Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
This week’s theme is “Did/Didn’t/Do/Don’t/Does/Doesn’t.”
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Calling it show-tune schmaltz and knocking it for it’s big emotional finish, many music critics didn’t care for Didn’t We Almost Have It All, the second single from Whitney Houston’s second album, Whitney, in 1987.
But when has the music-loving public ever listened to a music critic?
The song debuted at number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August and in just six short weeks, it landed at number one, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks and became Whitney’s fifth consecutive number one song.
Didn’t We Almost Have It All is about wishing for a reunion with someone, and making the case for it by recalling past good times. It was widely speculated that the song is about Houston’s relationship with then NFL star Randall Cunningham.
FUN FACTS:
- The single stayed in the Top 40 for 13 weeks, and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks.
- Michael Masser, who worked as a producer on the album, wrote this with Will Jennings, a lyricist from East Texas who around this time was also writing for Steve Winwood, B.B. King, The Crusaders and Randy Crawford.
- Following Houston’s death in 2012, Entertainment Weekly published a list of her 25 best songs and ranked Didn’t We Almost Have it All at 16.
So much for music critics, eh? 😀
The official video for Didn’t We Almost Have It All is a live performance for members of the military in Saratoga Springs, New York. It played in heavy rotation on VH1, MTV, and BET, but is not a favorite of mine. Whitney’s “performance” actually takes away from her singing and doesn’t do the song justice.
I chose a static album cover with a radio version of the song instead.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Didn’t We Almost Have It All?
The night we almost lost it
Once again we can take the night into tomorrow
Living on feelings
Touching you I feel it all again
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn’t we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you’ll never love that way again
Didn’t we almost have it all
We kept our hearts together down the line
A moment in the soul can last forever
Comfort and keep us
Help me bring the feeling back again
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn’t we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you’ll never love that way again
Didn’t we almost have it all
When love was young and new?
Couldn’t we reach inside and find
The world of me and you?
We’ll never lose it again
‘Cause once you know what love is
You never let it end
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
The night we held on till the morning
You know you’ll never love that way again
Didn’t we almost have it all
Nesie's Place 
Although I love “I Want to Dance With Somebody” from this album, “Didn’t We Almost Have it All” is a great slow song too! I love the works from Will Jennings!
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Whitney set the bar to a whole new level with this song. Each sentence is its own musical experience. She was always one of my favorite singers. We didn’t have a radio, only a record player and no car, but when MTV started, it introduced us to such a vast selection of new music and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” was my first introduction to Whitney. I’ve loved her ever since. Great pick, Fle!
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This sounds like it should be a romantic movie theme song. Whitney’s voice is so beautiful. She can really hold those notes.
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Great tone and range. 😊👍
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I don’t know why but she has never been one of my top faves. She does have a powerful voice though and a tragic ending to her life. Nice choice for today.
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Thanks, Janet! 😊
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Ahhh, perfection! So beautifully sung 🙂💕
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Agreed! 👍😊
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She was a powerhouse for sure. I love her voice. Great choice.
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Agreed. Such a wonderful voice. We only get one or two each generation. If it weren’t for oldies, my playlists would be almost empty. Added Adele and Kelly Clarkson over the years but no one recently. Power voices are rare.
Thanks for stopping by! 😊
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Whitney had so much talent, I like every song I heard her sing.
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IKR? Seems like the brightest stars have the most darkness inside.
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Is that Olbers’ paradox?
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Nope, that’s Felicia Denise! 😊😁
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My ex absolutely loved Whitney Houston, which kind of makes it awkward for me now. We went to see her in concert just about the time this song was hot, and it was a high point. I’m not sure we were even married yet–it was either right before or right after. Anyway, I haven’t listened to Whitney Houston in decades now, and that’s why.
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It’s weird how certain songs can bring back times and events in our lives – happens to me too. Many thanks for stopping by! 😊
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What a voice! She sets the lyrics on fire.
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Loved her voice! Whitney owned the 80s! 😊
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Songwriting first:
Will Jennings is an absolute legend – who I did not really appreciate until TITANIC.
And Masser is a serviceable sessions writer – the sort of person you would want to have Whitney be supported by in the 1980s at the rise of her career.
Have a special memory of the death of Houston.
12 February 2012 – I was at my first St Kilda Festival; attending Alliance Francaise Melbourne for an art exhibition and walking through Grey Street and some famous properties. It was a wonderful exhibition of Kimberley art and people.
That afternoon in my pink wrapround shirt and white skirt we got to the car park and the radio was on, Felicia Denise.
Then I may have sat down on the Internet and learnt of Houston’s demise.
Some five years later there was that wonderful documentary which covered so many dimensions.
Houston was one of my very first divas – along with Dion and Carey [by about 7 years – 1987 for Houston and 1994/95 for Carey and Dion]. There were others like Estefan and Abdul and one other one on Vh1.
Then she became awesome again in 2009. In between yours truly acquired a bootleg in March 1995 which came at the time of finishing and disseminating my first professional book – ah, Labour Day/Eight Hours Day!
It is good to have time alone with the lyrics.
Willow: she had lived quite a life. And then I think of Bobbi Christina her beloved daughter she could not so easily protect from Brown. BC had died in the bath some years later.
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Love your list! Carey, Dion, Estefan – all amazing voices! I wasn’t big on Abdul as a singer, but like Janet Jackson, she’s a great performer!
Thanks for stopping by! 😊
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Never been keen on Whitney Houston’s but credit where credit is due a classic song… We can’t all like the same music. That said it is a shame she died so young.💜🌹
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Agreed! Many thanks for stopping by and commenting! 😊
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💜💜💜
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