Carey had fallen out with her songwriting partner Ben Margulies following a financial dispute, and her record label suggested that she work with the other producers of her debut album such as Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden. She chose Walter Afanasieff, who had produced her second single "Love Takes Time" (1990), and "Can't Let Go" was one of the songs they created. After the release of the single "Emotions", "Can't Let Go" was promoted on both The Arsenio Hall Show in September 1991 and Saturday Night Live in November 1991.
The single's video, directed by Jim Sonzero, features Carey wearing an evening gown and her hair in a bun. Filmed in black and white, the video starts and closes with shots of a rose open and closed respectively.
A radio edit of the song was promoted to radio and used for the video instead of the original song, and the edit eliminates the lengthy pre-intro and removes all of Carey's high notes at the song's beginning and end. Like Carey's previous U.S. singles, "Can't Let Go" won a BMI Pop Award in 1993.
Can't Let Go
Mariah Carey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am lost
Dying to understand
Didn't I cherish you right
Don't you know you were my life
Even though I try I can't let go
Something in your eyes
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
Just cast aside
You don't even know I'm alive
You just walk on by
Don't care to see me cry
And here I am
Still holding on
I can't accept
My world is gone, no no
Even though I try I can't let go
Something in your eyes
Captured my soul
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
Do you even realize the sorrow I have inside
Everyday of my life
Do you know the way it feels
When all you have just dies
I try and try to deny that I need you
But still you remain on my mind
No I just can't get you out of my mind
I never can say goodbye
'Cause every night
I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let you go
Even though I try
I can't let go
Something in your eyes
Captured my soul
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
Mariah Carey's song "Can't Let Go" is a heartbreaking ballad about an unrequited love. The lyrics express the pain and sadness of someone who can't move on from a past love. The opening line, "There you are holding her hand, I am lost" immediately sets the mournful tone of the song. The singer is watching her former lover with someone else and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that she has been replaced.
The next line "Dying to understand" shows that she is grappling with the reasons why her love ended. She then questions herself "Didn't I cherish you right, Don't you know you were my life" which suggests that she is haunted by the possibility that she could have done something differently to prevent the relationship from ending.
Throughout the song, there is an intense feeling of longing and desperation as the singer tries to forget her former lover. However, she is unable to let go and is haunted by memories of him. The line "Something in your eyes captured my soul" shows that even though the relationship is over, the emotional connection is still strong.
Line by Line Meaning
There you are holding her hand
The singer sees her former lover with another woman.
I am lost
The singer feels hopeless and confused.
Dying to understand
The singer desperately wants to know why their relationship ended.
Didn't I cherish you right
The singer wonders if they did everything they could to make the relationship work.
Don't you know you were my life
The singer expresses how important their former lover was to them.
Even though I try I can't let go
The singer is struggling to move on from their former lover.
Something in your eyes
The singer is still drawn to their former lover's gaze.
Captured my soul
The singer feels emotionally enslaved by their former lover's presence.
And every night I see you in my dreams
The singer vividly dreams about their former lover every night.
You're all I know
The singer's thoughts constantly revolve around their former lover.
Just cast aside
The singer feels abandoned and neglected by their former lover.
You don't even know I'm alive
The singer believes that their former lover has completely forgotten about them.
You just walk on by
The singer is hurt that their former lover is able to move on without them.
Don't care to see me cry
The singer feels like their former lover is indifferent to their suffering.
And here I am
The singer is still stuck in a place of emotional pain and longing.
Still holding on
The singer is unable to let go of their former lover.
I can't accept
The singer is struggling to come to terms with the end of their relationship.
My world is gone, no no
The singer's life feels empty and meaningless without their former lover.
Do you even realize the sorrow I have inside
The singer wonders if their former lover understands how much pain they are in.
Everyday of my life
The singer is constantly haunted by their memories of their former lover.
Do you know the way it feels
The singer questions if their former lover can empathize with their heartbreak.
When all you have just dies
The singer is devastated that the relationship they cherished has ended.
I try and try to deny that I need you
The singer wants to move on from their former lover, but can't deny their feelings.
But still you remain on my mind
The singer can't stop thinking about their former lover and their memories together.
No I just can't get you out of my mind
The singer is stuck in a cycle of constant reminiscing about their former lover.
I never can say goodbye
The singer cannot bring themselves to definitively end their attachment to their former lover.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brianhines1452
1990 - Mariah Carey
1991 - Emotions
1993 - Music Box
1994 - Merry Christmas
1995 - Daydream
1997 - Butterfly
1999 - Rainbow
2001 - Glitter
2002 - Charm bracelet
2005 - The Emancipation Of Mimi
2008 - E=mc2
2009 - Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel
2010 - Merry Christmas 2 You
2014 - Me I Am... Mariah The Elusive Chanteuse
2018 - Caution
Mariah Carey has one of the most well rounded studio Album discography in music history!!
@ThorstenHeil
1992 - MTV Unplugged
1998 - #1's
2001 - Greatest Hits
2003 - The Remixes
2008 - The Ballads
2010 - Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey
2011 - The Essential Mariah Carey
2015 - #1 To Infinity
2017 - All I Want For Christmas Is You
2018 - Japan Best
2020 - The Rarities
2020 - Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
YES! She has!!!!!!
@h7opolo
Lyrics:
There you are holding her hand
I am lost
Dying to understand
Didn't I cherish you right
Don't you know you were my life
Even though I try I can't let go
Something in your eyes
Captured my soul
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
Just cast aside
You don't even know I'm alive
You just walk on by
Don't care to see me cry
And here I am
Still holding on
I can't accept
My world is gone, no no
Even though I try I can't let go
Something in your eyes
Captured my soul
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
Do you even realize the sorrow I have inside
Everyday of my life
Do you know the way it feels
When all you have just dies
I try and try to deny that I need you
But still you remain on my mind
No I just can't get you out of my mind
I never can say goodbye
'Cause every night
I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let you go
Even though I try
I can't let go
Something in your eyes
Captured my soul
And every night I see you in my dreams
You're all I know
I can't let go
@dominikwawer8186
When you're down and lonely,
Feeling like pariah,
Listen to her music,
The name is Mariah.
With the voice so soothing,
Your spirit is moving
Towards goddess Gaia,
As wind whispers Mariah.
When you listen to her,
It just gets you higher,
But intoxication
never does expire.
Pray to goddess Gaia,
Thank her for Mariah.
@pdgf
Everything is perfect in this video:
The song
The melody
The lyrics
The visuals
The flowers!!
The hair! French do?!
That face!!!
The jewelry!
The emoting and acting!
That dress!!!
Listening March 10, 2020!!!
Lamb For Life!
@walusimbirichard5993
Don't ask who's listening today. We wont stop forever
@eradreece1332
She was so versatile, she could hit the low tones, the high notes, the scream, the whisper vocal, kill you with the runs, or sing smooth like velvet.
There will never be another like her.
@s3lenaa_
was? shes still alive
@tjroelsma
@@s3lenaa_ Was, because she simply can't do it anymore. Mariah Carey now is just about average.
@Katie-bt2nt
Why are you talking in past tense? She ia still here, and still can do those things!!
@brianhines1452
1990 - Mariah Carey
1991 - Emotions
1993 - Music Box
1994 - Merry Christmas
1995 - Daydream
1997 - Butterfly
1999 - Rainbow
2001 - Glitter
2002 - Charm bracelet
2005 - The Emancipation Of Mimi
2008 - E=mc2
2009 - Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel
2010 - Merry Christmas 2 You
2014 - Me I Am... Mariah The Elusive Chanteuse
2018 - Caution
Mariah Carey has one of the most well rounded studio Album discography in music history!!
@ThorstenHeil
1992 - MTV Unplugged
1998 - #1's
2001 - Greatest Hits
2003 - The Remixes
2008 - The Ballads
2010 - Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey
2011 - The Essential Mariah Carey
2015 - #1 To Infinity
2017 - All I Want For Christmas Is You
2018 - Japan Best
2020 - The Rarities
2020 - Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
YES! She has!!!!!!
@Bzirker2
Amen to that 🙏🏿
@yosemite963
@Jether Jr. they didnt forget that song. triumphant isnt an album. they were counting the albums
@yosemite963
@Jether Jr. its not a studio album, i think its like a compilation but it has great re recordings