Mariah Carey Wiki
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"Close My Eyes" is the eight track from Mariah Carey's sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released through Columbia Records on September 16, 1997.

According to Mariah, “Close My Eyes” is one of her most favorite & revealing songs she has written.[1] It explores her childhood experiences as well as her life as a superstar in the early 1990s.

Background[]

Mariah started writing "Close My Eyes" in 1993. Mariah told the story of writing the song in an interview with VH1 in 2003.[2]

On July 16, 1993 Mariah hosted a concert in Schenectady, New York at the famous Proctor's Theatre.[3] According to Mariah, after the concert she "went home to this really pretty farm in upstate New York." She also states: 

I was taking a bath and looking out the window - one of my favorite things. The moon was out and I was reflecting on my life. It was the first time I really sat and took it all in. It's almost like I watched my whole career go by. I took a breath and said, "I've really accomplished something. What did it take to get here?" That started the concept for the song. I wrote the whole first verse and kept it in the back of my mind - I didn't even write it down - for like four years. Fast forward to '97, and while writing Butterfly, I picked up where I left off after the first chorus.

Mariah to VH1 Ultimate Albums

Mariah solely wrote the lyrics for the song however, it was arranged and produced by Mariah and Walter Afanasieff.

Live performances[]

Mariah first performed "Close My Eyes" on the Rosie O'Donnell show in 1997. During the performance, Mariah was seated and wore a white vest top and jeans. It was also a part of the setlist for Mariah's Butterfly and Rainbow Tour. A shortened version of the song was performed on Good Morning America in August of 2020.[4]

Acoustic version[]

In 2020, Mariah recorded an acoustic version of the song. "Close My Eyes (2020 - Acoustic)" is the fifteenth and final track of Mariah's eight compilation album, The Rarities. It was released on October 2, 2020 through Columbia and Legacy Records .


The release of this version is part of the #MC30 festivities which celebrates the 30th year since the release of Mariah's self-titled debut album which occurred on June 12, 1990.

Trivia[]

  • This is the acoustic version of the song
  • It was released on October 2, 2020
  • This version of the song could be as shorter version of the studio album
  • Mariah recorded this version of the song in 2020
  • This version of the song is 3 minutes and 18 seconds long
  • This is the fifteenth and last track of Mariah's 8th compilation album, The Rarities.
  • This version of the song is the 15th track because it was the last song that was recorded for the album. The entire Rarities album is organized chronologically according to the year each song was recorded.
  • Despite most songs on The Rarities being unreleased, Mariah chose to re-record "Close My Eyes" because of how personal it is to her. The song was also performed during Mariah's Good Morning America appearance in mid-2020. During that appearance, she announced the completion of her memoir which explores some of the conditions that Mariah described in the song.[4]

References[]

  1. Genius: Close My Eyes - retrieved 9/19/20
  2. Ultimate albums - MCArchives - retrieved 9/19/20
  3. Here is Mariah via Wikipedia - retrieved 9/19/20
  4. 4.0 4.1 Start the Day on a Literal High Note With Mariah Carey’s GMA Performance - retrieved 9/19/20
The Rarities
October 2, 2020 • 2:16:25 • Columbia & Legacy Records
Songs
Released All I Live ForCan You Hear MeClose My EyesCool on YouDo You Think Of MeEverything Fades AwayHere We Go Around AgainI PrayLoverboy (Firecracker Original Version)Lullaby of BirdlandMesmerizedOne NightOut Here on My OwnSave The DaySlipping Away
Artists
Mariah CareyLauryn Hill
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