Originally recorded by Phil Collins, Mariah included a cover of “Against All Odds” on her 1999 Rainbow album. “I decided to do the cover on the way to the ‘Heartbreaker’ video shoot,” she explained. “‘Against All Odds’ reminded me of specific memories of growing up and the park where I used to hang out. When I spoke to Jimmy [Jam] and Terry [Lewis] about it they thought it was a great idea and we all thought we should keep it pretty close to the original.”
“Against All Odds” was originally released as a single in Europe on May 29, 2000, peaking at number twenty on the official Dutch charts. It was later re-released as a duet with Irish boy band Westlife, becoming Mariah's second number-one single in the United Kingdom and spending two weeks atop the Official Singles Chart.
The album version of “Against All Odds” was remixed by the Pound Boys.
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) |
Pound Boys Main Mix
Produced by DJ Craig C., DJ Dealer. |
9:09 |
| Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) |
Pound Boys Radio Edit
Produced by DJ Craig C., DJ Dealer. |
3:32 |
| Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) |
Pound Boys Dub
Produced by DJ Craig C., DJ Dealer. |
6:58 |
| Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) |
Pound Boys Deep Dub
Produced by DJ Craig C., DJ Dealer. |
8:12 |
The live version of the “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)” music video combines footage from several stops of Mariah's Rainbow Tour as well as clips from Mariah Carey's Homecoming Special.
The original “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)” European CD single features “Crybaby” as the B-side, while the Maxi Single also includes the StarGate Radio Edit of “Thank God I Found You” and the Morales Club Mix Edit of “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme).”
How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
Cause there's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
Oh there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's what I've got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now
Oh there's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
See there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
That's the chance I've got to take
Take a look at me now
Written by Phil Collins.
Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Mariah Carey.
