I Can't

Album: yet to be titled (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "I Can't" is a driving, soulful number that explores themes of heartbreak and the struggle to move on after a relationship ends. Reba McEntire sings about feeling overwhelmed by her own emotional turmoil, but there's also a flicker of hope in the second verse where she talks of finding "higher ground," a place where she'll be "as good as new."
  • Canadian country music artist Victoria Banks originally wrote the song with Tania Hancheroff and Tia Sillers in the late 2000s. She recorded it for her second album, When You Can Fly. When McEntire heard the song, it resonated deep within her soul.

    "I love the lyrics of this song. I love the melody," she said. "I really am drawn to minor chords in a song, and that's what this one has. A lot of people tell me they can relate to it."

    McEntire covered the song in 2024 as the lead single from 33rd album.
  • McEntire first teased the release of "I Can't" during her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on May 2, 2024. Five days later, she kicked off season 25 of The Voice's first live results episode (where she serves as a judge) with a fiery live performance.

    A few days after that, McEntire doubled down on "I Can't" at the ACM Awards, where she not only hosted the show but closed it with an emotional rendition of this song.
  • Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell) produced the song. "We stripped it down, and then we recorded it and then started adding more things to the track," said McEntire of the recording process. "It was a lot of fun. We had a great time in the studio."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.