in the music video, carey is seen in a limousine recounting an encounter she shared on a rainy night. additionally, past scenes of the event are shown, with carey caressing her lover at a roof-top party. during the videos climax, carey open the limousines sun-roof and stands in the rain, trying to recapture the moments she shared in the rain. aside from the japanese concerts, carey performed the song live during her butterfly world tour in 1998. due to the song's limited release, "the roof" did not chart in most major music markets, with the exception of the netherlands and the united kingdom, where it peaked at numbers 63 and 96, respectively.