"I Can't Be with You" is a song by Irish rock band

the Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock music, rock band formed in Limerick in 1989. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan (Noel's brother), and drummer Fergal Lawler. O'Riord ...

. It was released by

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

as the third single from their second studio album, ''

No Need to Argue ''No Need to Argue'' is the second studio album by Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, released on 3 October 1994, through Island Records. It is the band's best-selling album, and has sold over 17 million copies worldwide as of 2014. I ...

'' (1994), except in North America, where it was released as the fourth and final single of the album. The song achieved minor chart success in most of the European countries where it was released, peaking at number 21 in their native Ireland. In Iceland, the song reached number one for a week in April 1995, becoming the Cranberries' third consecutive number-one single there. Its music video was directed by Samuel Bayer.

Critical reception

Chuck Campbell from ''

Knoxville News Sentinel The ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', also known as ''Knox News'', is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: '' ...

'' named 'I Can't Be with You' "a mundane pining-away song". In his weekly UK chart commentary,

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a British music critic and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worke ...

complimented it as "another epic single" from

, adding that O'Riordan's yodelling "sounds as hauntingly lovely as ever". Johnny Cigarettes from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' wrote, "Twanging guitars, meandering minor chords, quick burst of yodelling, two indifferent choruses and you're left with an embarrassing mess on the floor." Tony Cross from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'' gave it four out of five and named it "the best pop song" of the album, saying, "Their most complete song since ' Linger', 'I Can't Be with You' is a crackling anthem about the pain of lost love. Like a West of Ireland coastline, it's raw yet beautiful, powerful yet delicate... And it's great to freak out to, so, er, just buy it."

Music video

The accompanying music video to "I Can't Be with You" was directed by Samuel Bayer who was also the director of several of the band's other hit singles: "

Zombie A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...

", " Ode to My Family", and " Ridiculous Thoughts". The video shows lead singer Dolores O'Riordan wearing 1920s clothing, kneeling beside a bed and bathing a child in a small bathtub. She then appears walking through desolate buildings and streets with a wooden torch with an old man dressed as an angel often lurking in the background. Throughout the video the band is seen playing in grassland while wearing red suits. At the end of the video, the old man returns to the location where he was seen at the beginning of the clip. Parts of the video was filmed at

Copped Hall Copped Hall, also known as Copt Hall or Copthall, is a mid-18th-century English country house close to Waltham Abbey, Essex, which has been undergoing restoration since 1999. Today, Copped Hall refers to the upstanding house, while Copt Hal ...

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Track listings

* 7-inch single # "I Can't Be with You" # "

(They Long to Be) Close to You "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David with sections of the early version written by Cathy Steeves. The best-known version is that recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album ' ...

" (

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

) * CD single # "I Can't Be with You" # "(They Long to Be) Close to You" # "Empty" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994) * Limited-edition CD single # "I Can't Be with You" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994) # "Zombie" (acoustic) # "Daffodil Lament" (live at Feile, Tipperary, 30 July 1994) * Australian CD single (cardboard sleeve) # "I Can't Be with You" # "Empty" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994) # "I Can't Be with You" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1995 singles 1994 songs The Cranberries songs Music videos directed by Samuel Bayer Number-one singles in Iceland Song recordings produced by Stephen Street Songs written by Dolores O'Riordan Songs written by Noel Hogan Island Records singles 1990s in Irish music