It is the most commercially successful single of both Carey’s and Boys II Men’s careers. It was also a hit internationally, reaching the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. Additionally, the song received critical acclaim, with critics lauding its writing and craft, as well as the sentiment behind the lyrics.
“One Sweet Day” spent 16 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a record that has been matched by only one other song, Despacito, which also stayed at the top for the same amount of time. “Old Town Road” officially broke the record on July 29, 2019, marking its 17th week on the Hot 100 as number one.
Mariah Carey talked about the songwriting experience in an interview with Chris Nickson, author of the book “Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story” in 1998.
"I wrote the initial idea for ‘One Sweet Day’ with Walter (Afanasieff), and I had the chorus…and I stopped and said, ‘I really wanna do this with Boyz II Men,’ because…obviously I’m a big fan of theirs and I just thought that the work was crying out for them, the vocals that they do, so I put it away and said, ‘Who knows if this could ever happen, but I just don’t wanna finish this song because I want it to be our song if we ever do it together. [The] whole idea of when you lose people that are close to you, it changes your life and changes your perspective. When they came into the studio, I played them the idea for the song and when [it] was finished, they looked at each other, a bit stunned, and told me that Nat (Nathan Morris) had written a song for his road manager who had passed away. It had basically the same lyrics and fitted over the same chord changes. It was really, really weird, we finished the song right then and there. We were all kinda flipped about it ourselves. Fate had a lot to do with that. I know some people won’t believe it, but we wouldn’t make up such a crazy story."
One Sweet Day
Mariah Carey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I wanted to say
Now it's too late to hold you
'Cause you've flown away
So far away
Never had I imagined
Living without your smile
It keeps me alive
Alive
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
Darling I never showed you
Assumed you'd always be there
I, I took your presence for granted
But I always cared
And I miss the love we shared
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
Although the sun will never shine the same
I'll always look to a brighter day
Yeah, Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep
You will always listen as I pray
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
Sorry I never told you
All I wanted to say
The lyrics to Mariah Carey's song One Sweet Day are an emotional tribute to a loved one who has passed away. The song expresses a deep regret for not saying everything that needed to be said and taking the presence of the other person for granted. The singer harbors a hope that someday, they will be reunited again in heaven. The lyrics touch on the universal themes of loss, grief, and remembrance, and the melody creates a haunting, melancholic mood. The line "Although the sun will never shine the same, I'll always look to a brighter day" encapsulates the message of the song - that despite the pain of losing a loved one, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Sorry I never told you
I regret that I never expressed the feelings I had for you.
All I wanted to say
There were things that I wanted to tell you but never got the chance to.
Now it's too late to hold you
I can no longer physically embrace you because you are no longer with us.
'Cause you've flown away
You have passed away and left this world.
So far away
You are in a place that is too distant for me to reach.
Never had I imagined
I never thought that I would have to live without seeing your smile again.
Living without your smile
Not being able to witness your joy and happiness every day is a difficult existence.
Feeling and knowing you hear me
Despite being apart, I believe that you are still aware of my thoughts and feelings.
It keeps me alive
The idea of you listening to my voice is what keeps me going every day.
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
I feel like you are watching over me and protecting me from above.
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
Just like many other people who have passed before us, you are still remembered.
And I know eventually we'll be together
I truly believe that we will reunite someday in the future.
Darling I never showed you
I never openly expressed my true feelings for you, my love.
Assumed you'd always be there
I took your presence in my life for granted and thought that you would never leave.
I, I took your presence for granted
I didn't appreciate you as much as I should have while you were here with us.
But I always cared
Despite not showing it as much, I always deeply loved you and valued your presence.
And I miss the love we shared
I long for the affection and joy that we once shared together.
Although the sun will never shine the same
Life will never be the same without you and things will never feel quite as bright.
I'll always look to a brighter day
While it will take time, I will keep seeking positivity and holding onto hope.
Yeah, Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep
I find comfort in believing that when I go to bed at night, you are watching over me.
You will always listen as I pray
I have faith that you are still present to listen to my thoughts and prayers.
And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
I continue to feel your love and warmth, even from afar.
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
Just like all the other people who have passed before us, you leave a lasting impact on my life.
And I know eventually we'll be together
I hold onto the belief that one day we will reunite, my love.
One sweet day
The day when we will finally be reunited will be a beautifully sweet moment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey, Shawn Stockman, Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SP_Paca44
Who's listening in 2024?
@GloriaPatrick-vs7oq
Forever listening ❤
@khayy_cee
Literally came to listen to this song coz I lost my best friend in November of last year.
@carlloud1187
Listening with memories of my dear friend Cheryl😭
@samclarke3692
Meeeee🎉
@mikel5226
Always
@ramonestevez7588
My dad just passed away today at 6am😢 needed to hear this. My message is this. Call your folks if u haven’t lately. God bless to all
@PraveenSriram
Gives me the chills reading 📖 your comment since my dad and mom aren’t in the best of health and my dad has lung cancer at age 71. I’m not sure how much longer they have on this planet 🌍. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Also I’m very sorry to hear about your loss and praying for you
@BCoriginal1
I'm so very sorry for your loss.
@JetoIsufaj
😢your olyp8ol