Among the many velvet-voiced legends of the golden age of romantic ballads, Engelbert Humperdinck holds a special place. Known for his soaring vocals, heartfelt delivery, and timeless love songs, his career has spanned decades with remarkable consistency. While fans are quick to praise classics like Release Me or There Goes My Everything, it is in the quieter corners of his discography that we find some of his most deeply felt performances. One such treasure is How I Love You—a song that, though less commercially celebrated, remains one of the most tender and emotionally resonant tracks in his catalog.
Released in the early 1980s on the album Love’s Only Love, How I Love You marked a period of artistic maturity for Humperdinck. At this point in his career, he was no longer just a heartthrob balladeer of the ’60s and ’70s—he had evolved into a seasoned vocalist, one who had lived through love, loss, and life, and who brought all that experience to his music. The song itself is a perfect canvas for that kind of seasoned expression.
The magic of How I Love You lies in its simplicity. There are no grand flourishes or overpowering orchestral swells. Instead, the arrangement leans into a delicate blend of strings, gentle piano, and soft percussion—a sonic landscape that allows Humperdinck’s voice to take center stage. His vocal performance is masterfully restrained. Each word is delivered with clarity and care, drawing the listener into an intimate emotional space. It’s not a performance that demands attention with volume or drama—it invites you in quietly, and that’s precisely why it stays with you.
The lyrics echo this understated power. Rather than making sweeping declarations, the song speaks in the quiet language of lasting devotion. Lines like “How I love you, I’ll tell the world I do” are not shouted, but spoken from the heart—measured, confident, and true. There’s a sense of emotional maturity in the song’s message, one that values presence over passion, depth over display.
Perhaps what makes How I Love You particularly special is how it reflects a version of Engelbert Humperdinck that many fans cherish most: the man behind the microphone. Not the performer dazzling on stage, but the interpreter of feelings we all struggle to put into words. In this song, Humperdinck becomes a vessel for the listener’s own emotions—sorrow, hope, longing, and most of all, love.
Though it never reached the chart-topping success of some of his earlier work, How I Love You has endured in its own quiet way. It’s a song fans return to not for nostalgia, but for comfort. It’s the kind of track you play alone on a rainy day, or late at night when reflection comes naturally. It reminds us why music doesn’t always need to shout to be heard.
As Engelbert Humperdinck’s legacy continues to grow, How I Love You stands as a reminder of his remarkable ability to communicate the most profound emotions with the lightest touch. It is a ballad for those who understand that love isn’t always dramatic—it’s often quiet, steadfast, and deeply rooted. And it is precisely those kinds of songs that endure longest in our hearts.