All By Myself

The harmony blends Romantic-era classical writing with 90s pop balladry. The Rachmaninoff-derived descending chromatic bass in the verse gives the song an unusually sophisticated harmonic foundation for a pop hit, while the diatonic chorus provides accessible emotional payoff. David Foster's arrangement amplifies the contrast between these sections, building from sparse piano to full orchestra. The climactic key modulation upward in the final chorus is a masterclass in pop arrangement — it arrives precisely when the listener expects resolution, instead lifting the emotional stakes for Dion's legendary high notes.

The song was originally written by Eric Carmen in 1975. He adapted the verse melody from the second movement (Adagio sostenuto) of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Carmen first composed the solo section over two months, working in four-bar segments, before building the full composition around the Rachmaninoff melody. The chorus drew from Carmen's earlier Raspberries song 'Let's Pretend' (1972). Rachmaninoff's work was in the public domain in the United States, but the estate later secured 12 percent of the royalties when the material was found to still be under copyright elsewhere.

Originally written by Eric Carmen with melodies adapted from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, Celine Dion's 1996 rendition on 'Falling Into You' elevated the song into an orchestral emotional epic. Produced and arranged by David Foster, the track builds from intimate piano to a sweeping climax featuring one of the most celebrated vocal performances in pop history.