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My Heart Will Go On is a song recorded by Celine Dion as the theme for the film Titanic.
It was composed by James Horner, with lyrics by Will Jennings. It was produced by Horner, Walter Afanasieff and Simon Franglen. My Heart Will Go On was released as a single internationally by Columbia and Epic on November 24, 1997, and was included on Dion's fifth English-language album, Let's Talk About Love (1997), released ten days before, and the Titanic soundtrack.
Horner composed the basis of My Heart Will Go On as a motif used in the film soundtrack, and suggested developing it into a song. The Titanic director, James Cameron, resisted, as he felt a pop song would be inappropriate for the film, but agreed to use it after hearing the demo. The final version was arranged by Afanasieff.
My Heart Will Go On is considered Dion's signature song. The song topped the charts in more than twenty-five countries. With worldwide sales estimated at over 18 million copies, it is the second-best-selling single by a woman in music history, and one of the best-selling singles of all time. It was also the world's best-selling single of 1998.
It was included in the list of Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. The music video was directed by Bille Woodruff and released at the end of 1997. Dion performed the song to honour the 20th anniversary of the film at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards.
Before the release of the film Titanic, studio executives were worried that it would be a commercial failure. Sony had paid $800,000 for the rights to the soundtrack album and were hoping it would include a theme song. However, the director, James Cameron, did not want to end Titanic with a pop song, feeling it would be inappropriate.
James Horner initially composed the music for My Heart Will Go On as an instrumental motif for the film soundtrack. Wanting to prepare a vocal version to use during the end credits, he enlisted the lyricist Will Jennings, who wrote the lyrics from the point of view of a person of a great age looking back so many years.
More information: American Songwriter
Originally intended for the Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø, the song was given to Céline Dion instead. Simon Franglen, who was working with Horner on electronic textures and synthesizers for the film score, suggested Dion, with whom he had worked on many of her hits. Dion initially did not want to record it, as she had already recorded the film songs Beauty and the Beast and Because You Loved Me. However, her husband and producer, René Angélil, convinced her to record a demo.
Horner waited until Cameron was in an appropriate mood before presenting him with the demo. After listening several times, Cameron approved it, but worried that he might be criticized for "going commercial at the end of the movie". Cameron also wanted to appease the anxious studio executives and saw that a hit song from his movie could only be a positive factor in guaranteeing its completion.
The producer Walter Afanasieff was not impressed with the demo, finding it meandering and dreary, but agreed to arrange and produce the studio version. He replaced every part of Horner's demo, and was upset that Horner was given a co-producer credit.
The song is written in the key of E major. The verses follow the chord progression of E-Bsus4-Aadd9-E-B. The chorus has the chord progression of C♯m-B-A-B. The song modulates to A-flat major. It contains heavy emphasis on the instrumental arranging. Usage of Tin Whistle is prominent, backed by melodic use of strings and rhythm guitars. The song features both acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Dion's vocal performance is described as emotional and demanding by Pandora Radio.
The Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø was scheduled to record the song for the film in 1997, but Dion's vocals were preferred due to Horner's decision to support Dion's career.
In a December 2014 interview, Horner quotes: When I had completed the Titanic film, I had to decide for Céline Dion or Sissel's vocals. Sissel I am very close, while Céline I had known since she was 18, and I had already written three film songs for her. But that was before Céline was known and filmmakers and marketing people had not done what they should have done for Céline and her songs. So I felt I owed her a Titanic chance, but I could still have used Sissel there.
Instead, Kyrkjebø completed much of the score for the soundtrack album, Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture. Dion accepted to sing a demo for the film, despite being initially hesitant to record as she had already done three film songs earlier. Years later, Horner chose Kyrkjebø to perform My Heart Will Go On on both world premieres of Titanic 3D (2012) and Titanic Live (2015).
More information: The Crimson
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart and
My heart will go on and on
Sissel Kyrkjebø / Céline Dion
