I Have Nothing

"I Have Nothing"
Song

"I Have Nothing" is a song by American diva Whitney Houston and is the third single released from the The Bodyguard soundtrack album.

Written by David Foster and Linda Thompson in 1989, the song is a richly orchestrated power ballad about deep love and commitment to one's lover, through lines such as "I don't want to go where you don't follow" and "Stay in my arms if you dare/ or must I imagine you there/ Don't walk away from me/ I have nothing, nothing, if I don't have you".

The song has been a popular choice on the reality television series American Idol. However, it is not to be confused with "I Who Have Nothing" made popular by singers Ben E. King and Shirley Bassey. Contestants LaKisha Jones, Trenyce, Jennifer Hudson, Leah LaBelle, Vonzell Solomon, and Katharine McPhee have all performed the song on American Idol. Charice Pempengco an internet singing sensation from the Philippines had been discovered through YouTube performed this song at The Oprah Winfrey Show which she received standing ovation from the audience and amazed Oprah Winfrey as well. As such, it is one of the most performed songs on Idol, tied for first alongside Phil Collins' "Against All Odds".

Charts

After the back to back successes of "I Will Always Love You" and "I'm Every Woman," The Bodyguard soundtrack album had become a seminal success and Houston was at a commercial peak; "I Have Nothing" became yet another hit—peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at a #7 on the Hot 100 Single Sales and stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay for 6 weeks. The single was certified Gold.

On other charts, the song became a standard hit with a #1 peak (for 2 weeks) on the Adult Contemporary chart and a #4 peak on the R&B Chart, matching the R&B chart success of "I'm Every Woman". Internationally, the song was not as well received as its two predecessors, peaking at a high #3 in the UK, #28 in Australia, #39 in Germany, and #39 in Switzerland. Also, in the weeks on the Billboard chart ending March 13 and March 20, Houston had 3 songs in the Top 11 of the chart: "I Will Always Love You", "I'm Every Woman", and "I Have Nothing"

Awards

The song was nominated for a 1994 Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B Single - Female, but did not win.

The song was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but did not win.

Track listing

1. "I Have Nothing"
2. "All the Man That I Need"
3. "Where You Are"
4. "Lover for Life"

Music video

The music video (directed by Steve A. Barron), similar to "I Will Always Love You", shows Houston performing the song to an audience in a dining room hall. The video is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard.

Comprehensive charts

• Debuted at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100
• Was ranked #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts (1993)
• Remained in the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 weeks
• Was Houston's 9th #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
• Was Houston's 10th #1 single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary

US

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Billboard Hot 100	4
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	4
Billboard Adult Contemporary	1
UK Singles Chart	3
ARIA Singles Chart	28
Dutch Singles Chart	23
German Singles Chart	39
Sweden Top 60 Singles	39
France Singles Chart	50

Renditions

• Christina Aguilera performed her own rendition of the song while appearing on the Mickey Mouse club
• Jessica Simpson recorded a version of the song as a demo, it is so far only available on YouTube for people to hear it.