A few years back, when I saw a Diane Warren interview on that old CNN music show, CNN Beat, I was like, really? She wrote all those beautiful songs? Not to mention that I was in love with songs such as Toni Braxton's Un-Break My Heart, Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing (from Armageddon), Trisha Yearwood's How Do I Live (from Con Air), and Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me (from Up Close and Personal). It didn't help any when I learned most of the songs from the motion picture Coyote Ugly, sung by LeAnn Rimes, were also written by Ms Warren--Can't Fight the Moonlight, Please Remember, The Right Kind of Wrong, and But I Do Love You. I just love the movie and the soundtrack.
Even up to now, I still marvel at the way she put words together. I've always thought that the greatest love or the worst tragedy are the only inspirations for an artist. But with all of her songs, I simply doubt that. Because how can one be so brokenhearted as to write Exposè's I'll Say Goodbye For The Two Of Us (from Free Willy), fall in love and pen Another Level's From the Heart (from Notting Hill). Another broken heart, another hit--Eric Clapton's Blue Eyes Blue (from Runaway Bride). A grand passion--Faith Hill's There You'll Be (from Pearl Harbor).
No heart could stand that kind of battering. And Diane Warren has been in the songwriting business for a while now. She did Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (from Mannequin), Bad English's When I See You Smile, the multi-covered track I'll Never Get Over You originally by Exposè, and Shanice Wilson's Saving Forever For You (from Beverly Hills 90210).
From the duets Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias) and Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me (Faith Hill and Tim McGraw); to collaborations like Music of My Heart (N'Sync with Gloria Estefan); to radio staples such as Monica's For You I Will (from Space Jam) and Leigh Nash's Need To Be Next To You (from Bounce); even to a theme song from Atlanta 1996, Gloria Estefan's Reach. She probably didn't intend to but Diane Warren successfully wrote songs that are permanently part of the soundtracks of our lives.
As she said in that interview, she wasn't any good at singing so she turned her hand at writing songs. And, boy, am I thankful for that! Whether I hum to a sad song (like No Mercy's When I Die) or to a ballad that makes me smile (like Edwin McCain's I Could Not Ask For More, which is also a part of the Message in a Bottle soundtrack), whatever inspires her, I thank God for a Diane Warren that put words into songs and emotions into music.
(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)
3 Comments:
Wow. I knew Diane Warren wrote many many songs, but I had no idea she wrote many of the ones I like so much!
Damn, the lady is good!!
Ditto! I don't get surprised anymore whenever I learn that she wrote this song or that...
Ooh, I love all of those songs you mentioned...I did know that Diane Warren wrote those songs though, so haha! LOL.
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