“Can't Let Go (Mariah Carey song)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

"Can't Let Go" is a song by American singer Mariah Carey from her second album Emotions (1991). It was released as the album's second single in the fourth quarter of 1991 in the United States and the first quarter of 1992 elsewhere. The protagonist of this synthesizer-heavy ballad laments an ex-lover who has moved on, and though she tries she "can't let go."

Carey had fallen out with her songwriting partner Ben Margulies following a financial dispute, and her record label suggested that she work with the other producers of her debut album such as Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden. She chose Walter Afanasieff, who had produced her second single "Love Takes Time" (1990), and "Can't Let Go" was one of the songs they created. After the release of the single "Emotions," "Can't Let Go" was promoted on both The Arsenio Hall Show in September 1991 and Saturday Night Live in November 1991 when she was the musical guest in the episode which featured Linda Hamilton as the host. "Can't Let Go" was later included on Carey's compilation album The Ballads (2008).

Music and lyrics

"Can't Let Go" is written in the key of F major (with minor interminglings), ascending up to F{{music|sharp}} major (with similar qualities) to close the song out — a common pop tonal effect. Mariah's vocals range from the low note of F₃ to the high note of B♭₆, at a moderately slow tempo of 81 beats per minute, according to Musicnotes.com.^[1]

Critical reception

Allmusic editor Ashley S. Battel wrote that "yearning cries for a lost love in "Can't Let Go" serves to send the listener on a musical journey through time filled with varying emotions.^[2] Los Angeles Times editor Dennis Hunt wrote that in this song Mariah is playing a wounded lover.^[3] Rob Tannenbaum of Rolling Stone wrote that "moody grandeur" of this song will sound great on radio.^[4]

Chart performance

Carey's first five American singles (most recently "Emotions") had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Can't Let Go" ended the streak when it reached number two (kept from the top spot by "All 4 Love" by Color Me Badd), and spent 17 weeks in the top 40. The record company had taken the single off from sales before it could reach number 1, in an attempt to boost sales of Emotions. The song topped the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, where it became Carey's fourth number one single; the next single "Make It Happen" would break that streak. "Can't Let Go" ranked 23rd on the 1992 Hot 100 year-end charts.

"Can't Let Go" reached the UK top 20 and the Canadian top ten. It became her lowest peaking single at the time in all of the major Anglophone singles markets (with the exception of the UK), and failed to make the Australian top 50.

Music video and songs' versions

The single's video, directed by Jim Sonzero, features Carey wearing an evening gown and her hair in a bun. Filmed in black and white, the video starts and closes with shots of a rose open and closed respectively.^[5]

A radio edit of the song was promoted to radio and used for the video instead of the original song, and the edit eliminates the seraphic pre-intro and removes all of Carey's high notes at the song's beginning and end. The radio edit is the opening track for all releases of the song. Like Carey's previous U.S. singles, "Can't Let Go" won a BMI Pop Award in 1993.

In 1992, writers Sharon Taber and Ron Gonzalez filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Carey and Afanasieff citing that "Can't Let Go" was taken from their unknown song, "Right Before My Eyes." The plaintiffs demanded to obtain copies of the studio recording tapes to see if conversation between Carey and Afanasieff would prove them guilty. However, after being reviewed, the only guilty fear apparent was Mariah Carey quoted as saying "Can't Let Go" was sounding "too much like our other song." The lawsuit was later dropped or settled out of court.^[6]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

See also

References

1. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0058868|title=Mariah Carey "Can't Let Go" Sheet Music in F Major - Download & Print|author=Carey, Mariah|date=|work=Musicnotes.com|accessdate=March 28, 2016}}
2. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/emotions-mw0000265429|title=Emotions|author=Ashley S. Battel|date=|work=AllMusic|accessdate=March 28, 2016}}
3. ^{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-15/entertainment/ca-3476_1_mariah-carey|title=FALL ALBUM SPECIAL : Sappy Songs Underwhelm Carey's 'Emotions' : ** MARIAH CAREY|author=|date=|work=latimes|accessdate=March 28, 2016}}
4. ^{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/emotions-19911114|title=Mariah Carey Emotions Album Review|author=Rob Tannenbaum|date=November 14, 1991|work=Rolling Stone|accessdate=March 28, 2016}}
5. ^Can't Let Go - Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU1knfz15xI
6. ^Mariah Carey Accused of Plagiarism. Friedman, Roger. "Mariah: Songwriters Get Permission to Sue." (August 10, 2004).
7. ^{{cite AV media notes|title=Emotions|others=Mariah Carey|year=1991|type=liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=B000026HS0}}
8. ^{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}
9. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-01-25.pdf|title=Hits of the World|work=Billboard|date=January 25, 1992|accessdate=June 1, 2015|page=47}}
10. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1824&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=1sstko8t804p67ht2tmq54j512|title=The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1992|work=RPM|date=December 19, 1992|accessdate=May 20, 2015}}
11. ^¹²{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-26.pdf|title=The Year in Music: 1992|work=Billboard|date=December 26, 1992|accessdate=May 20, 2015}}