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)
I Was Made to Love Him
Whitney Houston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See I was born in Newark (sure was)
We were always hand in hand
He wore high top shoes and shirt tales
Nip wore her pigtails
I knew I loved him even then
You know some disapproved it
But I told them time and time and time again
You know I was made to love him
Build my world around him and
Hey, hey, hey
He's been my inspiration
Sho' nuff appreciation
For the love I gave him through the years
Like a sweet magnolia tree
My love blossomed tenderly
My love grew sweeter through the years
I know my baby loves me
My baby needs me
That's why we made it through the years
I was made to love him
Worship and adore him, yes say
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, oh Lord
All through thick and thin
Our love just won't end
But I love my baby, love my baby, oh
My baby loves me
My baby needs me
I know I ain't going nowhere
I was just a little thing
The love bug hit me
I had the fever with each passing year
If all should tumble
And the whole world crumble
By his side I'll still be standing, yeah
'Cause I was made to love him
Made meant for him, say
Hey, hey, hey
I was made to love him
Build my world all around him say
Hey, hey, hey
I love my baby
Nip ain't' going nowhere
Say hey, hey, hey
Whitney Houston's song "I Was Made to Love Him" encapsulates the essence of true, undying love. Through the lyrics, she blends her soulful voice with an upbeat tempo to convey the message that the love story between her and her partner has withstood the test of time. The song begins with Whitney narrating that she was born in Newark, before moving on to describe her childhood sweetheart, who she has been with since early on. The lyrics show the pure, innocent love that the two had for each other even as children, and how it continued to thrive as they grew into adulthood.
Despite disapproval from others, Whitney's love continued to blossom, and she describes how it continued to grow sweeter over the years, just like a sweet magnolia tree. The song then goes on to show how the love between the two has stood the test of time, thick and thin. Even in the face of adversity, the love that Whitney has for her man remains true, and she makes it known that she was made to love him.
Overall, "I Was Made to Love Him" is a song about heartfelt, enduring love that Whitney Houston portrays beautifully with her vocal range and emotive performance. The song is a testament to the idea that love knows no bounds and can thrive through any obstacle that may come its way.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, oh, hey hey hey
The singer is expressing cheerful excitement and greeting someone.
See I was born in Newark (sure was)
The singer reveals her birthplace and shows pride in it.
We were always hand in hand
From an early age, the singer and her love interest were always together and close.
He wore high top shoes and shirt tales
The love interest's outfit is described, indicating a simpler and possibly youthful time period.
Nip wore her pigtails
A nickname is introduced for the singer's love interest.
I knew I loved him even then
The singer had feelings of love for her partner from a very young age and they have persisted over time.
You know some disapproved it
The song acknowledges outside disapproval of their relationship.
They even boo-hooed it
The disapproval was vocal and strong enough to elicit tears.
But I told them time and time and time again
The singer has repeatedly defended her love interest despite disapproval.
You know I was made to love him
The singer believes her purpose in life is to love her partner.
Build my world around him and
Hey, hey, hey
The singer's life revolves around her love interest and she continues to express excitement about it.
He's been my inspiration
The love interest is a source of inspiration for the singer.
Sho' nuff appreciation
The singer has deep appreciation for her partner.
For the love I gave him through the years
The singer believes she has given her love interest love and support throughout their relationship.
Like a sweet magnolia tree
The singer compares her love to a beautiful and fragrant tree.
My love blossomed tenderly
The singer's love has grown and developed in a gentle and loving way.
My love grew sweeter through the years
The singer's love has developed more intense and sweet over time.
I know my baby loves me
My baby needs me
The singer is reassured of her partner's love and need for her.
That's why we made it through the years
The strength of their relationship is attributed to their mutual love and need for each other.
Worship and adore him, yes say
The singer reveres her partner and showers affection on him.
All through thick and thin
The couple has been through tough times but has remained together and committed.
Our love just won't end
The singer believes their love is unbreakable.
But I love my baby, love my baby, oh
The singer emphasizes her love for her partner.
I know I ain't going nowhere
The singer is committed to staying with her partner for the long-term.
I was just a little thing
The singer reflects on her youth and how her love for her partner began at a young age.
The love bug hit me
The singer describes her feelings of infatuation as being caused by a 'love bug'.
I had the fever with each passing year
The singer's feelings of love grew stronger with time.
If all should tumble
And the whole world crumble
By his side I'll still be standing, yeah
The singer expresses her loyalty and support for her partner, even in difficult times.
'Cause I was made to love him
Made meant for him, say
Hey, hey, hey
The singer reiterates her belief that loving her partner is her purpose in life and expresses excitement about it.
Build my world all around him say
Hey, hey, hey
The singer continues to emphasize that her life revolves around her partner.
I love my baby
Nip ain't going nowhere
Say hey, hey, hey
The singer affirms her love for her partner and states that she is committed to staying with him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Henry Cosby, Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind