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I Can't Be with You

{{Short description|1995 song by the Cranberries}}

{{Infobox song

| name = I Can't Be with You

| cover = TheCranberries-ICan'tBeWithYou-single.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Cranberries

| album = No Need to Argue

| B-side = "(They Long to Be) Close to You"

| released = {{start date|1995|2|27|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| length = 3:08

| label = Island

| writer =

| producer = Stephen Street

| prev_title = Ode to My Family

| prev_year = 1994

| next_title = Ridiculous Thoughts

| next_year = 1995

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file = I Can't Be With You.ogg

| description = "I Can't Be with You"

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|JIlg0yM0XKg|"I Can't Be With You"}}}}

}}

"I Can't Be with You" is a song by Irish rock band the Cranberries. It was released by Island Records as the third single from their second studio album, No Need to Argue (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 named 'I Can't Be with You' "a mundane pining-away song".Campbell, Chuck (28 October 1994). "Bedtime' With Madonna Is A Bit Drowsy". Knoxville News Sentinel. In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton complimented it as "another epic single" from the Cranberries, adding that O'Riordan's yodelling "sounds as hauntingly lovely as ever".{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending March 11th 1995|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1995/week-ending-march-11th-1995|website=Chart Watch UK|date=5 March 1995|accessdate=18 September 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} Johnny Cigarettes from NME wrote, "Twanging guitars, meandering minor chords, quick burst of yodelling, two indifferent choruses and you're left with an embarrassing mess on the floor."{{cite magazine|first=Johnny|last=Cigarettes|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53386881474/|title=Singles|magazine=NME|date=18 February 1995|page=52|access-date=14 December 2023}} Tony Cross from Smash Hits 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."{{cite magazine|first=Tony|last=Cross|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/54256345015/in/album-72177720323065761|title=New Singles|work=Smash Hits|date=15 February 1995|page=49|access-date=5 February 2025}}

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", "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 in Epping.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/JIlg0yM0XKg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100804104915/http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=JIlg0yM0XKg Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIlg0yM0XKg&t=1m7s| title = The Cranberries - I Can't Be With You (Official Music Video) | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

Track listings

  • 7-inch single
  1. "I Can't Be with You"
  2. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
  • CD single
  1. "I Can't Be with You"
  2. "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
  3. "Empty" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994)
  • Limited-edition CD single
  1. "I Can't Be with You" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994)
  2. "Zombie" (acoustic)
  3. "Daffodil Lament" (live at Feile, Tipperary, 30 July 1994)
  • Australian CD single (cardboard sleeve)
  1. "I Can't Be with You"
  2. "Empty" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994)
  3. "I Can't Be with You" (live on BBC Radio One FM Evening Session, 26 September 1994)

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1995)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|30|artist=The Cranberries|song=I Can't Be with You|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1995/MM-1995-03-25.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=12|issue=12|page=15|date=25 March 1995|access-date=30 May 2020}}

|57

{{single chart|France|24|artist=The Cranberries|song=I Can't Be with You|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2726526#page/n23/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.4. '95 – 7.4. '95)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=24|date=1 April 1995|access-date=9 October 2019}}

|1

{{single chart|Ireland2|21|song=I Can't Be with You|rowheader=true|access-date=9 October 2019}}
scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/the-cranberries/the-cranberries-i-can-t-be-with-you-15239|title=The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=18 July 2021}}

|18

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Cranberries&titel=I+Can%27t+Be+With+You&cat=s|title=The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You|publisher=Single Top 100|language=nl|access-date=18 July 2021}}

|11

{{single chart|New Zealand|25|artist=The Cranberries|song=I Can't Be with You|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Scotland|26|date=19960318|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|23|date=19950318|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1995)

!Position

scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2935413?iabr=on#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1995|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=2 January 1996|access-date=30 May 2020}}

|30

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|27 February 1995

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD1|cassette}}

|rowspan="3"|Island

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-02-25.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=43|date=25 February 1995|access-date=24 June 2021}}

scope="row"|Japan

|5 March 1995

|Mini-CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/61646/products/188031/1/|title=アイ・キャント・ビー・ウィズ・ユー {{!}} ザ・クランベリーズ|trans-title=I Can't Be with You {{!}} The Cranberries|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=7 February 2024}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|6 March 1995

|CD2

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=31|date=4 March 1995}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{The Cranberries}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1995 singles

Category:1994 songs

Category:The Cranberries songs

Category:Music videos directed by Samuel Bayer

Category:Number-one singles in Iceland

Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Street

Category:Songs written by Dolores O'Riordan

Category:Songs written by Noel Hogan

Category:Island Records singles

Category:1990s in Irish music