally, moving his hands up and down the keyboard. As he did it, he came up with very simple lyrics, letting one line flow into another without thinking about it at all:
It was late last night
I was feeling something wasn’t right
Rundgren knew the song had hit potential, which he later learned can often come by keeping things simple.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/todd-rundgren/i-saw-the-light
Wikipedia – Todd Rundgren:
Todd Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. He is known for his sophisticated and often unorthodox music and his occasionally lavish stage shows.
Rundgren organised the first interactive television concert in 1978, designed the first color graphics tablet in 1980, and created the first interactive album, No World Order, in 1994.
Rundgren was one of the first acts to be prominent as both an artist and producer. His notable production credits include Badfinger’s Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad’s We’re an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls’ New York Dolls (1973) and Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell (1977).
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Rundgren
Lyrics:
It was late last night
I was feeling something wasn’t right
There was not another soul in sight
Only you, only you
So we walked along
Though I knew that there was something wrong
And a feeling hit me oh so strong, about you
Then you gazed up at me and the answer was plain to see
‘Cause I saw the light in your eyes
In your eyes
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
BONUS VIDEO
Learn more about I Saw the Light, the Something/Anything? album, and about Todd himself in Warren Huart’s video:
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