"Can't You See" is a song written by

Toy Caldwell Toy Talmadge Caldwell Jr. (November 13, 1947 – February 25, 1993) was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the 1970s Southern Rock group The Marshall Tucker Band.

The Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. W ...

. The song was originally recorded by the band on their 1973 debut album, ''

'', and released as the album's first single. It was re-released in 1977 and peaked at number 75 on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100. Cover versions of "Can't You See" have charted for

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

(in 1976) and the Zac Brown Band with Kid Rock (2010). A live version, recorded live at the

Performing Arts Center Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to: * A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. :The ...

in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 31, 1974, is included as the final track on the band's 1975 album, '' Searchin' for a Rainbow''. '' Cash Box'' said of it that it showcased "their distinctive guitar and flute sounds." The original recording is noted for its flute introduction and ending, both by

Jerry Eubanks Jerry Eubanks (born March 9, 1950) is an American musician best known as the original saxophonist, keyboardist and flautist for The Marshall Tucker Band. His flute and sax solos were a signature of the band. Eubanks left the Marshall Tucker Band ...

Artistry

The song, musically, is a cross between country rock and

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar specula ...

. The lyrics are noted as being dark, reflecting heartache and "a man running as far away as he can to begin the process of healing himself".

Cover versions

Waylon Jennings

"Can't You See" was covered by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

for his 1975 album '' Hank Williams Jr. and Friends'' and also by

for his 1976 album '' Are You Ready for the Country''. Jennings' version was released as the album's first single in July 1976 and peaked at number 4 on the ''Billboard''

Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sa ...

chart. It also reached number 1 on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Country Tracks chart in Canada.

Other versions

Matt Minglewood's The Minglewood Band recorded a version on 1979's Minglewood Band album. It is a staple in his live shows to this day, and includes a preamble about the song being about loneliness, painting a picture of a man leaving the rural East Coast of Canada for the Big City and how when his love leaves he's lonely.

Halfway to Gone Halfway to Gone is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from New Jersey. The band formed in 1999 when bassist and founding member of Solarized (band), Solarized, Lou Gorra got together with Lee Stuart (Solarized's touring guitarist), ...

Covered the song on their 2002 album Second Season.

Black Stone Cherry Black Stone Cherry is an American rock band, formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They were signed to Roadrunner Records until 2015; the band is now signed to Mascot Label Group. The band consists of Chris Robertson (lead vocals, lead guitar), B ...

covered the song on their 2011 album '' Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea''.

Chart performance

The Marshall Tucker Band

Waylon Jennings

Zac Brown Band with Kid Rock

References

{{authority control 1976 singles 1977 singles 1973 songs Waylon Jennings songs The Marshall Tucker Band songs Zac Brown Band songs Kid Rock songs Capricorn Records singles RCA Records Nashville singles Rock ballads Country ballads