Song of the Day — August 27
“Can’t You See” — The Marshall Tucker Band
“Can’t You See” — The Marshall Tucker Band
Southern rock gets a bad rap.
The more stratified music becomes, and the more divided we become, some outstanding music will get lost in the shuffle.
I guess that a lot of this Southern rock music gets marginalized because of some real or imagined political alignments. And that shit is real divisive at the moment.
It’s a mistake to do that. A love song is a love song, and it’s either good or bad. And that is all subjective.
I admit, someone blathering on about their beliefs can tarnish a song’s potential impact. As does finding out about someone’s despicable behavior.
But as near as I can tell, neither of that is representative of The Marshall Tucker Band. Besides, “Can’t You See” is a song about a busted heart and heartbreak doesn’t play party politics.
“Can’t You See” was written by Toy Caldwell, the band’s lead guitarist, and primary songwriter, and on this song, its lead vocalist.
Caldwell did a tour in Vietnam and, after returning home, got married and picked back up playing music with his high school friends, George McCorkle, Jerry Eubanks, and Doug Gray.
[Fun Fact: The Spartanburg, South Carolina chapter of the Marine Corps League is named the Hutchings-Caldwells Detachment in honor of Toy, his brother Tommy and another Marine, Pvt Nolan Ryan Hutchings who was killed during the Iraq Invasion in 2003.]
Those four, along with Paul Riddle and Toy’s brother Tommy, would go on to start The Marshall Tucker Band — named after the piano tuner who owned the band’s rehearsal hall …or a key chain they saw, stories differ.
“Can’t You See” was the first single from The Marshall Tucker Band’s self-titled debut album. The song itself remains wildly popular, but in 1973 it didn’t make a dent on any chart.
Fortunately, FM radio was ramping up, and the song got a lot of play there (as did many Southern rock bands), and it managed to creep into the top ten on some Billboard magazine chart called Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. It peaked at #8. Waylon Jennings had a bigger hit with it in 1976, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Country chart.
Also, working to the band’s advantage was that they weren’t “just” a Southern rock band. Their music incorporated bluegrass and country as well as elements of psychedelic, jazz, R&B, gospel, and folk. For better or worse, The Marshall Tucker Band began laying the groundwork for “jam bands.”
The song opens with a lonesome flute solo by Jerry Eubanks before sliding into its painful guitar intro. The flute and guitar all tee up Caldwell’s impassioned cry letting you know this isn’t just another rock song:
I’m gonna take a freight train, down at the station
I don’t care where it goes
Gonna climb me a mountain, the highest mountain
Jump off, nobody gonna know
While the threat of suicide is there, Caldwell makes it sound more like a statement and less like a threat. It’s just sadness. And who among us has not been so heartbroken that the thought has not reared its head? It’s heartbreak, and at times that can make you feel like ending your life …before that voice in your head kicks in saying, “it’s just heartbreak.”
“Can’t You See” is the ultimate song about “ghosting”…before ghosting was a thing:
I’m gonna find me a hole in the wall
I gonna crawl inside and die
’ Cause my lady now, mean ol’ woman lord, never told me goodbye
The seriousness of the subject matter is heard in both Caldwell’s voice as well as in the music. Producer Paul Hornsby did a brilliant job of texturing the song with acoustic guitar, piano, and a straightforward beat allowing both Caldwell’s voice and guitar playing rise above. It’s easily one of the more sublime songs of the Southern rock genre.
If you’ve never heard “Can’t You See,” you may identify with it IF:
You’ve had someone inexplicably leave you.
You’ve had your heartbroken
You’ve ever been in love with someone who doesn’t love you.
You’re human
Of course, you have to have to be tolerant of a little “twang” in your song. But, there is never that much twang in most Southern rock.
It’s been said that The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” is to their career as “Freebird” is to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s, which is fair. Both songs time out at well over five minutes (the album cuts of both are six and nine minutes respectively) and thematically, they’re partners.
The two songs are the cause and effect of a romance that goes bust.
If you listen to “Freebird” and “Can’t You See” back to back, what you get is a classic Southern romantic tragedy.
Love and heartbreak is hardly the province of just men, so I’ve created a playlist that plays it from both perspectives (man/woman & woman/man), take your pick:
“Freebird” — Lynyrd Skynrd
“Can’t You See” — Illona Knopfler
“Freebird” — Wynonna
“Can’t You See” — The Marshall Tucker Band
Ultimate Classic Rock named “Can’t You See” as the #1 Southern Rock song and “Sweet Home Alabama” was second saying:
“There seems to be something about this particular song that makes the majority (very ironically) close their eyes and sway their head from left to right while singing the song’s famous ‘Can’t you see’ line. That universal connection earns this song the top spot on our Southern Rock songs list.”
Can’t You See
I’m gonna take a freight train, down at the station
I don’t care where it goes
Gonna climb me a mountain, the highest mountain
Jump off, nobody gonna know
Can’t you see oh can’t you see
What that woman, she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see, can’t you see
What that woman lord been doin’ to me
I’m gonna find me a hole in the wall
I gonna crawl inside and die
’ Cause my lady now, mean ol’ woman lord, never told me goodbye
Can’t you see oh can’t you see
What that woman lord she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see, can’t you see
What that woman lord been doin’ to me
I gonna buy me a ticket now, as far as I can
Ain’t a-never comin’ back
Ride me a Southbound
All the way to Georgia now
Till the train run out of track
Can’t you see oh can’t you see
What that woman, she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see, can’t you see
What that woman, she been doin’ to me, oh lord
Can’t you see oh can’t you see
What that woman lord she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see oh can’t you see
What that woman, she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see (oh she’s such a crazy lady) can’t you see
What that woman (what a woman) she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see (lord I can’t stand) oh can’t you see
What that woman, oh she been doin’ to me
Can’t you see (I’m gonna take a freight train) can’t you see
(I’m down at the station lord) what that woman (ain’t never gonna go back) been doin’ to me
Can’t you see oh can’t you see (gonna ride me the southbound)
(All the way to Georgia) what that woman (till the train run out of track) been doin’ to me
“Can’t You See” is a signature song for The Marshall Tucker Band and has been covered by everyone from Waylon Jennings to The Zac Brown Band to Poison. A well-written song is a well-written song, regardless of who covers it.
Having your heart broken sucks. Full stop.
Falling in love with the wrong person sucks. Full stop.
But that shit happens, and sometimes fantastic artistry results from it.
Southern rock is loaded with songs like those. Hell, most of rock and roll is packed with songs like those.
It’s the rare song that can both transcend their genre and time. And that’s exactly what The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” does.