"I Will Always Love You" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on November 2, 1992, by Arista Records as the lead single from The Bodyguard soundtrack.
Background[]
Houston was originally to record Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" as the lead single from The Bodyguard. However, when it was discovered that the song would be used in Fried Green Tomatoes, Houston requested a different song. It was her co-star Kevin Costner who suggested "I Will Always Love You", playing her Linda Ronstadt's 1975 version from her album Prisoner in Disguise. Producer David Foster and Houston re-arranged the song as a soul ballad.
Her record company did not feel a song with an a cappella introduction would be as successful; however, Houston and Costner insisted on retaining it. When Parton heard that Houston was using Ronstadt's recording as a template, she called Foster to give him the final verse, which was missing from the Ronstadt recording, as she felt it was important to the song. Houston recorded the song on April 22, 1992, and was issued as the soundtrack's leading single on November 2, 1992, by Arista Records. Houston's recording is not the only version of the song featured in the film. In a scene where she dances with Costner, a version by John Doe can be heard playing on a jukebox.
Music video[]
The single's music video is credited to Alan Smithee (Nick Brandt removed his name due to the way Clive Davis re-edited the video), and produced by Rob Newman. It begins with the performance of the song Houston gives at the end of The Bodyguard. The video then cuts to the singer in a dark blue suit sitting in an empty theater with the spotlight shining on her, singing of her love, and when she starts her dramatic vocal finale, the theater changes into open camp surrounded by snow, which is meant to be at Fallen Leaf Lake, California, where The Bodyguard's boat scene was filmed. The video is interspersed with scenes from the film and gives the viewer the experience of reliving the moments with Houston. At the time of the video's shooting the singer was pregnant with her daughter Bobbi Kristina, so she is shown only sitting in the theater scenes. On October 24, 2020, the video for "I Will Always Love You" reached at least one billion views on YouTube, making it the first music video of the 20th century by a solo artist to reach the milestone.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way
[Chorus]
And I
Will always love you
I will always love you
[Post-Chorus]
You
My darling, you
Mm, mm
[Verse 2]
Bittersweet memories
That is all I'm taking with me
So goodbye, please, don't cry
We both know I'm not what you, you need
[Verse 1]
If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way
[Chorus]
And I
Will always love you
I will always love you
[Post-Chorus]
You
My darling, you
Mm, mm
[Verse 2]
Bittersweet memories
That is all I'm taking with me
So goodbye, please, don't cry
We both know I'm not what you, you need
[Saxophone Solo]
[Verse 3]
I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish to you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love
[Chorus]
And I
Will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you, I
I will always love you, you
[Outro]
Darling, I love you
Ooh, I'll always
I'll always love you