Songfacts®:

• Babyface is one of the few people in the music industry who can get both Mariah Carey and Kenny G on his song. "Every Time I Close My Eyes" had backup vocals by Mariah and a soprano sax solo by Kenny G. He and Carey first worked together when they teamed to write and produce her 1993 song "Never Forget You." They got together again on her 1995 song "Melt Away," this time with Babyface adding vocals. Mariah gave him a mention in her 2005 hit "We Belong Together," where he's the paragon of heartbreak:
  
  I turn the dial, trying to catch a break
  And then I hear Babyface
• The song was intended as a collaboration between Luther Vandross and Kenny G, but Luther opted out so Babyface kept it for himself, including it on his 1996 album The Day. It became one of his most popular songs as a solo artist, along with "Whip Appeal" and "When Can I See You."
• Babyface tends to explore the extremes of love in his songs: He's either devastated or over-the-moon. In this one, it's bliss, with him thanking his creator for giving him such a wonderful woman.
• The song also appears on Kenny G's 1996 album The Moment without Mariah Carey's vocals. In the version used for the music video, Kenny G's solo is removed.
• Not every superstar singer can pull of background vocals, but Mariah Carey is really good at it, as you can hear on this track. Early in her career she was a backup singer for Brenda K. Starr.