"Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)", also known as "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)/Still in Love" or "Can'tcha Say" is a song written by
Tom Scholz
Donald Thomas Scholz (born March 10, 1947) is an American musician. He is the founder, main songwriter, primary guitarist and only remaining original member of the rock band Boston. He has appeared on every Boston album.
Scholz is an MIT-traine ...
that was released by
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
on their 1986 album ''
Third Stage
''Third Stage'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on September 26, 1986, on MCA Records. It was recorded at Boston co-founder Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, strained, six-year period "between floods ...
''. It was released as the third single from the album and reached #20 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it their last Top 40 hit in the United States.
It also reached #7 on the ''
Billboard''
Mainstream Rock chart
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...
and #27 on the ''
Cashbox'' chart. In Canada, the song peaked at #88.
Although not released until 1986, Boston recorded "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" over 1981, 1982 and 1983.
The released version seamlessly combines what were originally separate songs.
According to the ''Third Stage'' liner notes, the song is about a reunion.
[ Scholz used the ]Rockman Rockman may refer to:
* ''Rockman'', the Japanese name for the ''Mega Man'' franchise
** Rockman, the Japanese name of Mega Man (character), the titular protagonist of the ''Mega Man'' video games
* Alexis Rockman (born 1962), American contemporary ...
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...
he invented to produce an effect in which the electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
s sound like violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
s.[ "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" was the first song on which Scholz recorded his guitar part using a Rockman, in conjunction with a ten band equalizer for changing sounds.
'']Boston Phoenix
''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' an ...
'' critic Milo Miles criticizes "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" as "tedium."[ However, '' Billboard'' regarded the song as one of the "best bets" to follow up on the success of the #1 single from ''Third Stage'', " Amanda." '' Cash Box'' praised Scholz' guitar playing and said that ]Brad Delp
Bradley Edward Delp (June 12, 1951 – March 9, 2007) was an American musician who was the original lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Boston. He joined Boston in 1970 and performed on the band's first three albums.
Early life
...
's vocals are "stacked to the sky" to give "an overall rock/choir effect."Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' critic Steve Pond praises the "persuasive" sound at the climax, which he likens to the sound of "a couple dozen guitars" revving up. Jerry Spangler of the '' Deseret News'' praised the song as a ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
that sounds like a "sure-fire winner". Paul Elliott of TeamRock.com rated it Boston's 8th greatest song.[ Elliott said that this song along with "Still in Love" are "two great AOR songs in one." Philip Booth of the ''Lakeland Ledger'' praises the song's " a cappella vocal opening." Tom Alesia of '']The Wisconsin State Journal
The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...
'' regards the song's title as Boston's worst.
Despite its chart success, "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" was omitted from Boston's 1997 ''Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' album, for which the ''San Antonio Express
The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...
'' criticized the package.
Charts
References
{{authority control
Boston (band) songs
1981 songs
1987 singles
Songs written by Tom Scholz
Song recordings produced by Tom Scholz
MCA Records singles