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)
Step by Step
Whitney Houston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's a river
That I still must cross
As I'm going on my journey
Oh, I might be lost
And there's a road I have to follow
A place I have to go
But when I get there I'll know
'Cause I'm taking it
Step by step
Bit by bit
Stone by stone (yeah)
Brick by brick (oh yeah)
Step by step
Day by day
Mile by mile (ooh, ooh, ooh)
And this old road is rough and ruined
So many dangers along the way
So many burdens might fall upon me
So many troubles that I have to face
Oh, but I won't let my spirit fail me
Oh, I won't let my spirit go
Until I get to my destination
I'm gonna take it slow
Because I'm making it mine
Step by step (you know I'm taking it)
Bit by bit (bit by bit, come move)
Stone by stone (yeah)
Brick by brick (brick by brick by brick by brick, mmm)
Step by step (step by step, I'm gonna)
Day by day (day by day)
Mile by mile (ooh), go your way, go your way
Say it, baby, don't give up
You've got to hold on to what you got
Oh, baby, don't give up
You've got to keep on moving on, don't stop (yeah, yeah)
I know you're hurting (I know you're hurting)
And I know you're blue (I know you're blue)
I know you're hurting (I know you're hurting)
But don't let the bad things get to you
I'm taking it step by step (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Bit by bit (bit by bit, come move)
Stone by stone (stone by stone, yeah)
Brick by brick (brick by brick by brick by brick)
Step by step (I'm gonna take it now)
Day by day (day by day)
Mile by mile (ooh), go your own way, go your own way
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(I'm taking it step by step) Bit by bit
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
Stone by stone (yeah, stone by stone), brick by brick
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
Come on, baby
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
Step by step keep on moving, day by day (day by day-ee)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
Mile by mile by mile by mile, go your own way
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
(Come on, baby, got to keep moving)
The lyrics to Whitney Houston's Step by Step speak of a journey that the singer is embarking on. They are aware that there are obstacles ahead, symbolized by the river and bridge that they must cross, and the road they have to follow. They do not have a clear, set path that they know they need to take, but they are determined to take it step by step, brick by brick, until they reach their destination.
The road ahead is full of danger and burdens that might fall upon them, but the singer is resolved not to let their spirit fail them. They acknowledge the pain and the hurt, but they urge themselves to keep moving forward, to hold on to what they've got, to keep moving on, and not to let the bad things get to them. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, urging the listener to keep moving, one step at a time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's a bridge and there's a river that I still must cross
I have obstacles to overcome and challenges to face on my journey towards my destination.
As I'm going on my journey
I am on a path towards something that I want to achieve.
Oh, I might be lost
I am not entirely sure of what I am doing or where I am going.
And there's a road I have to follow, a place I have to go
I have a specific route or direction that I need to take to reach my destination.
Well no-one told me just how to get there
I have to figure out how to reach my destination on my own, without explicit instructions or guidance.
But when I get there I'll know
Once I reach my destination, I will recognize it as such.
'Cause I'm taking it
I am actively pursuing my goal and making progress towards it.
Step by step, bit by bit,
I am making progress towards my goal by taking small, gradual steps forward.
Stone by stone (yeah), brick by brick (oh, yeah)
I am building towards my goal by slowly and steadily making progress, one piece at a time.
Step by step, day by day, mile by mile (ooh, ooh, ooh)
My progress towards my goal is slow and steady, but I am getting closer with each passing day.
And this old road is rough and ruined
The path towards my goal is difficult and full of obstacles.
So many dangers along the way
There are many risks and potential pitfalls that could prevent me from reaching my goal.
So many burdens might fall upon me
There are many challenges and obstacles that I will have to overcome in order to reach my goal.
Oh, but I won't let my spirit fail me
I am determined and will not let setbacks or failures discourage me from pursuing my goal.
Oh, I won't let my spirit go
I will maintain my motivation and drive to reach my goal, no matter what setbacks I may encounter.
Until I get to my destination
I will continue to pursue my goal until I successfully achieve it.
I'm gonna take it slowly 'cause I'm making it mine
I am making progress at a pace that works for me, and I am taking ownership of my progress towards my goal.
Say it, baby, don't give up
I am encouraging myself to keep going, even when things get tough.
You got to hold on to what you got,
I need to remind myself of what I have and what I am capable of achieving.
Oh, baby, don't give up,
I need to stay the course and not give up, no matter how difficult things may become.
You got to keep on moving on don't stop (yeah yeah).
I need to keep pushing forward and not let setbacks or obstacles prevent me from reaching my goal.
I know you're hurting, and I know you're blue,
I acknowledge the challenges and difficulties that I am facing along the way.
I know you're hurting but don't let the bad things get to you.
I will not let setbacks or challenges get the best of me, and I will continue to pursue my goal despite any difficulties.
(C'mon baby got to keep moving),
I am encouraging myself to stay motivated and keep pushing forward towards my goal.
I'm taking it step by step), bit by bit,
I am making progress towards my goal by taking small, gradual steps forward.
Stone by stone (yeah, stone by stone), brick by brick
I am building towards my goal by slowly and steadily making progress, one piece at a time.
C'mon baby,
I am encouraging myself to continue making progress towards my goal.
Step by step keep on moving, day by day (day by day-ee),
I am making progress towards my goal on a daily basis, no matter how small that progress may be.
Mile by mile by mile by mile,go your own way,
I am making steady progress towards my goal, despite any challenges or obstacles that may arise.
C'mon baby got to keep moving, bit by bit (bit by bit, bit by bit)
I am encouraging myself to keep making progress towards my goal, no matter how small that progress may be.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Annie Lennox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kathiexavier-carvalhal3782
@@victoriawright1519 Good afternoon from France 🇫🇷 Victoria Wright,
So sorry for your brother, despite the distance, I can hear what you're writing here.
You're not alone.
When we are deep in the pain, and write on this space with this song, then Hope and strength are still inside your heart, despite what's happening to you.
Hope you won't let your Spirit fail.
Well, I have a question to ask to you, what does "pdss" mean, please..
Keep staying on the Life side,
Kathie
👉This is for you 👉.. 🤝✨💖🌹🌻
@cryscris
I’m the little girl in the blue jumper and black top (0:56) auntie Whitney was such an amazing person!! Making sure everyone was good. Every time she saw me she asked ‘baby you good?” What you need? When it was time to go she said come give your auntie Whitney some love and give me the best hug ever! I cried like a baby when I heard my auntie Whitney was gone and I still cry today. The world only got a glimpse of who she truly was. Her heart was pure gold. One month my mom couldn’t pay the rent due to issues and auntie Whitney paid it for her for the next 7 months. She will always be my auntie Whitney and I’ll love her forever 💜💜💜
@StefanoMordivoglia
Whitney Houston forever in our hearts. Greetings from Italy.
@TheLimadude
I have a FB group dedicated to Whitney - all of the good things. This is the kind of thing I like to share. Is it okay if I do so?
@monicagolasel1900
You are lucky to come in contact whit Her. After all this years my tears come . Never and never another WHITNEY ll’be.
@jorgereyes7054
Good for you
@kerrymillson5131
Amazing♥️
@GoodGuy-wq4md
I'm 30 days sober today. I listen to this song every morning. It puts a spring in my "steps" 🤗 Love you Whitney. Miss you everyday.
@ElCapitan28
Great work, brother. You're through the worst of it.
@kikib6273
Well done! Keep on Keeping on !🙂
@GoodGuy-wq4md
@@kikib6273 Thank you. I'll have 60 days on the 25th. Ironically, I am listening to Whitney's Greatest Hits, and doing housework, right now. Take care. 🙂