"My Heart Can't Tell You No" is a song written by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan. It was first recorded and released by British pop-rock artist Rod Stewart on his 1988 album Out of Order. Originally intended as a song for country artist Barbara Mandrell, Stewart ultimately claimed the song for himself. It was later covered in 2011 by American country artist Sara Evans and released as the second single from her sixth studio album, Stronger.
Rod Stewart version
"My Heart Can't Tell You No" was a Top 15 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and mainstream rock charts, eventually reaching the Top Five (No. 4 in 1989). It was the highest charting single from the album. A music video was also produced and released for the single.
Critical reception
Jon Grein of the Los Angeles times called the song "obviously commercial".[1]
Sara Evans version
Critical reception
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Evans' version of the song a "gentle, regretful cover".[2] Giving it four stars out of five, Bobby Peacock of Roughstock called it a "worthwhile cover" and described the production positively, although he thought that the lyrics were "slightly cluttered and underfocused".[3] Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a D rating, calling it "watery, country-pop claptrap."[4]
Music video
The music video, directed by Peter Zavadil, was released on August 22, 2011. In it, Evans is shown watching, from various locations (including an apartment hallway and an underground parking garage, and a grocery store), a young woman crying and arguing with her "boyfriend." Later, Evans bumps into the young woman in a grocery store and begins to chat, when something catches the woman's eye. Lo and behold, it is the young woman's "boyfriend" with another woman. It is then that Evans realizes that the "boyfriend" is the young woman's lover and is cheating on his wife, who is now at the store with him. After bumping into them in an aisle and being introduced to the man's wife, the young woman who is shown clearly distraught walking away. The first ending then cuts to Evans in the parking garage as police and EMS rush to the room of the young woman, due to a presumed attempt at suicide. Two other alternate endings to the video were released as well, and were made available on Evans' website for streaming. The second ending shows the man going to the woman's apartment and the woman reluctantly letting him in yet again. The third ending shows the woman and man back in the parking garage where the woman finally walks away "for good."
The actress in the video, Vanessa Mandrell, has a connection to this song. The song was originally intended for her aunt, Barbara Mandrell, as it was co-written by Dennis Morgan who co-wrote many of Mandrell's number one hits including "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed," "Years," and "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool."
Chart positions
"My Heart Can't Tell You No" debuted at number 54 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week dated June 18, 2011.
Year-end charts
References
- ↑ Grein, Paul (29 July 1989). "Rod Stewart Gets His New Image in `Order'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Pareles, Jon; Ben Ratliff; Jon Caramanica (7 March 2011). "Critics’ Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Peacock, Bobby (23 June 2011). "Sara Evans — "My Heart Can't Tell You No"". Roughstock. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Coyne, Kevin John (May 30, 2011). "5 Five-Second Single Reviews: Laura Alaina, Rodney Atkins, Sara Evans, Joe Nichols, Kellie Pickler". Country Universe. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ↑ "Sara Evans – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Sara Evans.
- ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Week of January 21, 2012". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- ↑ "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ↑ "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
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