mariah carey all i want for christmas lyrics review cover

Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You (Lyrics Review and Song Meaning)

There are a countless number of Christmas-themed songs and music out there. There are jingles, hymns, songs, music, ballads, operas and the list goes on. These are songs dedicated to spreading the peace and joy of the Christmas season, there are songs about Jesus, about God, songs about Santa Claus, the reindeers, snow and everything in between. Mariah Carey stands out from this crowd for her special holiday-themed song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” because of her amazing vocals and the idea behind the song.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” is a song from Mariah Carey’s 1994 album titled ‘Merry Christmas.’ However, since then there have been many covers, remixes and remakes of this hit track. This album also has very impressive versions of “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “Joy to the World,” “Jesus Born on This Day,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ Tonight” and more. 

Mariah Carey did intend for “All I Want For Christmas Is You” song to become a holiday classic. She wrote about the song in her auto-biography;

“When I wrote ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ it was my dream for it to become a classic Christmas song. I am so proud of the song’s impact as it continues to create memories for fans each year. I am thrilled to be able to bring the story of the song to new generations of families with the picture book.”

Mariah Carey

The song has sold an estimate of over 14 million copies since its release and is one of the biggest selling songs of all time. Estimates state that the song has earned Carey over $60 million in royalties over the years. Other sources say that she earns an estimate of $476,000 per year from this song alone. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” resurfaces on charts every Christmas season, its highest peak being #6 on Billboard Hot 100 in 2018.

Watch Mariah Carey Perform “All I Want For Christmas Is You”


Download “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Single on iTunes and Amazon


Written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, this song is a dedication for love-love between two people. Unlike other popular holiday songs singing about the joys of gifts, snow, Santa and the whole nine yards, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” sings about being perfectly content with the love of her partner for Christmas.

Lyrics Review and Song Meaning of “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

Verse 1

The entire song is a dedication to true love and how love is all she seeks for this Christmas. In a world overrun by consumerism, this song stands out. The popular holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and even Children’s Day have all become an act of buying gifts. Probably another rich kid would be getting a gift hand-made by some child-workers in a third world country. The true meaning of holidays has been overtaken by commercialism.

Mariah Carey says she would be perfectly okay with not getting presents, no need of a decorated Christmas tree and no socks hung by the chimney. She will not be pleased with a visit by Santa Claus to bring her some gifts. The singer is asking for love, which only her lover can give.

Chorus

Mariah Carey reiterates that she would be most happy with being with her lover during this Christmas. Her Christmas wish is to be with the love of her life.

Verse 2

Mariah Carey strays away from all the usual wishes of every person getting ready for Christmas. The first snow is something usually exciting for most, writing a wish-list for Saint Nick AKA Santa Claus is a Christmas tradition and wishing to hear the reindeer hoof steps is a Christmas joy. But the singer of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” would not want any of it, if her lover is not by her side.

What she would do is wait for her lover underneath a mistletoe. The general practise is you need to kiss someone under a mistletoe.

Watch Mariah Carey’s Remake of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with Justin Bieber

This holiday track has solidified itself as one of THE Christmas classics over the years. Many artists like Miley Cyrus, John Mayer, Connie Talbot, Shania Twain, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Demi Lovato, Cee Lo Green, Lady Antebellum and Mumford & Sons have covered this song with their ounces of magic.

In 2016, Mariah Carey joined the Carpool Karaoke segment with James Corden to perform the song during traffic commute. There have been countless live performances of the song over the years as well.

Watch Ariana Grande Cover “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

This song has also lifted Carey to a status of ‘Queen of Christmas’ with which she does not agree: “I don’t accept that name because I feel like it’s too much. I humbly thank them and I do have an extraordinary love for the holiday season, and it is the best time of the year.”

Let us hear what you think about this timeless classic by Mariah Carey. What is your favourite Christmas song? What makes “All I Want For Christmas Is You” an all-time favourite according to your opinion? Leave a comment below.

Update:

For Christmas 2019 season, Mariah Carey released a brand new video for her classic hit. The new video includes unseen footage from her original recording for the track. Watch below.

Full Lyrics to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

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