So, goodbye. Please, don’t cry/
We both know I’m not what you, you need.
Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” was one of the biggest music sensations in the past 40 years. This song was everywhere for several months, and so was Whitney, and she was the country’s darling. People who otherwise would never listen to or respect black people still loved Whitney.
She had the model-looks, the smile, and the beautiful voice that she knew how to use. Where others like Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera went overboard with fake emotion, Whitney pushed the boundaries with her vocals, but the emotion was always there. This is Whitney at the top of her game.
Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is equally fantastic. It sounds more personal than Whitney’s version. It sounds as if she is certain the love is over, whereas Whitney sings in a tone as if to reassure her man. That is a big difference in interpretation. Together, they achieve a higher standing on this list than either version of this list would alone.
Whitney Houston has a couple songs on this list. I think she was one of the biggest slights from Rolling Stones Top 500 list. Their list is great, but often women and soft rockers got the short end of the stick on their list, and Whitney is in both of those lanes.
Lyrics I Will Always Love You
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
And I will always love you
I will always love you
You, my darling you, hm
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
And I will always love you
I will always love you, you
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
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, darling, I love you
Ooh, I’ll always, I’ll always love you
Songwriters: Dolly Parton