“One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

“One Sweet Day” is a beautiful ballad that speaks to the pain of losing someone we love before we have the time (or take the time) to express how we feel about them. Co-written by legendary singer/songwriter Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff (aka Baby Love), the song was released in November 1995 on Carey’s fifth album, “Daydream.” Performed by Carey and the R&B band Boyz II Men, it is both vocally stunning and emotionally evocative –a song that touches on the many, often conflicting emotions that accompany the death of a person who was an important part of our lives.

The lyrics begin…

Sorry I never told you all I wanted to say…
And now it’s too late to hold you
‘Cause you’ve flown away so faraway
Never had I imagined your living without your smile…

…clearly evoking the shock, sadness, longing and regret that come with losing someone we love. Especially when a death was sudden and unexpected, it’s almost impossible not to think, “If only I had said…” and to wish that we could go back in time.

This same sentiment is reflected later in the song with an expression of regret and an apology that almost anyone can relate to —

Darlin’ I never showed you

Credit: Wikipedia.org

Assumed you’d always be there 
I thought
you’d always be there
And I take your presence for granted
But I always cared
And I miss the love we shared

After all, who among us hasn’t taken a loved one for granted at one time or another? Who hasn’t missed the chance to say “Thank you,” or “I love you.” And who hasn’t wished they had done both — and so much more — before it was too late?

But there is another message in “One Sweet Day,” one that many people can relate to in one way or another, and that is the belief that our lost loved ones are, in some way…in some form…still with us after they are gone. It’s an idea that brings comfort to many people who are living with the searing pain of grief along with the idea that someday they and the people they love will be reunited in some way. Even for those who don’t believe in the traditional concepts of a hereafter, these thoughts can be very strong and provide solace at a time when little solace can be had.

And I know you’re shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way

And I know eventually
we’ll be together,
We’ll be together
One sweet day…

And all that I know is I’ll wait
patiently to see you in heaven
Although the sun will never shine the same
I’ll always look to a brighter day.

Listen to Mariah and Boys II Men perform “One Sweet Day” in the studio by watching the video below.