I Will Always Love You Analysis

“I Will Always Love You”, as Sang By Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston

“If I should stay, I would only be in your way…” Anyone today could probably finish the rest of this song after hearing these lyrics. “I Will Always Love You” is one of the most iconic songs of the 21st Century. This song is widely covered by professional artists and cover singers up to today. Even though Dolly is the original singer and writer of the song, Whitney Houston’s vocal talents far surpass Dolly’s singing abilities. Whitney’s version has a romantic backstory that embodies passion and pulls at the listeners heartstrings. Dolly’s version is only cute and sweet.

Dolly Parton is the original writer and singer of the song, “I Will Always Love You”. Her song is often

In 1975, Whitney played the lead female role for the film “The Bodyguard”. She was not only the lead actress, but also the singer for the film’s official soundtrack. Whitney originally was meant to sing the song “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”. That particular song was used for a different film a year earlier. The directors of the film then stumbled upon this song; requested Whitney to sing it, and the rest is history. Whitney plays a character named Rachel who is in love with her bodyguard, Frank. They are both head over heels deeply in love with each other. However, they decide being together will not work due to their job responsibilities and clashing personalities. Hence, her character Rachel sings this song, acknowledging that no matter the situation, she will always love him. Whitney’s version tells a story of a romantic relationship. The backstory of her song is what makes listeners connect to the song. Listeners can feel her emotions and sympathize with the woman crying out over a lost love. The story of Whitney 's lost love will always triumph over Dolly’s story about the end of her contract

There is no official music video for Dolly Parton’s version of the song. It is only possible to find videos of Dolly singing on television shows. Dolly is usually dressed up in her gaudy bedazzled wardrobe and her infamous wig. Her videos are simple and boring. They consist of her standing on a stage, holding a microphone, and singing. On the complete opposite, Whitney has her own large music video production. The music video was produced as part of the movie “The Bodyguard”. Hence, we can see Whitney dressed as Rachel and several scenes from the movie itself. It begins with the performance of the song Whitney gives at the end of “The Bodyguard”. It then cuts to her sitting in an empty theater with the spotlight shining on her, singing about her love. The video is inter-cut with scenes from her movie and gives the viewer the experience of reliving the moments with the singer. Production is clearly better in Whitney’s