Last night we were driving around in that warm tropical breeze (and I say tropical because it felt like Florida here in Michigan, no joke) listening to Mariah Carey's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel album. When the album first came out I was adamant that it was one of her best, and after many months of not hearing the album and then re-listening, I still stand by that statement. I never agree with the critics (why would ANYONE want to align with somebody who calls themselves a critic?) and I don't care about the sales. The album is pure platinum to me.

Anyway, H.A.T.E.U. was my favorite track from day one though that's a tough decision. The vocals are lush and the music conjures up images of tearful rain and somber wind chimes. I love the line, "We went round for round til we knocked love out, we were laying in the ring not making a sound," and "I sit and press rewind and watch us every night."

For the longest time I thought "laying in the ring" was "laying in the rain" and I imagined a couple after a really knock-down-drag-out verbal fight in the rain, literally lying on the ground in exhaustion, trying to catch their breath and knowing that it's over. I prefer that image, to tell you the truth!

I also thought "I sit and press rewind and watch us every night" was "I sit and press rewind and watch our sad goodbye," which I kind of prefer too.

I may have to use these ideas in a completely unplagiaristic kind of way. ;-)

My favorite part of the song is when she says, "I just wanna hold you, touch you, feel you, be near you, I miss you baby baby baby." It's at the climax of the song and it feels so completely heartfelt. So heartfelt, in fact, that for me, in my own mind this takes me to a whole other place of missing my loved ones who are no longer here. I get chills when I sing that line. Mariah sings about knocking love out, but this song itself is a knockout as far as I'm concerned. This will always be one of my favorites.