☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the singer's internal struggle with her deep love and the uncertainty of whether it is reciprocated
- The singer is in love with someone she knows and loses control, as evident in the lines 'There's a boy I know. He's the one I dream of' and 'Oh I lose control. Can't seem to get enough.'
- The central question 'How will I know if he really loves me?' showcases the singer's central insecurity about whether her feelings are reciprocated
- The line 'I try to phone. But I'm too shy - can't speak.' shows her nervousness and fear of expressing her feelings
- In the continuous repetition of 'How will I know?' she expresses her constant insecurity and despite her strong feelings and constant falling in love, the answer to this question remains open
Interpretation
The song 'How Will I Know' by
Whitney Houston is about the uncertainties and questions one has when deeply in love. The song is an internal reflection of the singer about her love for a man and her uncertainty about whether the feelings are reciprocated.
The lines 'There's a boy I know. He's the one I dream of.' show that she is in love with someone she knows. She loses control and can't get enough of him, as expressed in the lines 'Oh I lose control. Can't seem to get enough.'
The central question of the song 'How will I know if he really loves me?' shows the singer's central insecurity about whether her feelings are reciprocated by this person. She prays with every heartbeat and falls in love every time they meet, illustrating the intensity of her feelings.
The lines 'I try to phone. But I'm too shy - can't speak.' show her nervousness and fear of expressing her feelings. She wonders if her intense love is real or if she just feels weak.
In the repetition of the question 'How will I know?' she expresses her ongoing uncertainty. She prays and falls in love over and over again, but is still unsure if her love is reciprocated.