Music
Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” was supposed to be Dion’s version of a beloved Whitney Houston song. Dion’s tune appeared in a romantic movie and related to its storyline.
Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” was supposed to be Dion’s version of a beloved Whitney Houston song. Dion’s tune appeared in a romantic movie and related to its storyline. However, the song’s writer still felt that “Because You Loved Me” was personal for Dion. It’s easy to interpret the song that way.
Celine Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’ was written by a famous songwriter
Diane Warren is a famous songwriter who gave us power ballads like Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and LeAnn Rimes’ “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.” During a 2016 interview with HuffPost, Warren recalled a conversation she had with record executive Polly Anthony. “She was like, ‘Give me an ‘I Will Always Love You’ for Celine,” Warren said. “I go, ‘I just did.’” Considering this conversation happened in the 1990s, Anthony was likely referring to Houston’s megahit “I Will Always Love You” rather than Dolly Parton’s original version.
Warren showed Anthony “Because You Loved Me,” which was set to appear in the forgotten romantic film Up Close & Personal. “I had finished all the recording for my album Falling into You when I heard the song ‘Because You Loved Me’ and saw the movie,” Dion said. “At that point, I knew that it had to be on the album. We had to scramble to make that happen.” Up Close & Personal is a movie about a woman who falls in love with her boss. That’s why “Because You Loved Me” is a track about someone whose lover changes their life.
Warren revealed what she thought of “Because You Loved Me.” “I’m always confident with my songs. That one just felt really [good],” Warren said. “When you write a song and you’re like, ‘This is a whole different level than I’ve been at.’ I remember writing that and thinking that and going, ‘This song is better than me right now.’”
Warren felt that the tune was connected to Dion’s husband. “I thought ‘This is Celine’s song to René,’” Warren said. “I was really thinking that.” For context, René Angélil was both Dion’s husband and her manager. He was an instrumental part of her personal and professional life.
“He believed in her so much,” Warren added. “He mortgaged his house for her — he bet his life. That’s love, you know, that’s belief. That’s what ‘Because You Loved Me’ is about, isn’t it, really?” These days, it’s easy to see “Because You Loved Me” as a personal song Dion sang for her husband when Up Close & Personal was put on the ash heap of history.
‘Because You Loved Me’ took over the world
“Because You Loved Me” was a big hit for Dion. The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks, lasting on the chart for 33 weeks in total. The tune’s parent album, Falling into You, topped the Billboard 200 for three weeks, lasting on the Billboard 200 for 113 weeks in total.
“Because You Loved Me” is a great song that the public loved. It might be better than Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”
