Chosen as the second single from Mariah's E=MC² album, “Bye Bye” impacted radio on April 21, 2008. “A lot of people get emotional when they listen to ‘Bye Bye’ and I know they are the ones who have really experienced loss in their lives. It's interesting because they listen to it, they get emotional, they almost can't handle it and then they ask me for a copy of it, because it's therapeutic for them,” Mariah explained. “I really wanted it to be universal. Yes, there are very personal things in terms of my experience that are in there, but every line is left open so that people can interpret it and have it for their own healing process.”
“Bye Bye” peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated May 31, 2008, marking Mariah's thirtieth Top 20 on the chart. In the United Kingdom, “Bye Bye” entered the Official Singles Chart during the week of May 24, 2008, peaking at number thirty six weeks later.
Jermaine Dupri produced the So So Def Remix of “Bye Bye,” which features a verse by Jay-Z. “The remix for the Mariah record is crazy,” Jermaine told MTV. “Young Hov and Mariah crank it up, and myself, JD — a.k.a. Barry Bonds — cleans up.” An additional urban remix, featuring Akon and Lil Wayne, premiered on Chicago's B96 on June 17, 2008, but never saw an official release. Tony Moran and Warren Rigg were commissioned for the “Bye Bye” dance remixes, which also remain unreleased.
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Bye Bye | Radio Edit
|
4:17 |
| Bye Bye | Alternate Radio Edit
|
3:56 |
| Bye Bye | Instrumental
|
4:28 |
| Bye Bye | So So Def Remix feat. Jay-Z
Produced by Jermaine Dupri. Co-produced by Manuel Seal. |
3:54 |
| Bye Bye | So So Def Remix Instrumental
Produced by Jermaine Dupri. Co-produced by Manuel Seal. |
3:51 |
| Bye Bye | Remix feat. Akon and Lil Wayne
|
4:34 |
| Bye Bye | Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Club Mix
Produced by Tony Moran, Warren Rigg. |
8:48 |
| Bye Bye | Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Radio Mix
Produced by Tony Moran, Warren Rigg. |
4:25 |
The music video for “Bye Bye” was directed by Justin Francis and premiered in May 2008. The video shows home video footage of Mariah writing the song, promoting the E=MC² album in Europe and relaxing in the Bahamas. Towards the end of the video, Mariah performs the song onstage while paying tribute to people important in their life who have passed away including her father, family members, stylist Tonjua Twist, her dog Jack, and collaborators ODB, Luther Vandross, Luciano Pavarotti and David Cole.
Europe got two “Bye Bye” releases on July 18, 2003. The CD Single includes the Album Version and the So So Def Remix, while the Enhanced CD Maxi Single includes the Album Version of “Bye Bye,” the Subkulcha Radio Edit of “Touch My Body,” the DJ Clue Remix of “We Belong Together” and the “Bye Bye” music video.
“Bye Bye” became commercially available in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2008. The CD Single includes the Album Version and the So So Def Remix of the song, while the Enhanced CD Maxi Single includes the Album Version of “Bye Bye,” the Subkulcha Radio Edit of “Touch My Body,” the Jadakiss and Styles P. Remix of “We Belong Together” and the “Bye Bye” music video. The UK also saw a 12" Picture Vinyl release, including the Radio Edit and the So So Def Remix of the song.
The “Bye Bye” CD Maxi Single — the same as the European release — became commercially available in Australia on June 21, 2008.
This is for my people who just lost somebody
Your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady
Put your hand way up hi
We will never say bye
Mamas, daddys, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins
This is for my people who lost their grandmothers
Lift your head to the sky
Cause we will never say bye
As a child there were them times
I didn't get it but you kept me in line
I didn't know why you didn't show up sometimes
On sunday mornings and I missed you
But I'm glad we talked through
All them grown folk things
Separation brings
You never let me know it
You never let it show
Because you loved me and obviously
There's so much more left to say
If you were with me today face to face
Never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've reached a better place
Still I'd give the world to see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye
And you never got a chance
To see how good I've done
And you never got to see me
Back at number one
I wish that you were here
To celebrate together
I wish that we could spend
The holidays together
I remember when you used to
Tuck me in at night
With the teddy bear you gave me
That I held so tight
I thought you were so strong
You'd make it through whatever
It's so hard to accept the fact
You're gone forever
I never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye
This is for my peoples
Who just lost somebody
Your best friend, your baby,
Your man or your lady
Put your hand way up hi
We will never say bye
Mamas, daddys, sisters, brothers,
Friends and cousins
This is for my peoples
Who lost they grandmothers
Lift your head to the sky
Cause we will never say bye, bye
Never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye…
Written by M. Carey, M. S. Eriksen, T. E. Hermansen, J. Austin.
Produced by Stargate and Mariah Carey.
Jay-Z:
Every time the guns go blast
Another day goes past
I don't miss my dogs
I'm wishing the days could go fast
So I can crash, close my eyes
Try to go to sleep and bring you back
But I can't bring you back
No, can't bring you back
So I back back memories of us acting bad
Wish time could freeze but our time is up
And I promise you I'ma hold it down till it's my time to leave
And I'm OK
I mean I'm alright, I'm not OK
And it hurts my soul I won't see your face
But if you truly are in a better place
Like what they say then it's ok, I'll be alright
I've been up all night like if I didn't with my nigga to be living with the time tick-tick-ticking away
So forever I'm forever in search of yesterday (Yesterday)
Yesterday, like The Beatles' song
I close my eyes, repeat the song
Tryn'a bring us back to where we belong
Middle of the club when B was on
I tear when I hear the song
Blowing on stank like Cheech and Chong
Going back before
So when I meet the don you should know
I meet way back with my dog when I go
So when times says goodbye y'all say hello
Mariah:
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye
And you never got a chance
To see how good I've done
And you never got to see me
Back at number one
I wish that you were here
To celebrate together
I wish that we could spend
The holidays together
I remember when you used to
Tuck me in at night
With the teddy bear you gave me
That I held so tight
I thought you were so strong
You'd make it through whatever
It's so hard to accept the fact
You're gone forever
I never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye
This is for my peoples
Who just lost somebody
Your best friend, your baby,
Your man or your lady
Put your hand way up hi
We will never say bye
Mamas, daddys, sisters, brothers,
Friends and cousins
This is for my peoples
Who lost they grandmothers
Lift your head to the sky
Cause we will never say bye, bye
Never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye…
Written by M. Carey, M. S. Eriksen, T. E. Hermansen, J. Austin, J. Dupri, M. Seal, S. Carter.
Produced by Jermaine Dupri. Co-produced by Manuel Seal.
Mariah (Akon):
This is for my people who just lost somebody
Your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady
Put your hand way up high (Put 'em way up high)
We will never say bye (Never say goodbye)
Mamas, daddys, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins
This is for my people who lost their grandmothers
Lift your head to the sky (Lift 'em way up high)
Cause we will never say bye (Never say goodbye)
Akon:
I know, I know you're gone, I know I'll see you again
One thing that I can promise, we gon' meet up again
Hopefully up in heaven, praying that I'm forgiven
For everything that I've done, and that I forgot to mention
It feel so bad to be without my homie
And every since you've been absent I've been so lonely
Why does life cycle around like a trophy
Even though somebody took the time to warn me
That you can't be with me and it's just crazy
And everyday I'm wishing that you'd come save me
And I know a man ain't supposed to cry
It's taken all the strength in my soul to say goodbye
Mariah (Akon):
Bye bye bye bye bye bye (Say goodbye)
Bye bye bye bye bye bye (Say goodbye)
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye (Say goodbye)
And you never got a chance
To see how good I've done
And you never got to see me
Back at number one
I wish that you were here
To celebrate together
I wish that we could spend
The holidays together
I remember when you used to
Tuck me in at night
With the teddy bear you gave me
That I held so tight
I thought you were so strong
You'd make it through whatever
It's so hard to accept the fact
You're gone forever
I never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye
Bye bye
Lil Wayne:
How come they call it goodbye
How come the good die
See I just get high and think of the good times
That I had with my pops, he was a good guy
How come the good die
As I protect my mother
'Cause I'm her oldest son
And there are different worlds
And we in the coldest one
Which one did granny go to
And why do death come
As my baby ask where do babies come from
I tell her where, I tell her why
I'll tell her I love her until I tell her bye
And whenever I shall ever die
I hope you celebrate it
I hope you never hate it
And they say heaven's gated
But I think I know the code
And let's get your life right
By the end of the road
That's why I drive alone down memory lane
So if I crash I hope y'all remember Wayne, goodbye
Mariah:
Never knew I could hurt like this
And everyday life rolls on I
Wish I could talk to you for a while
Miss you but I try not to cry
As time goes by
And it's true that you've
Reached a better place
Still I'd give the world
To see your face
And be right here next to you
But it's like you're gone too soon
Now the hardest thing to do
Is say bye bye
Bye bye bye bye bye bye…
Written by M. Carey, M. S. Eriksen, T. E. Hermansen, J. Austin, A. Thiam, D. Carter.
Produced by Stargate and Mariah Carey.
