I Can See Clearly Now#Jimmy Cliff version

{{About||the albums|I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash album)|and|I Can See Clearly Now (Gospel Gangstaz album)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = I Can See Clearly Now

| cover = I can see clearly now (Johnny Nash).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Johnny Nash

| album = I Can See Clearly Now

| B-side = How Good It Is

| released = June 23, 1972{{cn|date=June 2025}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 2:45

| label = Epic

| writer = Johnny Nash

| producer = Johnny Nash

| prev_title = Stir It Up

| prev_year = 1972

| next_title = There Are More Questions Than Answers

| next_year = 1972

| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|g_rB4v75jqU|"I Can See Clearly Now"}}}}

}}

"I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash. It was the lead single from his twelfth album, I Can See Clearly Now (1972), and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box charts. It also reached No. 1 in Canada and South Africa. The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years, including a hit version by Lee Towers that reached No. 19 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1982, and another recorded by Jimmy Cliff for the motion picture soundtrack of Cool Runnings that peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.

Writing and recording

After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc.,{{cite web |title=The Fabulous Five |website=Trojan Records |url=https://www.trojanrecords.com/artist/the-fabulous-five/ |author=Stephen Nye |access-date=June 7, 2018}} and produced it himself. The song's arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences, as Nash had earlier collaborated with Bob Marley{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Howard |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/bob-marley--the-american-connection_10685761 |title=Bob Marley: the American connection |work=The Jamaica Observer |date=February 3, 2012 |access-date=August 30, 2018 |archive-date=August 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831035417/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/bob-marley--the-american-connection_10685761 |url-status=dead }} and his approach drew strongly from Marley's reggae style. The instrumental break was played by Francis Monkman on a Moog synthesizer.{{Cite web|url=https://forum.moogmusic.com/viewtopic.php?t=8053|title=First ever Reggae-hit to feature a Moog modular - Moog Music Forum|website=forum.moogmusic.com}}{{better source needed|reason=blog/forum source|date=April 2025}}

Chart performance

After making modest chart advances for a month, the RIAA-certified gold single unexpectedly took only two weeks to vault from No. 20 to No. 5 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 4, 1972, remaining atop this chart for four weeks, and also spent the same four weeks atop the adult contemporary chart.Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications).

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

Chart (1972–1973)

!Peak
position

align="left"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 |title=Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) |website=Australian-charts.com |access-date=October 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

Austria (Hitradio Ö3){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/oe3_1972.asp |title=Ö3-HITPARADE - 30.07.1972 |first= |last= |publisher=austriancharts.at |date= |access-date=October 8, 2024}}

| style="text-align:center;"|9

align="left"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

align="left"|Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM){{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4228&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4228.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4228 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=November 18, 1972 |access-date=December 8, 2018}}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

align="left"|Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)Irish Single Chart [http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement Irishcharts.ie] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |date=June 2, 2009 }} (Retrieved August 9, 2008)

| style="text-align:center;"|9

Israel (IBA)August 6, 1972

| style="text-align:center;"|23

align="left"|New Zealand (Listener){{cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=718#n_view_location |title=flavour of new zealand - search listener |website=Flavourofnz.co.nz |access-date=October 7, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|5

align="left"|South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(N).html|access-date=September 5, 2018}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

align="left"|UK Singles (OCC)UK Singles Chart [https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/johnny-nash-i-can-see-clearly-now/ Official Charts Company] (Retrieved September 21, 2023)

| style="text-align:center;"|5

align="left"|US Bestselling Soul Singles (Billboard)Billboard [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p108898|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com] (Retrieved August 9, 2008)

| style="text-align:center;"|38

align="left"|US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks (Billboard)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

class="wikitable"
align="left"\|Chart (1989) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Peak position
align="left"\|UK Singles (OCC)UK Singles Chart (1989 release) [https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/johnny-nash-i-can-see-clearly-now/] (Retrieved September 21, 2023) \| style="text-align:center;"\|54

class="wikitable"

align="left"|Chart (1989)

! style="text-align:center;"|Peak
position

align="left"|UK Singles (OCC)UK Singles Chart (1989 release) [https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/johnny-nash-i-can-see-clearly-now/] (Retrieved September 21, 2023)

| style="text-align:center;"|54

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

Chart (1972)

!Rank

Australia (Kent Music Report)

| style="text-align:center;"|46

Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine |title=RPM's Top 100 Singles of '72 |magazine=RPM|date=January 13, 1973|page=20}}

| style="text-align:center;"|35

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web |url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427223218/http://musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm |archive-date=April 27, 2017 |url-status=dead }}

| style="text-align:center;"|47

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=I Can See Clearly Now|artist=Johnny Nash|type=single|award=Gold|id=13473|access-date=November 5, 2024|relyear=1972|certyear=2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Johnny Nash|title=I Can See Clearly Now|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2022|id=15898-1413-1|access-date=December 2, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Johnny Nash|title=I Can See Clearly Now|award=Gold|relyear=1972|certyear=1972}}

Jimmy Cliff version

{{Infobox song

| name = I Can See Clearly Now

| cover = I Can See Clearly Now (cover art).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Jimmy Cliff

| album = Cool Runnings: Music from the Motion Picture

| B-side = "Sweet Jamaica" by Tony Rebel

| released = {{start date|1993|10}}{{cite magazine|title=Reggae Potential Realized on Radio|last=Borzillo|first=Carrie|author-link=Carrie Borzillo|magazine=Billboard|volume=105|issue=40|page=97|date=October 2, 1993|quote=...and Jimmy Cliff's 'I Can See Clearly Now' is going to AC radio and top 40 this week.}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop-reggae

| length = 3:16

| label = Chaos

| writer = Johnny Nash

| producer = Paul Henton

| prev_title = Samba Reggae

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

| next_year = 1994

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|MrHxhQPOO2c|"I Can See Clearly Now"}}}}

}}

Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Cliff recorded a cover of the song for the 1993 movie Cool Runnings.{{cite book |first=Alex P. |last=King |title=Hit-parade – 20 ans de tubes |publisher=Pascal |year=2004 |place=Paris |page=341 |language=fr |isbn=2-35019-009-9}} It was released as a single in October 1993 by Chaos label, reaching No. 18 and 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. Internationally, the song reached No. 1 in France, Iceland, and New Zealand. In 2005, after the song was used as the opening theme for the Japanese television drama series Engine, it was released in Japan and peaked at No. 45 on the Oricon chart. The music video for this version was directed by Academy Award nominated film director Scott Hamilton Kennedy.{{Cite news|url=https://dceff.org/filmmaker/kennedy-scott-hamilton/|title=Kennedy, Scott Hamilton – Environmental Film Festival|work=Environmental Film Festival|access-date=July 30, 2018}}

=Critical reception=

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Cliff manages to breathe freshness into this oft-covered pop nugget. His laid-back vocal is matched by a relatively faithful arrangement (except for the delicate reggae flavors). Already amassing praise at adult formats, track is a good bet for eventual top 40 success."{{cite magazine|first= Larry |last= Flick |title= Single Reviews |magazine= Billboard |date= October 2, 1993 |page= 75 |access-date= October 27, 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-10-02.pdf |author-link= Larry Flick}}

=Charts=

==Weekly charts==

Chart (1993–1994) !Peak position
class="wikitable sortable"
{{single chart\|Australia\|17\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|32\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now\|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|16\|chartid=2347\|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
{{single chart\|Canadaadultcontemporary\|26\|chartid=2386\|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
{{single chart\|Canadadance\|9\|chartid=2395\|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-07-09.pdf\|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=11\|issue=28\|date=July 9, 1994\|page=17\|access-date=February 2, 2020}} \|align="center"\|18
Europe (European AC Radio){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-21.pdf\|title=Adult Contemporary Europe Top 25\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=11\|issue=21\|date=May 21, 1994\|page=30\|access-date=May 28, 2023}} \|align="center"\|11
Europe (European Dance Radio){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-03-26.pdf\|title=European Dance Radio Top 25\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=11\|issue=13\|date=March 26, 1994\|page=26\|access-date=May 23, 2023}} \|align="center"\|18
{{single chart\|France\|1\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now}}
{{single chart\|Germany\|52\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now\|songid=7816\|access-date=May 16, 2019}}
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news\|url=https://timarit.is/page/2625249#page/n1/mode/2up\|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (14.04.1994 – 20.04.1994)\|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir\|language=is\|page=20\|date=April 14, 1994\|access-date=March 13, 2018}} \|align="center"\|1
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|39\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|1\|artist=Jimmy Cliff\|song=I Can See Clearly Now}}
{{single chart\|Scotland\|26\|date=19940319\|access-date=December 6, 2019}}
{{single chart\|UK\|23\|date=19940326}}
UK Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-09.pdf\|title=The Airplay Chart\|magazine=Music Week\|date=April 9, 1994\|page=20\|access-date=May 23, 2025}} \|align="center"\|6
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|18\|artist=Jimmy Cliff}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|9\|artist=Jimmy Cliff}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|98\|artist=Jimmy Cliff}}
{{single chart\|Billboardpopsongs\|7\|artist=Jimmy Cliff}}
US Cash Box Top 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1993/CB-1993-12-18.pdf\|title=Top 100 Pop Singles\|magazine=Cash Box\|volume=LVII\|issue=17\|date=December 18, 1993\|page=10\|access-date=April 25, 2024}} \|align="center"\|14

class="wikitable"
Chart (2005) !Peak position
Japan (Oricon){{cite web\|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/83481/products/599806/1/\|title=ジミー・クリフ {{!}} アイ・キャン・シー・クリアリー・ナウ\|trans-title=Jimmy Cliff {{!}} I Can See Clearly Now\|publisher=Oricon\|language=ja\|access-date=February 15, 2025}} \|align="center"\|45

class="wikitable"

Chart (2005)

!Peak
position

Japan (Oricon){{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/83481/products/599806/1/|title=ジミー・クリフ {{!}} アイ・キャン・シー・クリアリー・ナウ|trans-title=Jimmy Cliff {{!}} I Can See Clearly Now|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=February 15, 2025}}

|align="center"|45

==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1994)

!Position

Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-12-24.pdf|title=1994 in Review – Sales Charts|magazine=Music & Media|volume=11|issue=52|date=December 24, 1994|page=24|access-date=February 2, 2020}}

|align="center"|81

France (SNEP){{cite web|url=http://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-singles-annee/?annee=1994|title=Tops de L'année {{!}} Top Singles 1994|publisher=SNEP|language=fr|access-date=September 17, 2020}}

|align="center"|11

Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2723094#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1994|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=January 2, 1995|access-date=May 30, 2020}}

|align="center"|7

New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1994-12-31|title=End of Year Charts 1994|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=December 6, 2019}}

|align="center"|14

UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=1994 – Singles|magazine=Hit Music|page=31|date=January 7, 1995}}

|align="center"|196

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1994|access-date=August 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301121519/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994|archive-date=March 1, 2009}}

|align="center"|66

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA42-IA8|title=The Year in Music: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=106|issue=52|page=YE-68|date=December 24, 1994|access-date=April 2, 2025}}

|align="center"|22

=Sales and certifications=

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=Jimmy Cliff|title=I Can See|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=1994}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Jimmy Cliff|title=I Can See Clearly Now|award=Platinum|relyear=1993|id=1994-02-25|source=newchart|access-date=November 20, 2024|certyear=1994}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Jimmy Cliff|title=I Can See Clearly Now|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|id=15898-6953-1|access-date=October 31, 2024}}

Other notable covers

Ray Charles covered this song in his 1977 album True to Life, and his version is considered "stellar" by AllMusichttps://www.allmusic.com/album/true-to-life-mw0000814559.
Irish band Hothouse Flowers released their version as the second single from their album Home in 1990. It reached No. 5 in Ireland,{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement|title=The Irish Charts – All there is to know|publisher=Fireball Media}} No. 22 in Australia{{Cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Hothouse+Flowers&titel=I+Can+See+Clearly+Now&cat=s|title=australian-charts.com - Hothouse Flowers - I Can See Clearly Now|first=Steffen|last=Hung|website=australian-charts.com}} and No. 23 in the UK.{{cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24902/hothouse-flowers/ | title=HOTHOUSE FLOWERS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company | website=Official Charts }} Much later, in 2016, it featured on the first episode of the Amazon Prime Video series, The Grand Tour, where the band themselves made an appearance on stage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/1123/833860-hothouse-flowers/|title=Grand Tour helps Hothouse Flowers to bloom on music charts|date=November 24, 2016|access-date=December 31, 2024|work=RTÉ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927140633/https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/1123/833860-hothouse-flowers/|archive-date=September 27, 2023|url-status=live}}
Buffalo Rose and R&B singer INEZ released their cover version as a single in 2021, later named one of the best songs of the year by WYEP-FM.{{Cite web|title=The Best Songs of 2021 – WYEP|date=December 14, 2021 |url=https://wyep.org/bestof/|access-date=January 28, 2022|language=en}}
A version by Lee Towers reached the Dutch top 40, charting at No. 19, and was recorded on his 1982 album New York.
The French singer Claude François also recorded a version of this song called "Toi et le soleil" that reached No. 15 in Belgium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/f92e/Claude-Francois-Toi-et-le-soleil|title=Claude François – Toi et le soleil|website=Ultratop|accessdate=June 12, 2022}}