Greatest Love Of All is one of the most inspirational songs ever written enhanced by the flawless performance of one of the greatest voices in music, Whitney Houston. While there is little doubt Houston’s voice is a key factor behind the strong delivery of the song, it is the lyrics that makes the song tremendously inspiring and empowering.
The 80s were a decade of great unforgettable ballads, however, I tend to think that Greatest Love Of All is overlooked as one of that decade’s greatest ballads for 2 reasons. Firstly, it is not your typical love song where a girl sings about a guy or a guy sings about a girl. It is a love song, but the love it focuses on is love for oneself rather than a significant other. Secondly, it was one of seven consecutive number one hits for Whitney Houston and as a result, it was overshadowed by her other hits, most notably I Have Nothing and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
The main reason why I simply admire this song because it reflects my own life and the path I have chosen to take. About 18 months ago, I was going through a period of disorientation and doubt where I felt that my life had little or no sense of direction. Most importantly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life.
Fast forward a couple of months later and I had a new lease of life and empowered to make the most incredible life possible. It was also during this period that I realized that if I didn’t love myself first, then how could I expect anyone else to love me. When I started to love myself more and started to follow my own path in life, my life completely changed. I have been able to meet some amazing people and embark on wonderful projects such as this music blog.
Beautiful Lyrics
I heard this song for the first time in months yesterday, and much like Bette Midler’s song The Rose, I felt an instant connection to its message because it seemed to be about my life in the last 18 months. I hope to dissect the lyrics of this song so that you can see the true beauty of this song.
“Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be”
Unfortunately, as we grow up and become adults, we are told to “stop dreaming” and to get serious about life. As a result, we start to believe that it’s okay to give up on our dreams and as a consequence we end up unsatisfied. As children, we knew no barriers and no limits and we believed that anything was impossible. It’s a tragedy that this is destroyed as we grow up. Kids should be constantly encourage to keep dreaming and to never stop dreaming, because it is the dreamers that make things happen. This is what Greatest Love Of All is explaining here.
“And so I learned to depend on me”
The message here is that we are ultimately in charge of our own destiny. No one can determine that for us. We cannot depend on others to take us on a certain path. We must choose the path for ourselves. Quite often, people blame others for their situation when by taking responsibility for what’s happening, you can start looking for opportunities and solutions rather exaggerating the problem.
“I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows, if I fail, if I succeed, at least I’ll live as I believe”
This line is an accurate reflection of why I chose to follow a different path 18 months ago. There is no more fulfilling way to live than by living according to your beliefs. I think it is one of the keys to true and eternal happiness. Whitney Houston puts a lot of emphasis on the second part of the line, making it even more powerful.
“Learning to love yourself, it is the Greatest Love Of All”
By far, the truest line in the whole song. This is the central message of the song and it is the most empowering message you can have. My life changed when I started to love myself. Loving yourself creates a powerful virtuous cycle. When you love yourself, you start taking care of yourself more, you smile and carry a contagious aura. Other people feel your positive energy and get attracted to you and started sharing their love too. This leads to greater love and pleasure in your life which in turn makes you love yourself more. The cycle continues from there.
You can look up the entire lyrics from the song on the web.
Incredible Voice
Apart from I Will Always Love You, I think that Whitney Houston delivers her most powerful and memorable vocal performance in this song. When she was having her greatest success in the latter part of the 80s and the early 90s, there was no one who could compare to her voice. Along with Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, she is recognized as one of the most talented singers ever. It was a shame that her career took a turn for the worst in the mid-90s, however it seems that she is currently on the comeback trail.
Whatever happens to her career, Greatest Love Of All will remain one of her greatest songs and one of the most inspirational songs to listen to.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }