Mariah Carey\'s \"Anytime You Need

¶ … Mariah Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend"

Mariah Carey has one of the strongest voices in music today. Her career now spans over several decades, with no real end in sight. Carey's voice is unprecedented, and will probably never be matched in any other singer or musician. Her music is touching, and her delivery of her lines makes it that much more meaningful to her fans across the country and the world. This research aims to evaluate the song "Anytime You Need A Friend," and although the rhyme scheme and grammatical set up of the lyrics is seemingly short and choppy, Carey's performance of the song brings in a new intensity that is not found in the lyrics alone; her incredible range and passion in her voice breeds an intense emotional presence in the song that is often missed when only examining the lyrics alone.

In order to understand the contrast of emotions between the lyrics and the performance, it is important to first evaluate the structure of the lyrics alone. The rhyme scheme of the song is not very well structured, as it moves from a simple ABAB to not having much of a structure at all. Essentially, the chorus of the song is set to a rhyme scheme of ABABCDED. The first two lines of the chorus rhyme like ABAB. However, this strict rhyme scheme then disintegrates towards the end of the chorus verse. The rest of the song shares a similar structure. The rhyme scheme is definitely not what gives the song its power upon hearing it. Moreover, if one looks at the content of the lyrics alone as well, it is clear that they do not add much strength to the song either. What is being said and how it is being said are not at the foundation of the emotional reactions from actually listening to the performance itself. Rather, the lines and content is incredibly simple. The lines are all very short, very concise and clean cut. They are directly to the point, and if read aloud without the background of the song, they are not very powerful at all. It makes it seem as if this may not be something you would actually say to someone in a time of need, because one wouldn't want to be so simple at such a complicated time in someone else's life. Thus, the rhyme scheme and the grammatical make up of the song are not what provide the song's overall strength.

One clear element of the song that does provide a sense of strength and emotion in it is the thematic structure of the song and the performance itself. The song has a very relatable theme, one which any one who has ever been lonely or sad would understand and want to connect with. There will undoubtedly be troubles in life, and the song admits that these happen. Carey shows that one should not be shameful of such feelings of sadness or loneliness. Rather, she is asking the audience to "keep the faith" (Carey 1994). In this time of great sorrow, there is still someone who will help you get through whatever hardships you are facing. The thematic foundation also relies on the element of love to provide power and emotion into the song and the performance. Love helps keep individuals strong because it allows them to always have someone by their side to support them. As such, the lyrics quote "Even if your miles away / I'm by your side / So don't you ever be lonely / Love will make it alright" (Carey 1994). In this, the thematic structure is revealed. No matter what distances may separate loved ones, they will always be there to help pick you up when you fall. Thus, the song is not only a testament to keeping the faith when things go wrong, but also about how love can endure even the worst hardships. Love is one of the most powerful emotions we as humans feel. By playing on the natural emotions invoked by thinking about endless love, the song retains a strong sense of power. Here, Carey sings "If you just believe in me / I will love you endlessly / Take my hand / Take me into your heart / I'll be there forever baby / I won't let go / I'll never let go" (Carey 1994). This is essentially what everyone wants to here in their darkest hour, and thus is where the greatest strength of the song comes into play.