In this song, Mariah sings about a relationship that didn't work out. Unlike "We Belong Together," which was a huge hit from the album, she sounds confident instead of heartbroken. She makes sure her ex remembers the true love they had and reminds him that his new girl will never be her.
This was Mariah Carey's 17th American #1 song, putting Carey into a tie for second place with Elvis Presley among artists with the most #1 hits in the Rock Era in the US, behind the Beatles' 20.
Carey tries to be vague about the meanings of her songs because she wants her fans to connect with the lyrics on their own terms. She told MTV News in 2005: "I try not to get too specific so that people can apply the lyrics to their own lives. When I was growing up and listening to the radio and I would hear a song that reminded me of a certain person or a situation or whatever, I would want to be able to completely connect it to that moment. And then if I heard someone explaining it and making it into something totally different, it ruined it for me. So I kind of like to keep it open for people's imaginations. It evokes something different depending on who listens to it and at what time. 'Don't Forget About Us' could give you a good, happy memory, or you could be miserable, crying, listening to it over and over. All in all, I think it's good to have music you can live vicariously through, and that's what a lot of people have told me this record has been for them."
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