Mister Can't You See
Encyclopedia
"Mister Can't You See" is a song written by Mickey Newbury
and Townes Van Zandt
that first appeared on Newbury's 1968 debut album Harlequin Melodies
. Newbury's original version was slow and dominated by strings and a very simple drumbeat, with his voice telling a tale of nature's power and beauty. The actual title of the song comes from the line "can't you see the river flowing".
"Mister Can't You see" is best known, however, as recorded by Buffy Sainte-Marie
on her 1972 album Moonshot
, where it was the final track and second single.
Owing to a major promotional campaign by Vanguard Records
, eager to make up for losses incurred with past Sainte-Marie albums, the label promoted the single vigorously and as a result it became Sainte-Marie's only single or album to reach the Top 75 on Billboard. It peaked at #38 on the Pop Singles chart and #29 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Sainte-Marie's version is much shorter than Newbury's original and is more straight-ahead rock with the Memphis Horns especially prominent.
Mickey Newbury
Mickey Newbury was an American songwriter, a critically acclaimed recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
and Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
that first appeared on Newbury's 1968 debut album Harlequin Melodies
Harlequin Melodies
Harlequin Melodies is the 1968 debut album by singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury. At the time, Newbury was a making an impact as an incredible and successful songwriter in Nashville, signed by Acuff-Rose Publishing, at one point he had four #1 hits on different charts for Eddy Arnold, Solomon Burke,...
. Newbury's original version was slow and dominated by strings and a very simple drumbeat, with his voice telling a tale of nature's power and beauty. The actual title of the song comes from the line "can't you see the river flowing".
"Mister Can't You see" is best known, however, as recorded by Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
on her 1972 album Moonshot
Moonshot (album)
Moonshot, released in 1972, was the eighth album by Buffy Sainte-Marie and her penultimate album for Vanguard Records.After the very modest success of her previous album She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina, Vanguard again teamed Sainte-Marie with renowned pop session musicians in its effort to improve...
, where it was the final track and second single.
Owing to a major promotional campaign by Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
, eager to make up for losses incurred with past Sainte-Marie albums, the label promoted the single vigorously and as a result it became Sainte-Marie's only single or album to reach the Top 75 on Billboard. It peaked at #38 on the Pop Singles chart and #29 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Sainte-Marie's version is much shorter than Newbury's original and is more straight-ahead rock with the Memphis Horns especially prominent.