Johnny Mathis – “The Last Time I Felt Like This”: A Moment of Love That Could Never Return
Johnny Mathis, often called the Prince of Romance, has been captivating audiences for more than half a century with his silky voice. Known for timeless hits like “Misty”, “Chances Are”, and “It’s Not For Me To Say”, Mathis has become synonymous with romance itself. Yet, one of his most unique recordings emerged not from his usual repertoire, but from a movie soundtrack—“The Last Time I Felt Like This” (1978).
A Song from the Silver Screen
Composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the song was written for the romantic film Same Time, Next Year (1978). The story follows an extramarital affair that lasts over 25 years, with the lovers meeting only once a year.
Johnny Mathis performed the song as a duet with Jane Olivor, whose fresh, emotive voice blended seamlessly with his. Together, they created a performance that felt like an intimate confession of love—sweet yet tinged with melancholy.
Recognition and Impact
“The Last Time I Felt Like This” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in 1979. Though it didn’t win, the recognition elevated Jane Olivor’s career and reaffirmed Mathis’s versatility beyond traditional pop ballads.
For Mathis, this song marked one of his rare but impactful ventures into movie soundtracks. It showed his ability to embody not just love songs for the radio, but also cinematic moments of romance and vulnerability.
The Message of the Song
The lyrics speak of rediscovering a powerful feeling—something that feels both like the first and the last time love can strike so deeply. Mathis and Olivor sing with tenderness and restraint, as if confessing secrets too fragile to speak aloud.
Listeners often interpret the song as an anthem of bittersweet love—love that comes late, unexpected, and cannot last, but leaves a permanent mark on the heart.
A Lasting Legacy
Decades later, “The Last Time I Felt Like This” continues to resonate. It is remembered not just as a film song, but as one of Johnny Mathis’s rarest gems, capturing a fleeting moment of passion and vulnerability.