40 Reasons Why Mariah Carey Is One Of The Best Songwriters

Most people know Mariah for her incomparable voice, but what they don't know is that she wrote/co-wrote almost all of her songs. Let's take a look at some examples of Mariah's songwriting.

1. I Don't Wanna Cry

Too far apart to bridge the distance
But something keeps us hanging on and on
Pretending not to know the difference
Denying what we had is gone

Mariah beautifully captures the essence of being stuck in a relationship where that special feeling doesn't seem to be present anymore.

2. Alone in Love

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You haunt me in my dreams
I'm calling out your name
I watch you fade away
Your love is not the same

I figured out your style
To quickly drift apart
You held me for a while
Planned it from the start
All alone in love

Capturing the feeling of being played by someone you fell in love with, while they're nothing but a player.

3. Love Takes Time

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Losing my mind
From this hollow in my heart
Suddenly I'm so incomplete
Lord I'm needing you now
Tell me how to stop the rain
Tears are falling down endlessly

We all know the feeling of loving someone, but not being loved in return.

Mariah words it perfectly and passionately in "Love Takes Time".

4. So Blessed

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Adrift in the moment
So sacred and pure
Alive for you only
I am yours
As you touch me so sweetly
And you whisper my name
I feel how you love me
We are the same

Oh, the beauty of being in love and the unique feeling it offers...

One of my favourites.

5. Dreamlover

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I don't want another pretender
To disillusion me one more time
Whispering words of forever
Playing with my mind

I need someone to hold on to
The kind of love that won't fly away
I just want someone to belong to
Everyday
Of my life
Always
So come and take me away

Everybody, at one point in their lives, wishes for their very own "Dreamlover".

6. Underneath The Stars

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Weak in the knees
Wrapped in the warm gentle breeze
So shy
A bundle of butterflies
Flushed with the heat of desire
On a natural high

As we drifted to another place in time
And the feeling was so heady and sublime
As I lost my heart to you there in the dark
Underneath the stars
Young love

Oh, the beauty of young love.

Yet another favourite.

7. Melt Away

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You come to me with a casual flow
And suddenly my defenses start to go
When you talk to me in that sensual tone
It envelopes me and I lose my self control

And baby I just melt away
Fall like rain
Everytime I see your face I go off
I just wanna break it down
Anytime you come around
And baby I could melt away in your arms

Did someone ask how it feels when you are head over heels with someone?

Because Mariah wrote about it in this sensual and beautiful song.

Yet another favourite.

8. Honey

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I can't be elusive with you honey
'Cause it's blatant that I'm feeling you
And it's too hard for me to leave abruptly
'Cause you're the only thing I wanna do

You know when you're finally in a relationship with your crush and wanna be with them all the time?

Yup, Mariah wrote about it.

9. Butterfly

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I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you're
Ready to land

Sometimes, even though you love someone, you have to set them free...

10. The Roof

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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 long time
(And I was lifted)
And for a while I forgot
The sorrow and the pain
And melted with you as we stood
There in the rain

The entire song is absolutely amazing! One of Mariah's best song in terms of lyrics.

The story is one we all know too well; reminiscing of a past lover.

One of my favourites.

11. Fourth of July

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So starry eyed
On the flowery hillside
Breathless and fervid
Amid the dandelions
As it swept over me
Like the wind through the trees
I felt you sigh with a
Sweet intensity and baby

Then you put your hand in mine
And we floated away
Delicately lay entwined
In an intimate daze
A crescent moon began to shine
And I wanted to stay
Tangled up with you among the fireflies
On that Fourth of July

The lyrics feel like a continuation to "Underneath The Stars" in terms of content.

Beautifully written!

Just close your eyes and let the lyrics carry you.

12. Breakdown

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You called yesterday to basically say
That you care for me but that you're just not in love
Immediately I pretended to be feeling similarly
And led you to believe I was O.K.
To just walk away from the one thing
That's unyielding and sacred to me

We all know the feeling of being rejected in love, and Mariah captures that feeling in "Breakdown".

13. Babydoll

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Zoning out thinking about
You and me between the sheets
I want to get intimate
But you're not within my reach
So I'll have a little more wine
And I'll try to drink you
Out of my head
And I'll lay awake awhile
'Til I'm high enough I can
Forget all about you until
I wake up again

"Babydoll" perfectly captures that feeling of wanting to be with your crush.

The entire "Butterfly" album is pure magic! Her best lyrical album.

14. Outside

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It's hard to explain
Inherently it's just always been strange
Neither here nor there
Always somewhat out of place everywhere
Ambiguous
Without a sense of belonging to touch
Somewhere halfway
Feeling there's no one completely the same

This song is an emotional journey and describes the feeling of not finding your place, of feeling like an outsider.

15. Heartbreaker

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It's a shame to be
So euphoric and weak
When you smile at me
And you tell me things
That you know persuade me
To relinquish my love to you
But I cannot resist
At all

Got cheated on? "Heartbreaker" is (one of) your song then!

16. Bliss

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Isn't it bliss
To you right now
Don't be subdued
Say it out loud
Ain't it a sweet
Luscious delight
When you're immersed in my
Ocean of love

Coming on strong
Baby I've been waiting so long
Revel inside of paradise

Ooh my love goes
On and on and on and on and on

You know when you're in the...mood? Mariah's got you covered!

17. Petals

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I've often wondered if there's
Ever been a perfect family
I've always longed for undividedness
And sought stability

A flower taught me how to pray
But as I grew, that flower changed
She started failing in the wind
Like golden petals scattering

In this song, Mariah talks about her life...

Powerful!

18. Reflections (Care Enough)

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A displaced little girl
Wept years in silence
And whispered wishes you'd materialize
She pressed on night and day
To keep on living
And tried to many ways
To keep her soul alive

A beautiful ballad for her movie's OST, "Glitter".

19. Twister

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She was kind of magical
Her laughter sent you casually
Floating through a moment
Of release

Dear God, it's all so tragic
And I'll never have the chance
To feel the closure
That I untimately need
No, I never dreamed
That there would come a time
Twister'd go and leave it all behind

Yet another song from "Glitter".

20. I Only Wanted

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Doesn't it ever stay
Must it always fade away
Couldn't love ever be
Something tangible and real
Farewell, fairweather friend
Abandonment returns to taunt me again

I only wanted you to stay
Linger and mean the words you said
Foolishly I romanticized
Someone was saving my life
For the first time
I only wanted you to be there when I
Opened up my eyes

That feeling when you've lost your loved one...

21. Sunflowers for Alfred Roy

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Thank you for the mountains
The lake of the clouds
I'm picturing you and me there right now
As the crystal cascades showered down

Strange to feel that proud, strong man
Grip tightly to my hand
Hard to see the life inside
Wane as the days went by
Trying to preserve each word
He murmured in my ear
Watch part of my life disappear

Mariah thanks her father in this beautiful song.

22. It's Like That

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You like this and you know it
Caution, it's so explosive
Them chickens is ash and I'm lotion
Baby, come and get it
Let me give you what you need
It's a special occasion
Mimi's emancipation
A cause for celebration
I ain't gonna let nobody's drama bother me

She surely knows how to have some fun.

23. We Belong Together

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I'm feeling all out of my element
I'm throwing things
Crying
Trying to figure out
Where the hell I went wrong
The pain reflected in this song
Ain't even half of what
I'm feeling inside
I need you
Need you back in my life

Perhaps Mariah's most known song features beautiful lyrics.

24. One and Only

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I'm riding home in pain again baby
But that don't mean s*** to you
You're currently engaged
In an intimate conversation
With a young groupie or two
They say "players only love you
when they're playing games"
Still I gave my heart to you
I should have stayed away
Like my friends all told me to

So simple, yet so powerful.

25. Don't Forget About Us

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Just let it die
With no goodbyes
Details don't matter
We both paid the price
Tears in my eyes
You know sometimes
It'd be like that baby

When it's over, details don't matter...

26. Touch My Body

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Boy you can put me on you
Like a brand new white tee
I'll hug your body tighter
Than my favorite jeans
I want you to caress me
Like a tropical breeze
And float away with you
In the Caribbean Sea

Mariah's more playful side.

27. Side Effects

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Keepin' me there, under your thumb
'Cause you were scared that I'd become much
More than you could handle,
Shining like a chandelier
That decorated every room inside
The private hell we built,
And I dealt with it
Like a kid I wished I could fly away

In this song, Mariah talks about her relationship with Tommy Mottola, her first husband.

28. For The Record

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For the record
You'll always be a part of me (Always Be My Baby)
No matter what you do
And for the record
Can't nobody say
I didn't give my all to you (My All)

And for the record
I told you underneath the stars (Undearneath The Stars)
That you belong to me (We Belong Together)
For the record
It's obvious that
We just can't let go of us, honey (Can't Let Go, Honey)

Mariah does a little recap of some of her songs in "For The Record".

29. Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue)

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Laughing out of anger
But it don't strike me as funny
Been too good to you
I've been virtuous and true
To have something like this
Happen in my own bedroom

When you've been cheated on...

30. H.A.T.E.U.

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This was a love phenomenon
No one could explain
And I wish I could press reset
And feel that feeling again
I sit and press rewind
And watch us every night
Wanna pause it
But I can't make it stay (Just gotta let it play)

We went
Round for round
Til we knocked love out
We were laying in the ring
Not making a sound
And if that's a metaphor of you and I
Why is it so hard to say goodbye?

There's a fine line between love and hate...

31. It's A Wrap

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If I ever misrepresented my self-image
Then I'm sorry
I was oh so acquiescent
But I learn my lesson
Boy, you're sorry
All out in the open
Go make me go call Maury Povich

When it's gone, it's gone...

32. Languishing (The Interlude)

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Those ancient buried recollections
We transform them and select them
You have yours, I have mine
That's fine
While we're too torn to heal
Our stitch has never disappeared
I have mine, you have yours
I'm sure

An, old, bad memory of someone...

33. One Child

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Wonderous star
Led shepherds and wise men
Through valleys and mountains
Angels surrounded them
As they travelled far
As Heaven and Home
Rang out for the Saviour
The sweet Prince of piece
Lay majestively
Asleep glorious and pure
And His mercy endures for always

Mariah can even write great Christmas related songs (

34. Christmas Time Is In The Air Again

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Christmas time is in the air again
Christmas chimes reminding me of
When we fell like the snow
So deep in love
High above us the evergreens
Sparkle with lights and feel the breeze
As we made future Christmas memories.

Christmas shoppers glance at us and smile
'Cause the mistletoe is occupied
And the dream is to share
This Christmas cheer with you all year
And not wait till the morning
When Christmas time is in the air again.

Apart from the fact that the song sounds like a classic, its lyrics are just gorgeous.

35. Cry.

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And maybe I didn’t give you your space back then
And maybe I should have just held out a little bit longer
But I was seduced by you, and I didn't know enough
Truly too enchanted to disregard the words you said to make me yours
I need to hold you until we break…

My love, imprudently I left every cell in me
So naked, somewhere at the core of you
Bless our souls

Because sometimes you wanna break down and cry.

36. You're Mine (Eternal)

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Summer days and summer nights
When I felt you in my arms
Didn't I want you badly
Wanted to let you have me

Autumn days and stormy nights
When you crushed me with your charms
Didn't I need you madly
Now I'm lying here falling apart

Reminiscing of a lost lover.

37. Camouflage

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Weary sometimes when I try to discern our reality
Wish that I just could be somebody else if you talked to me
Kept praying inside let him love me for who I am
Please my Lord
But you were just somewhere the sun couldn't reach
Couldn't understand
(All that I needed was you to really see me)
I camouflage my tears and you wear your disguise
Around I go
To know if you still love me

When your loved one doesn't feel the same, you camouflage your tears, while they wear their disguise...

38. Thirsty

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Chasing them bright lights
Even change your name
Sayin' you're a my boss now
Ain't nothing out your range
Well, almost anything

You used to be Mister all about me
Now you're just thirsty for celebrity
Best thing that happened to your ass was me
Pull down them Tom Fords, and act like you see

You thirsty for a dream
Leaving me drowning
Boy there ain't no SOS
Filled with discontent
Finding you can't quench
Why you try so damn hard?

Careful, Mariah ain't playin'!

39. Right To Dream

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An angel lands with broken wings
He warms me with his eyes
And the ice that's sheathed around my heart
Unravels as he smiles

See I grew up locked in sorrow
So I learn to block the pain
But I won't give up tomorrow
'Cause I've come to life again

And every once in a while
There's a distant glimmer of hope
I find somewhere deep inside
Someone strong still resides
And I know I'm gonna be fine, that's right

Mariah goes country in this beautiful song; everybody has a right to dream!

40. Slipping Away

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I keep denying that our
Our love is dying
But it's all a big charade
And it's a fruitless game to play

I can't remember when you
You last were tender
And it's always touch and go
Your silence chills me to the bone

Sometimes your lover just slips away, unfortunately.