[Intro: Krayzie Bone] Break-breakdown Steady breaking me on down Break-breakdown Steady breaking me on down Break-breakdown Steady breaking me on down Break-breakdown Steady breaking me on down
[Verse 1: Mariah Carey] You called yesterday to basically say That you care for me but that you're just not in love Immediately, I pretended to be feeling similarly And led you to believe I was okay To just walk away from the one thing That's unyielding and sacred to me
[Chorus: Mariah Carey] Well, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you But in reality I'm slowly losing my mind (losing my mind) Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I'm dying inside (Underneath the guise of a smile) Friends ask me how I feel and I lie convincingly 'Cause I don't want to reveal the fact that that I'm suffering So I wear my disguise 'til I go home at night And turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry
[Verse 2: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] So, what do you do when somebody you're devoted to Suddenly just stops loving you and it seems they haven't got a clue Of the pain that rejection is putting you through Do you cling to your pride and sing "I will survive" (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) Do you lash out and say "How dare you leave this way" (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) Do you hold on in vain as they just slip away (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on)
[Chorus: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] Well, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it Break-breakdown And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you Steady breaking me on down But in reality I'm slowly losing my mind (losing my mind) Break-breakdown Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I'm dying inside (Under the smile) Steady breaking me on down Friends ask me how I feel and I lie convincingly (How do you feel?) Break-breakdown 'Cause I don't want to reveal the fact that I'm suffering Steady breaking me on down So I wear my disguise 'til I go home at night Break-breakdown And turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry Steady breaking me on down (I cry...)
Yeah Come on, yeah Come on, come on
[Hook: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] I don't wanna break down (Breakdown, breakdown) Break-breakdown (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) I don't wanna break down (Breakdown, breakdown) Steady breaking me on down (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) I don't wanna break down (Breakdown, breakdown) Break-breakdown (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) I don't wanna break down (Breakdown, breakdown) Steady breaking me on down (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on)
[Verse 3: Wish Bone] Gonna break you down Only if you let it Everyday crazy situations rocking my mind Trying to break me down But I won't let it Forget it
[Verse 4: Krayzie Bone] I be feeling like you're breaking me down Kicking me around, stressing me out I think you better go and get out And let me release some stress
[Verse 5: Wish Bone] Don't ever wanna feel no pain Hoping for the sun but it looks like rain Lord, I just wanna maintain
[Verse 6: Krayzie Bone] Yeah, I'm feeling pressures y'all But nevertheless Krayzie won't fall It's over, it's ending here
[Chorus: Mariah Carey] Well, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it (I'm trying) And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you But in reality I'm slowly losing my mind (I'm gradually dying inside) Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I'm dying inside (In my heart as I cry) Friends ask me how I feel and I lie convincingly (How do I feel?) 'Cause I don't want to reveal the fact that I'm suffering (I'm losing my mind) So I wear my disguise 'til I go home at night And turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry (So I breakdown and cry)
[Chorus: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] Well, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it Gotta get control and roll roll roll on And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you Gotta get control and roll roll roll on But in reality I'm slowly losing my mind Gotta get control and roll roll roll on Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I'm dying inside Gotta get control and roll roll roll on Friends ask me how I feel and I lie convincingly (How do I feel?) Gotta get control and roll roll roll on 'Cause I don't want to reveal the fact that I'm suffering (What do you think? You gotta know I'm suffering, so I...) Gotta get control and roll roll roll on So I wear my disguise 'til I go home at night (I turn off the lights and breakdown and cry) Gotta get control and roll roll roll on And turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry Gotta get control and roll roll roll on
[Chorus: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] Well, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it Break-breakdown (Cry, cry, cry) And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you Steady breaking me on down But in reality I'm slowly losing my mind Break-breakdown (Cry, cry, cry) Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I'm dying inside Steady breaking me on down (Cry, cry, cry) Friends ask me how I feel and I lie convincingly Break-breakdown 'Cause I don't want to reveal the fact that I'm suffering Steady breaking me on down (Cry, cry, cry) So I wear my disguise 'til I go home at night Break-breakdown And turn down all the lights and then I break down and cry Steady breaking me on down
[Outro: Mariah Carey & Krayzie Bone] I don't wanna break down Break-breakdown (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on) I don't wanna break down Steady breaking me on down (Gotta get control and roll roll roll on)
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About
Genius Annotation2 contributors
“Breakdown” is the 3rd single from Mariah Carey’s fifth studio album, Butterfly (1997)
Due to Billboard rules at the time, Breakdown was not allowed to chart on the official Hot 100, but it
peaked at #53 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay chart and #41 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
Breakdown, while not a successful single, remains one of Mariah’s most underrated and fan favorite songs, along with songs like Underneath the Stars and Bliss. It is loved widely by Mariah fans everywhere not simply for its vocal content, but its incredibly powerful and masterful lyrics detailing a story of a romance gone wrong.
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