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.

"I Can't Be with You"
Single by the Cranberries
from the album No Need to Argue
B-side	"(They Long to Be) Close to You"
Released	27 February 1995 (1995-02-27)
Length	3:08
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Dolores O'Riordan Noel Hogan
Producer(s)	Stephen Street
The Cranberries singles chronology
"Ode to My Family" (1994) "I Can't Be with You" (1995) "Ridiculous Thoughts" (1995)
Audio sample
"I Can't Be with You" file help
Music video
"I Can't Be With You" on YouTube

Critical reception

Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel felt "I Can't Be with You" "is a mundane pining-away song".^[1] 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".^[2] 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."^[3]

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.^[4]

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

Weekly charts Chart (1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[5] 30 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[6] 57 France (SNEP)[7] 24 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[8] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 21 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[10] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade)[11] 11 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 25 Scotland (OCC)[13] 26 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 23

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[15] 30

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	27 February 1995	7-inch vinyl CD1 cassette	Island	[16]
Japan	5 March 1995	Mini-CD		[17]
United Kingdom	6 March 1995	CD2		[18]

References

1. Campbell, Chuck (28 October 1994). "Bedtime' With Madonna Is A Bit Drowsy". Knoxville News Sentinel.
2. Masterton, James (5 March 1995). "Week Ending March 11th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
3. Cigarettes, Johnny (18 February 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 52. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
4. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: The Cranberries - I Can't Be With You (Official Music Video). YouTube.
5. "The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
6. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 12. 25 March 1995. p. 15. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
7. "The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You" (in French). Les classement single.
8. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.4. '95 – 7.4. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 April 1995. p. 24. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Can't Be with You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
10. "The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
11. "The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
12. "The Cranberries – I Can't Be with You". Top 40 Singles.
13. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
15. "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
16. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 25 February 1995. p. 43. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
17. "アイ・キャント・ビー・ウィズ・ユー | ザ・クランベリーズ" [I Can't Be with You | The Cranberries] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
18. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 4 March 1995. p. 31.