“Thank God I Found You” is a collaboration with R&B singer Joe and American boy band 98 Degrees that Mariah wrote with with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for her Rainbow album. “We were just sitting in a studio vibing off each other,” she explained about the creative process. “‘Thank God I Found You’ was a love song inspired by a relationship I was in at the time. I sang it to Jimmy and Terry and we put the song together from there. They have been so inspirational to me throughout my life. Growing up, I listened to so many songs they have written which are classics.”
“When she called me to come to the studio I had no idea I would record at that moment,” Joe said. “I couldn't let the opportunity slip away. She sat in the control room while I was singing in the booth and it was amazing to have her sit there and watch her smile and be in her zone.” Jam and Lewis originally wanted R&B duo K-Ci and JoJo to sing on the track. “They were on a different record label and there were a lot of problems getting clearance for them to do it,” they remembered. “We booked studio time and kept saying to them, ‘Just come in and sing it, you could nail it in an hour. We'll worry about the politics later.’ ”
“Thank God I Found You” was released as the second single from Rainbow on January 25, 2000. It became Mariah's fifteenth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of February 19, 2000, marking her eleventh consecutive year with a number-one song, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 23, 2000.
Mariah recorded new vocals for the Make It Last remix, which interpolates Keith Sweat's 1987 hit “Make It Last Forever” and features rapper Nas. “It's become one of my trademarks to revisit my songs when we do remixes,” Mariah told Billboard. “To me, it's not good enough to just let someone go into the studio and add some beats or samples to my songs. Inevitably, I wind up rewriting a lot of the song, or rearranging the vocals and melodies. It's a fun exercise in that it allows me to rethink the song and add some new ideas.”
In 2024, to commemorate Rainbow's 25th anniversary, a previously-unreleased Mariah-only version of “Thank God I Found You” was included as a bonus track on the digital expanded edition of the album. Additional remixes were produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and StarGate.
| Song | Remix | Run time |
|---|---|---|
| Thank God I Found You | Mariah Only Version
|
4:16 |
| Thank God I Found You | Celebratory Mix
Produced by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis. |
4:15 |
| Thank God I Found You | StarGate Radio Edit
Produced by StarGate. |
4:19 |
| Thank God I Found You | Make It Last Remix feat. Joe and Nas
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey. |
5:09 |
| Thank God I Found You | Make It Last Remix feat. Joe and Nas — Edit
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey. |
4:15 |
| Thank God I Found You | Make It Last Remix w/o Rap feat. Joe
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey. |
4:12 |
| Thank God I Found You | Make It Last Remix w/o Rap feat. Joe — Edit
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey. |
7:08 |
| Thank God I Found You | Make It Last Remix Instrumental
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey. |
5:09 |
The “Thank God I Found You” music video was directed by Brett Ratner and filmed at KDWB's Last Chance Summer Dance! on September 12, 1999. Joe and 98 Degrees visited MTV's Total Request Live on October 14, 1999, for the world premiere of the music video, with Mariah calling in from Spain. “[The video] was shot in Minneapolis in the summer,” Mariah explained. “The song wasn't even done yet — it was written, but the record wasn't mixed or anything. We performed it in front of 30 to 40 thousand people. We did it twice and the second time the crowd was singing along, so that was really cool.”
The Make It Last Remix video for “Thank God I Found You” was filmed in October 1999 at the Rossi Bar in Germany and New York. It premiered on BET's 106 & Park on November 3, 1999, and was directed by Sanaa Hamri. “The remix video was shot in Hamburg and in New York. It's a club feel, very natural,” Mariah explained. “We weren't done with the record yet, I was in the studio the night before singing and the rap wasn't even on it yet, I kinda like to do things spur of the moment. But it's a fun video and there's a really cute puppy in it and some really nice shots of my shoes!”
This video marked Sanaa Hamri's directorial debut, who would later go on to work with people like Jay-Z, Prince and Lenny Kravitz. “One day [Mariah] turned to me and said, ‘You know, you really should direct,’ ” Hamri told CNN. “And then I got the opportunity to direct her in this video called ‘Thank God I Found You (Remix).’ It was extremely natural to me and I realized that Mariah was right — this is where I belong.”
In the United States, the “Thank God I Found You” Single was released on CD and Cassette, including the Album Version and the Celebratory Mix of the song. The CD Maxi Single includes the Make It Last Remix Edit, the Make It Last Remix w/o Rap, the Album Version of “Thank God I Found You” and “Babydoll,” from Mariah's Butterfly album. “Thank God I Found You” was also released on 12" Vinyl, including the Make It Last Remix, the Make It Last Remix Instrumental, the Celebratory Mix and the Bad Boy remix of “Fantasy,” featuring Ol'Dirty Bastard.
Europe saw the release of three “Thank God I Found You” CD Singles, two CD Maxi Singles and a 12" Vinyl. The first Single includes the Album Version and the Celebratory Mix. The second Single includes the Make It Last Remix Edit, the Album Version and the Celebratory Mix. The third CD Single includes the Make It Last Remix Edit and the Make It Last Remix without Rap. The first 4-track CD Maxi Single includes four versions of “Thank God I Found You” (Album Version, Celebratory Mix, Make It Last Remix and Make It Last Remix Instrumental). CD Maxi Single two also contains four versions of the song: Make It Last Remix Edit, Make It Last Remix Edit without Rap, Celebratory Mix and Album Version. The 12" “Thank God I Found You” Vinyl includes three versions of the Make It Last Remix (Edit, Without Rap and Instrumental) and the Celebratory Mix.
“Thank God I Found You” was released on February 28, 2000, in the United Kingdom. CD 1 includes the StarGate Radio Edit, the Make It Last Remix and Babydoll. CD2 was a strictly limited edition which includes the Celebratory Mix of “Thank God I Found You,” “One Sweet Day” and “I'll Be There” and a double-sided poster. The “Thank God I Found You” Single was released on Cassette, including both the Album Version and the Make It Last remix of the song.
In Australia, “Thank God I Found You” was released on CD and cassette, both including the Album Version, the Celebratory Mix and the Make It Last Remix Edit of “Thank God I Found You” as well as the “Heartbreaker” remix with Da Brat & Missy Elliott.
The Japanese “Thank God I Found You” CD single was issued using a different cover and includes the Album Version and two versions of the Make It Last Remix: Main and without Rap.
Mariah:
I would give up everything
Before I'd separate myself from you
After so much suffering
I finally found unvarnished truth
I was all by myself for the longest time
So cold inside
And the hurt from the heartache would not subside
I felt like dying
Until you saved my life
Mariah / Joe / 98 Degrees:
Thank God I found you (You)
I was lost without you (I was lost)
My every wish and every dream
Somehow became reality
When you brought the sunlight
Completed my whole life
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Cause baby I'm so thankful I found you
Joe:
And I will give you everything (Everything)
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do (Oh no)
To ensure your happiness
I'll cherish every part of you
Cause without you beside me I can't survive
Don't want to try (I don't want to try)
If you're keeping me warm each and every night
I'll be alright
Cause I need you in my life
Mariah / Joe / 98 Degrees:
Thank God I found you (I'm thanking you)
I was lost without you (So lost without you)
My every wish and every dream
Somehow became reality
When you brought the sunlight
Completed my whole life
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Cause baby I'm so thankful I found you (And I'm so thankful I found you)
See I was so desolate (So desolate)
Before you came to me
Looking back I guess
It shows that we were destined to shine
After the rain, to appreciate
The gift of what we have
And I'd go through it all over again
To be able to feel this way (This way)
Thank God I found you
I was lost without you (Lost without you)
My every wish and every dream
Somehow became reality
When you brought the sunlight (You brought the light)
Completed my whole life (My whole life)
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Sweet baby I'm so thankful I found you (Oh…)
Thank God I found you
I was lost without you
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude (So I'm overwhelmed)
My baby I'm so thankful I found
You…
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
My baby I'm so thankful I found
You…
Written by Mariah Carey, James Harris III, Terry Lewis.
Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Mariah Carey.
Nas:
Clueminati, MC to the J-O-E (Make it last)
Nastradamus (563)
(Let's make it)
Remix (Make it last forever)
For the world (Ever, ever)
Ill will baby (Don't let our world end)
Desert Storm baby
Check it (Thank God I found you)
This for you
Let's show the world you my golden girl
When we shoppin'
They see us on the streets they say ‘Son scooped a hot one’
You taste like banana cake
You shaped like the number eight
And you my number one candidate
I can't lose you, it's like I'm bettin' in Vegas, crucial
Sweatin' knowin' these players is wantin' you, boo
I get the chills when you in my sight
Feels like it's meant to be right
I feel a rush when I kiss you at night (Thank God I found you)
Joe:
Shorty knows she my baby girl and
Player haters try hard to get her
But she'll be lounging in my cradle tonight
Typically a thug wouldn't say this
But you see your love has got me faded
No girl ever made me feel like you do
Mariah:
Imma be here night after night to
Feel your lovin' arms around me baby
Baby baby baby
You make it all right
No one but you baby baby
Can make me feel
The way you make me, make me, make me feel
Nas / Mariah / Joe:
We make it last, make it last
We make it last, make it last (Make it last)
We make it last, make it last
We make it last, make it last (Don't let our love end)
We make it last, make it last (No, don't you let it end)
We make it last, make it last (Make it last forever and ever)
We make it last, make it last (Thank God I found you)
We make it last, make it last
Joe / Mariah:
Your touch is wonderful, so wonderful
Your love is so marvelous
Joy, that's what I feel
When I'm with you
Nothing, no one (No one boy)
Could compare to what we have (Oh no baby)
Love, it feels so good
I'm so glad you're mine
Oh…
Nas / Mariah / Joe:
We make it last, make it last
We make it last, make it last (Make it last forever)
We make it last, make it last
We make it last, make it last (Don't let our love end)
We make it last, make it last (No no no no)
We make it last, make it last (Make it last forever and ever)
We make it last, make it last (Thank God I found you)
We make it last, make it last
Nas
A thug's dream wife, jeans tight, beautiful skin
Matchin' brown Timbs, hot as jalapeños
She knows how to hide the ninos
The rap Rudolph Valentino
In beef I become the black Al Pacino
Relax sweetie, in Benz you could watch the TV
And lay back and pump Mariah's hot CD
And Imma touch you in the wrong places
Or we could walk through the park
In bubble North Faces, I'm lost in your love
Thank God I found you, you my crown jewel
I'm sayin' boo, the type I'd give my last name to (Make it Last)
At Lovers Lane put the top up
When it start to rain in the parkin' lot
Then we finish doin' our thing
Fog the windows, gettin' very sentimental
Sippin' cosmos with the cherry in the middle
I keep it honest, word to will, that's my promise
Signin' off, truly yours, Nastradamus (Thank God I found you)
Nas / Mariah / Joe:
Repeat: [We make it last, make it last]
No don't you let it end (Don't let our love end)
Make it last (That I found my true love)
(Found love baby)
See I was so lost without your love
I was lost without you
And my every wish and dreams
Became reality (Thank God I found you)
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude
Oh yeah
My baby, I'm so thankful (Thank God I found you)
Thank God I found you
I was so lost without you
My every wish and every dream
Somehow became reality
You brought the sunshine
Completed my whole life
Make it last forever baby
Thank God I found you…
Written by Mariah Carey, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat.
Produced by Clue and Duro and Mariah Carey.
