Mariah wrote the song “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” with Diane Warren for her Rainbow album. “It was motivated by this one day when I was feeling very angry towards a couple of people and feeling very taken advantage of,” Mariah said about the song. “As I was writing it, I realized it was a theme a lot of people can relate to. I started thinking about a lot of the tragic stuff that's gone on in schools and junior highs, it really does stem from kids feeling segregated in different groups and feeling alienated: If young girls or guys are ragging on you because you're not in the in-crowd, or you don't look right or act right, or you're different in some way, they can't take your spirit away.”
In the United States, “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” was sent to radio on April 24, 2000, and commercially released as a double-sided single with “Crybaby” on June 6. Since Billboard's Hot 100 required both songs to chart separately and “Crybaby” had the most cumulative radio audience, it was the song that earned all of the sales points of the single. The “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) / Crybaby” single entered the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart at number two, after selling 54,000 copies, which took “Crybaby” to number twenty-eight during the week of June 24, 2000, Mariah's highest-debuting single since “My All” debuted at number two in May 1998. On February 26, 2001, “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” got a very limited release in Europe.
Mariah teamed up with David Morales for the “Can't Take That Away” remixes and recorded new vocals for the Morales Revival Triumphant Mix, which took the song to number six on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) | Radio Edit
|
4:04 |
| Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) | Morales Club Mix
Produced by David Morales. |
7:46 |
| Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) | Morales Club Mix — Edit
Produced by David Morales. |
3:57 |
| Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) | Morales Revival Triumphant Mix
Produced by David Morales. |
10:30 |
| Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) | Morales Instrumental
Produced by David Morales. |
7:45 |
The “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” music video was directed by Sanaa Hamri and filmed in Japan. For the clip, Mariah commissioned fans to send her video testimonies that would later be incorporated in the video, talking about their hardships, such as bullying and racial discrimination, and how the song inspired them to persevere. Throughout the clip, which premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on May 5, 2000, a TV screen also displays images of others who have overcome struggles, such as Lance Armstrong beating cancer and winning the Tour De France.
The “Can't Take That Away / Crybaby” Single was released in the United States on June 6, 2000. Issued on CD and Cassette, it includes both songs and Mariah's performance of “Love Hangover / Heartbreaker,” from the VH1 Divas 2000 concert. The Maxi Single was available on CD and 12" Vinyl, including the Album Version and three Morales remixes of “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” as well as the Album Version of “Crybaby.”
Released in Europe in late February 2001, the CD single includes the Radio Edit and the Morales Club Mix Edit of the song, while the CD Maxi single features three remixes by David Morales. “Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” was also released on 12" vinyl in Europe, including four Morales remixes as well as the album version of the song.
“Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)” was released in Japan on June 28, 2000. The CD Single contains the album version, the Morales Club Mix Edit and the live version of “Love Hangover / Heartbreaker.”
They can say anything they want to say
Try to bring me down
But I will not allow
Anyone to succeed
Hanging clouds over me
And they can try hard to make me feel that I
Don't matter at all
But I refuse to falter in what I believe
Or lose faith in my dreams
Cause there's, there's a light in me
That shines brightly
They can try
But they can't take that away from me
From me
They
Oh they
They can do anything they want to you
If you let them in
But they won't ever win
If you cling to you pride and just push them aside
See I
I have learned there's an inner peace I own
Something in my soul
That they can not possess
So I won't be afraid and the darkness will fade
Cause there's, there's a light in me
That shines brightly, yes
They can try
But they can't take that away from me
No
They can't take this
Precious love I'll always have inside me (Precious love I have in me)
Certainly the Lord will guide me (Certainly the Lord, He will guide me)
Where I need to go (Where I need to go)
Oh they can say anything they want to say
Try to break me down
But I won't face the ground
I will rise steadily
Sailing out of their reach
Oh Lord
They do try hard to make me feel
That I don't matter at all
But I refuse to falter in what I believe
Or lose faith in my dreams
Cause there's a light in me
That shines brightly, yes
They can try
But they can't take that away from me
From me
No, no, no
Written by Mariah Carey, Diane Warren.
Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Mariah Carey.
They…
They…
They…
Yeah, yeah
They…
They…
They…
Yeah, yeah
They…
They…
They…
Yeah, yeah
They…
They…
They…
There's a light that shines inside of me
That nobody can touch
No matter what they try to do
No matter what they try to say
So you keep that in mind
When people try to bring you down
Because they can't take it away from you
There's a light that shines inside of me
Shines so brightly
And they can try
So desperately
But they can't take that way from me
Can't take that away from me (No no no)
Can't take that away from me
They can't take
They can't take
They can't take
They, they
They can say
Anything they want to say
They can do
Anything they want to do
To you
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
There's a light in my that shines brightly
They can try but they can't take away from me
No…
They won't baby, baby
They can do what they wanna do
If you let them in but
They won't, they can't
If you cling to your pride
And just push them aside, see
Ain't never gonna take it away, no, no
Ain't never gonna take it away, no, no
Ain't never gonna take it away, no, no
Ain't never gonna take it away, no, no…
Ain't gonna take it away from me
Ain't gonna take it away from me
Ain't gonna take it away from me…
They can't take that way from me
No…
They can't take this
Precious love I'll always have inside me
Certainly the Lord will guide me where I need to go
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they (I won't be afraid no more)
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
They…
They…
They…
Yeah, yeah
They…
They…
They…
Yeah, yeah
Can't take that away from me
Can't take that away from me
They can't take
They can't take
They can't take, take, take
Oh, I won't be afraid no more
Their negative energy
Their negative energy
Said their negative energy
Is not gonna get to me
I'm not gonna let you get the best of me
I'm not gonna let you get the best of me
I'm not gonna let you get the best of me
I'm not gonna let you get the best of me
They can't take my love from me
They can't take my heart from me
They can't take my love from me
They can't take my love from me
See there's a light (That shines, shines)
Brightly (So brightly, so brightly)
(They can't take that away from me)
Oh Lord, they do try (Lord they do try, Lord they do try)
Oh Lord, they do try (See, they can't take that away from me)
My life, my love, my faith, my dreams, my soul, my heart, my life
My life, my love, my dreams, my faith, my dreams, my heart, my soul, my life
They can't take that away from me
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
They, they, they, they
Oh, you're never gonna take my pride
Never gonna take my pride
Never gonna take my heart
Never gonna take my soul
Never gonna get to me
Never gonna touch my heart
Never gonna take my pride
No…
No…
You can say what you want, baby
Can't hold me down
Album version written by Mariah Carey, Diane Warren, David Morales.
Remix produced by David Morales.
