The Roof
Mariah Carey feat. 2pac Lyrics


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Oh yeah
Oh, oh, yeah, oh, oh, yeah
It wasn't raining yet
But it was definitely
A little misty on
That warm November night
And my heart was pounding
My inner voice resounding
Begging me to turn away
But I just had to see your face
To feel alive
And then you casually walked in the room
And I was twisted in the web
Of my desire for you
My apprehension blew away
I only wanted you
To taste my sadness
As you kissed me in the dark

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

And so we finished the Moet and
Started feeling liberated
And I surrendered as you took me
In your arms
I was so caught up in the moment
I couldn't bear to let you go yet
So I threw caution to the wind
And started listening to my longing heart
And then you softly pressed your lips to mine
And feelings surfaced I'd suppressed
For such a long time
And for a while I forgot
The sorrow and the pain
And melted with you as we stood
There in the rain

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night
Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Last night I dreamed that I
Whispered the words I love you
And touched you so very
Subtly as we were kissing goodbye
Pretty baby, how I'm missing you

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time
To relieve the splendor of you and I

Every time I feel the need
I envision you caressing me
And go back in time




To relieve the splendor of you and I
On the rooftop that rainy night

Overall Meaning

In Mariah Carey’s song “The Roof,” she describes a rainy night in November when she attended a party and met up with a former lover. The intense feelings she experiences upon seeing him are described in detail, with her “inner voice resounding” as she tries to resist the pull of her desire for him. As they spend time together on the rooftop, Mariah experiences pure bliss and forgets about the pain and sorrow she has been feeling. In the dream-like state of their encounter, Mariah envisions a time when they were together and relives the feelings she experienced that night.


The lyrics in “The Roof” are captivating and poignant, as Mariah describes the intense emotions of a night that changed her life. Her description of the weather that night as “a little misty” speaks to the drizzle that was falling but also to the foggy state of her mind as she tries to process her feelings. When she sees her former lover, her apprehension blows away, replaced by pure desire for him. She surrenders to him as he takes her in his arms and she feels liberated, craving more of his touch.


Mariah’s experience on the rooftop on that rainy night is a clear example of the deep and complex emotions that relationships can evoke. The thrill of attraction, the pain of separation, and the longing for a love that was once there all come together in this poetic song that captures the heart.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh yeah
Excitement and anticipation for the memory about to be shared


Oh, oh, yeah, oh, oh, yeah
Reiteration of the excitement felt in the previous line


It wasn't raining yet
The weather had not yet taken a turn, representing the beginning of a new experience


But it was definitely
Despite lack of rain, there was a presence of something in the air


A little misty on
An ambiguous feeling of fascination and intrigue


That warm November night
A specific time frame, adding to the personal and significant nature of the memory


And my heart was pounding
Felt physically overwhelmed with desire and emotion


My inner voice resounding
A strong internal conflict that was hard to ignore


Begging me to turn away
The rational voice telling the artist to stay away from danger


But I just had to see your face
Despite the potential risks, the artist is willing to face them for the sake of seeing the person they desire


To feel alive
Being with this person is so important that it is what makes the singer feel alive


And then you casually walked in the room
Introduces the object of desire walking in, seemingly oblivious to the artist


And I was twisted in the web
The intense desire clouding judgment and making it hard to think rationally


Of my desire for you
The singer is consumed with desire for the other person


My apprehension blew away
The fear of getting caught disappears with the appearance of the other person


I only wanted you
A single-minded focus on the other person


To taste my sadness
The artist wants the other person to share in their somber feelings


As you kissed me in the dark
Romantic and intimate moment shared between the two


Every time I feel the need
Reflecting on how the memory still affects the singer


I envision you caressing me
The artist imagines physical intimacy with the other person


And go back in time
The memory is so vivid that the artist feels as if they are reliving it


To relieve the splendor of you and I
The artist remembers the beauty of being with the other person


On the rooftop that rainy night
The memory is tied to a specific moment and place


And so we finished the Moet and
Transition from the initial encounter to a moment of liberation


Started feeling liberated
Repeating the idea of freedom and joy


And I surrendered as you took me
Allowing oneself to be taken over by emotion


In your arms
Intimacy between the two people grows


I was so caught up in the moment
The artist was unable to think or act rationally due to the intensity of the experience


I couldn't bear to let you go yet
The artist wasn't ready for the experience with the other person to end


So I threw caution to the wind
Embraced the moment wholeheartedly, disregarding any consequences


And started listening to my longing heart
Gave in to deep emotions, setting aside any rational thoughts


And then you softly pressed your lips to mine
Another intimate moment shared between the two people


And feelings surfaced I'd suppressed
Deep emotions that had been hidden are now revealed


For such a long time
This had been a long-awaited experience for the artist


And for a while I forgot
The present experience was so intense that the past was forgotten


The sorrow and the pain
The negative feelings that had been present before were no longer felt


And melted with you as we stood
The connection between the two people grows stronger


There in the rain
The specificity of the weather and moment add to the memory's significance


Last night I dreamed that I
An update on the singer's current state of mind, still thinking about this experience


Whispered the words I love you
The ultimate confession of feelings for the other person


And touched you so very
A physically intimate moment shared between the two people


Subtly as we were kissing goodbye
An ambiguous ending to the experience with the other person


Pretty baby, how I'm missing you
Feelings of longing for the other person




Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Albert Johnson, Jean Claude Olivier, Kejuan Waliek Muchita, Mariah Carey, Mark Rooney, Samuel J. Barnes

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