You Can

Album: Single Release Only (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jamey Johnson penned this love song with frequent Kip Moore collaborator Dan Couch back in the mid-2000s. He never felt like it was the right time to release the tune until February 2015 when he made it available to his fans on iTunes. "I still had a bunch of songs that didn't seem to fit this record or that one," he told Rolling Stone Country, "but some of them are my favorite songs."
  • Johnson released the song through his own label, Big Gassed Records, which he founded in 2014. "What I'm looking to do is supply my music to my fans. That way we don't have to keep 'em waiting four years for another album," he explained. "We don't have to figure out where we can slide in the line. We just do it."
  • The song finds Johnson likening the power his woman has over him to various unachievable feats.

    I can't win a fight just by puttin' down your mother
    Can't make a baby just by looking at each other
    Can't go to sleep unless I close my eyes
    And can't nobody make a grown man cry like you can


    "I just started off these lines and batted a few at [Dan], and we found we were loaded with 'em," Johnson recalled. "We had enough to write this one down quick."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.