Houston began singing at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. She was one of the first black women to appear on the cover of Seventeen after becoming a teen model in 1981. With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, Houston signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. Hit singles from the albums, including "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", established her as a catalyst in the acceptance of black female artists on MTV. Her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), yielded two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, the title track and "All the Man That I Need". Houston's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 received widespread media coverage.
Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992), which despite its mixed reviews became the tenth highest-grossing film to that date. Its soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. It generated multiple hit singles, including "I Have Nothing", "I'm Every Woman" and "I Will Always Love You"; the latter won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, spent a then-record 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. Subsequently, she went on to star in the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), and she recorded their respective soundtracks; the former scored her last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", while the latter, produced by Houston herself, became the bestselling gospel album of all time. As a film producer, she produced multicultural movies and series such as Cinderella (1997) and The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls.
Houston's first studio album in eight years, My Love Is Your Love (1998), spawned several hit singles, including the title track, "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and the Academy Award-winning Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe". Following the success, she renewed her contract with Arista for $100 million in 2001, one of the biggest recording deals of all time. However, her personal problems began to overshadow her career. Her 2002 studio album, Just Whitney, received mixed reviews, while her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with her final studio album, I Look to You (2009). In February 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards, which took place the day following her death, and was covered internationally. Her life and career were dramatized in the 2022 biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston
Discography
Whitney Houston (1985)
Whitney (1987)
I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)
My Love Is Your Love (1998)
Just Whitney (2002)
One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003)
I Look to You (2009)
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Whitney Houston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the night, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Now, said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?
Oh, a child, a child, shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere, yeah
And listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere, oh yeah
Listen to what I say
Oh, the child, oh, the child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light, yes
He will bring us goodness and light, yes, he will
I know he will
Oh yes, he will
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you hear? Do you hear?
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you hear? Do you know?
(Do you hear what I hear?) What I know? What I hear?
(Do you hear what I hear?) What I hear? Do you know?
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you know? Do you know? Said, do you know?
Whitney Houston's song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a Christmas classic from her album "One Wish: The Holiday Album". The song is about three distinct characters - a little lamb, a shepherd boy and a mighty king who come together to witness the birth of a special child. The little lamb kicks off the song by asking the shepherd if he hears a song ringing out high above the trees. The shepherd boy hears it and in turn, goes to tell the mighty king, who is living comfortably in his palace. The boy tells the king of the child shivering out in the cold and they ask the king to bring him silver and gold. The king then tells his people to "pray for peace, people everywhere" and that the child will bring "goodness and light".
The lyrics of the song are written as a conversation between the three main characters, and the words they speak to each other tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The song is said to be based on a true story of a young boy who during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s, was asked to create a song that would promote peace during a time of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you hear what I hear?
Is there anything you can perceive that I am perceiving right now?
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
The singer is a small, meek creature that is addressing someone with authority over it.
Ringing through the night, shepherd boy
There is a noise being produced and echoing throughout the environment that the person addressed as the shepherd boy can hear.
A song, a song, high above the trees
There is a musical composition being performed at a higher elevation than regular trees.
With a voice as big as the sea
The sound-producing entity is producing a sound as vast and powerful as the sea.
Now, said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
The person previously addressed as the shepherd boy is speaking to someone of higher authority, a dignitary or monarch.
Do you know what I know?
Have you received the same knowledge that I have recently gained?
In your palace warm, mighty king
The person being addressed as mighty king is located within a warm palace, safe from the elements.
Oh, a child, a child, shivers in the cold
There is an infant that is experiencing extreme cold, to the point of shivering.
Let us bring him silver and gold
We should present the child with valuable precious metals in order to provide comfort and resources for them.
Said the king to the people everywhere, yeah
The king is conveying a message to all individuals within earshot.
And listen to what I say
Please pay attention to the message I am conveying.
Pray for peace, people everywhere, oh yeah
Please send your thoughts and prayers for harmony throughout the globe.
Oh, the child, oh, the child, sleeping in the night
The previously mentioned infant is now asleep, providing a peaceful and serene image.
He will bring us goodness and light, yes
The child possesses qualities that will be of great benefit to all individuals, such as warmth and positivity.
I know he will
The artist is confident in the benefits that the previously mentioned child will provide.
Oh yes, he will
The artist is reaffirming their belief in the child's positive attributes.
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you hear? Do you hear?
Is there any chance that you have heard the sound that I am currently hearing?
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you hear? Do you know?
Can you confirm with certainty that you have heard the same sound that I am describing?
(Do you hear what I hear?) What I know? What I hear?
Does the knowledge I have gained from this sound-correlated experience align with the way that you are comprehending the situation?
(Do you hear what I hear?) What I hear? Do you know?
Are you able to also identify the sound that I am currently hearing?
(Do you hear what I hear?) Do you know? Do you know? Said, do you know?
Would you be able to confirm the information that I am about to share with you, similarly to the personal verification I have already requested?
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pete Lord
Hands down the BEST version of this song. Period!! 😉
Sammy
I agree! She was a legend. Merry Christmas!✝️🎄🎁
Karen Ladd
Absolute perfection. Whitney was one of the greatest vocalists ever.
1garysgirl
Everytime I hear this song I miss my mom more and more🙏🏿🙏🏿
Noel BOURNE
What a voice!!!!! Jersey's own!!! Rest in Peace Beautiful Queen ❤️
Wayne Smith
ever time I hear this version from Whitney my eyes filled with tear to see we have lost a very very powerful voice......
Blessed Favored
Whitney, you will never be forgotten. Your voice was a gift from God to all who listens to your singing.
DeLinda D Davis
THE GREATEST VOICE in my lifetime!
shaun walker
It will never be another Whitney. This is truly a gift.
Ray J
My favorite Whitney Christmas rendition.... No other could compete with that voice for this song.....