"Music Box" is the fourth song and title track from Mariah's third album Music Box . it was released on August 31, 1993 through Columbia Records. The song was written and produced by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff.
Background[]
Music Box is the title track from the Carey third album of the same name. The theme of the song is the meaning of love and how it can transform one's life, celebrating the qualities of love that make it special and suggesting that it is something precious[1] The track speaks to a significant other who has aided Mariah in recovering from previous emotional scars. A music box is a delicate object that produces beautiful sounds when it is wound up, but it can break easily if mishandled. The song suggests that love is like a music box, something precious that requires gentle care to flourish.
Critical reception[]
In Chris Nickson's review of the song he states "the album’s title track continued the ballads. It had a subdued, sighing, contented tone, and such a gentle love song stood tall among Mariah’s compositions. It required a great deal of control to sing properly, to keep the tune’s softness and sweetness without resorting to volume, and at the same time to not go too far the other way and become saccharine. Mariah managed to maintain that delicate balance in a manner that seemed effortless, floating easily above Walter’s keyboards and the shimmer of Michael Landau’s guitars."[2]
Video[]
Trivia[]
- Mariah has never performed this song (fully) live
- Despite being the title track of the album, the song was not released as a single
- "Music Box," alongside "Vulnerability," "Subtle Invitation," "Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Art of Letting Go" and "8th Grade" are Carey's only songs that do not mention its title in its lyrics.
Lyrics[]
When I am lost
You shine a light for me
And set me free
When I am low
You wash away my tears
And take me through
The loneliness
And emptiness
Through the darkest night
Somehow I survive
Through it all
[Chorus]
When you tell me I'm the only one you need
Sweet and tenderly
And your love
Breaks away the clouds surrounding me
All I have I want to give to thee
If I should fall
Your love is strong enough to lift me up
If I'm afraid
You chase away my fears
And take me to
A brighter place
Beyond the rain
And I feel alright
'Cause your by my side
Through it all
[Chorus]
You take me through
The loneliness and emptiness
And I feel alright
'Cause your by my side
Through it all
You tell me I'm the only one you need
Sweet and tenderly
And your love
Just breaks away the clouds surround me
And baby all I have I want to give to thee
Want to give you all of my love
Now and forever my love
References[]
| Music Box | |
|---|---|
| August 31, 1993 • 42:01 • Columbia Records | |
| Songs | |
| Released | All I've Ever Wanted • Anytime You Need a Friend • Dreamlover • Hero • I've Been Thinking About You • Just to Hold You Once Again • Music Box • Never Forget You • Without You |
| Bonus | Everything Fades Away • Heroe • Do You Think Of Me |
| Artists | |
| Mariah Carey | |
| Tour | |
| Music Box Tour | |