About The Song
Love Story (Where Do I Begin) by Andy Williams became one of his biggest hits in the early 1970s, even though it started life as the instrumental theme for a movie. The song, with music by French composer Francis Lai and lyrics added later by Carl Sigman, was first heard in the 1970 film Love Story. That movie, based on Erich Segal’s bestselling novel and starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, turned into a massive cultural phenomenon. The story of a privileged young man and a working-class girl who fall in love, only for tragedy to strike, captured the public imagination and made the line “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” a household phrase.
Andy Williams recorded the vocal version with Sigman’s lyrics in late 1970. Columbia Records released it as a single on January 15, 1971, and it appeared on his album Love Story, which came out on February 3 of that year. The album was a collection of current hits and soft-pop favorites that fit Williams’ warm, reassuring style perfectly. It climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and stayed there for 33 weeks, eventually earning gold and later platinum certification. In the UK the album was retitled Home Lovin’ Man and topped the charts.
The single itself performed strongly. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 88 in early February 1971, peaked at No. 9, and spent 13 weeks on the chart. On the Easy Listening chart it reached No. 1 and held the spot for four weeks, tying Williams’ own record set years earlier with “Can’t Get Used to Losing You.” The track also did well internationally, reaching the Top 10 in several countries and becoming a staple on adult radio.
What made the song stand out was how naturally it captured the bittersweet tone of the film without feeling overly sentimental. The lyrics speak of starting over, of love that begins in the most ordinary moments and grows into something that changes everything. Williams’ smooth delivery gave it a sense of quiet strength and quiet regret that matched the movie’s emotional core. He performed it frequently on his television show and in concerts, and it quickly became one of the tracks people most associated with him during that era.
One small but telling detail is that the original film score used only the instrumental melody. Paramount had initially rejected early attempts at lyrics, but once Sigman’s words were added, the song took on a life of its own. Williams’ version arrived just as the movie’s popularity was peaking, and his recording helped keep the story alive on radio long after the film left theaters. The album Love Story also included other contemporary tracks like “Your Song” and “My Sweet Lord,” showing Williams’ willingness to adapt to the changing musical landscape while still sounding like himself.
Over the years the song has been covered by many artists, but Williams’ take remains the one most people think of when they hear the title. It marked a late-career highlight for him, arriving as his long-running variety show was winding down and the music business was shifting toward younger voices. Yet “Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” proved he could still deliver a timeless romantic ballad that felt both current and classic.
Video
Lyric
Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There’d never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with very special things
With angels’ songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That anywhere I go I’m never lonely
With her around, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it’s always there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her ’til the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there