"I Saw the Light" is a song written and performed by American musician Todd Rundgren that was released as the opening track from his 1972 album Something/Anything? In the album's liner notes, Rundgren states that he intended the song to be the hit of the album, and copied the Motown tradition of putting hit songs at the beginning of albums.
Background Rundgren wrote the track in 20 minutes, a feat he attributes to his reliance on stimulants such as Ritalin. "It caused me to crank out songs at an incredible pace. You can see why, too, the rhymes are just moon/June/spoon kind of stuff."
Personnel Todd Rundgren – all instruments and vocals
Charts Weekly charts +1972 singles chartsChartPeak Australia (Kent Music Report)21 Canada RPM 100 Singles 15 UK (OCC)36 US Billboard Hot 10016 US Billboard Easy Listening12 US Cash Box Top 10011 US Record World Singles Chart15
Year-end charts Chart (1972) RankU.S. Billboard Hot 10088
Cover versions
1972 – The New Seekers, on the Circles album 1985 – Yukihiro Takahashi, on Once a Fool 1984 – Herman Brood, on The Brood (as "Eyes") 1987 – Mood Six, "I Saw the Light" (a video for the song was shown on MTV's 120 Minutes) 1989 – Workshy, on The Golden Mile. 1997 – Terry Hall, Laugh (released as a single) 1997 – Lori Carson, on Everything I Touch Runs Wild 1998 – Hal Ketchum. This version reached No. 36 on the US country charts, and No. 50 on the Canadian country charts. 2012 – Yo La Tengo, on Super Hits of the Seventies (also released on deluxe versions of their Fade) 2015 – Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Maya Rudolph, David Johansen and Bill Murray, on A Very Murray Christmas
References