I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren song) explained

I Saw the Light
Cover:	Isawthelight45.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Todd Rundgren
Album:	Something/Anything?
B-Side:	Marlene
Released:	March 1972^[1]
Recorded:	Late 1971
Label:	Bearsville
Producer:	Todd Rundgren
Prev Title:	A Long Time, A Long Way to Go
Prev Year:	1971
Next Title:	Couldn't I Just Tell You
Next Year:	1972

"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.^[2]

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."^[3]

Personnel

• Todd Rundgren – all instruments and vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[4] ^[5]	21
Canada RPM Top Singles^[6]	15
UK Singles Chart^[7]	36
US Billboard Hot 100^[8] ^[9]	16
US Billboard Easy Listening^[10]	12
US Cash Box Top 100^[11]	11

Year-end charts

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.^[13]
• 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

Notes and References

1. March 25, 1972. Pop. Billboard. 84. 13. 56. 0006-2510. August 18, 2023.
2. Something/Anything. Bearsville Records. 2BX 2066. 1972.
3. Web site: September 24, 2015. Todd Rundgren: Nothing but the truth - Features - Music. Independent.co.uk. April 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924203454/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/todd-rundgren-nothing-but-the-truth-6165625.html. September 24, 2015.
4. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 261.
5. Web site: Steffen Hung . Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . October 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . June 2, 2016 .
6. Web site: RPM 100 Singles. https://web.archive.org/web/20150415211115/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.7646&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=rgm3fvg64f04qlf1e4qv7rf622. April 15, 2015. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. June 24, 1972. October 7, 2016.
7. Web site: Todd Rundgren - I Saw the Light . . July 17, 2011 .
8. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
9. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=todd rundgren|chart=all}} I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren]. Billboard. July 17, 2011 .
10. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 212.
11. Web site: Top 100 1972-06-17 . . March 22, 2015 .
12. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972 . Musicoutfitters.com . October 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170427223218/http://musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm . April 27, 2017 .
13. RPM Country 100 . 67. 8 . May 18, 1998 . RPM . July 17, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023193013/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3557&type=1. October 23, 2012.