"Everytime" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as the third single from her fourth full length studio album, In the Zone. It was released on March 20, 2004, by Jive Records.
Background[]
After Spears ended her relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake, she made friends with her backing vocalist Annet Artani. They both started writing songs together at Spears' house in Los Angeles, and then traveled to Lombardy, Italy, where "Everytime" was written. Spears composed the music on her piano, and she developed the lyrics with Artani. The song was written as a response to Timberlake's 2002 single "Cry Me a River" as well as various radio interviews, according to Artani. However, Spears has neither confirmed or denied this allegations. "Everytime" is considered a pop ballad with breathy vocals. Its lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Notice me, take my hand
Why are we strangers when our love is strong?
Why carry on without me?
[Chorus]
Every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
[Verse 2]
I make believe that you are here
It's the only way I see clear
What have I done?
You seem to move on easy
[Chorus]
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
[Bridge]
I may have made it rain
Please, forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song's my sorry
At night, I pray
That soon your face will fade away
[Chorus]
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
Composition[]
"Everytime" is a pop ballad. It begins with a piano introduction accompanying Spears's breathy vocals, which build from soft to strong through the song. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, "Everytime" is composed in the key of E♭ major, with a tempo of 110 beats per minute. Spears's vocal range spans from the low-tone of A♭3 to the high-tone of E♭5. "Everytime" lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. In the song, the singer explains she feels unable to continue in lines such as "Everytime I try to fly I fall / Without my wings I feel so small". Jennifer Vineyard of MTV compared the song lyrically to another ballad from In the Zone, "Shadow", since they both speak "about how reminders of a lover can still linger after he's gone." During an interview with Jennifer Vineyard of MTV, Spears said about "Everytime", "It's about heartbreak, it's about your first love, your first true love. That's something all people can relate to, because you all have that first love that you think you're going to be with the rest of your life." When asked if "Everytime" was about Timberlake during an interview with Diane Sawyer in Prime Time, she responded "I'll let the song speak for itself."
Music Video[]
Synopsis[]
Inspired by the cinematography of Leaving Las Vegas, the music video for "Everytime" portrays Spears as a star hounded by paparazzi, who drowns in her bathtub when she starts bleeding from a wound in her head. In the hospital, doctors fail to resuscitate her while a child is born in the next room, implying she reincarnated. The original treatment would have had Spears killing herself from a drug overdose, but the plot was removed after it received criticism by organizations such as Kidscape, who perceived it as a glamorization of suicide. Critics noted the video for its religious references to The Passion of the Christ, Kaballah and stigmata, and for predicting Spears' future struggles with fame.
Credits[]
- Britney Spears – vocals, songwriting, production
- Annet Artani – songwriting
- Guy Sigsworth – co-production, all instruments
- Sean McGhee – mixing, engineering, editing
Track Listings[]
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Single Artwork[]
Trivia[]
- The song was recorded in November 2002, making it one of the first songs from In the Zone to be recorded.
Video[]
Britney Spears - Everytime (Official HD Video)