“I say a prayer” composer, Hal David dies aged 91

Hal David, the co-composer responsible for “I say a little prayer”, died on Sunday 2 September.

David died from complications following a stroke.

Other hits he is known for include: “Walk on By” and “Do you know the way to San Jose”, “Close to you,” “I’ll never fall in love again,” and “That’s what friends are for.”

The lyricist wrote a number of hits with singer-songwriter Burt Bacharach for a variety of artists in the 1960’s and later.

Bacharach and David also won an Oscar for “Raindrops keep Fallin’ on my head” and numerous Grammys and Tonys for other works.

In a 1999 interview, David explained his success as a lyricist: “Try and tell a narrative. The songs should be like a little film, told in three or four minutes.

“Try to say things as simply as possible, which is probably the most difficult thing to do.”

His widow said that he kept writing up until his death. “Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head,” Eunice David said.

Additional reading

News category: World.

Tags: