Released April 30, 1997 Label A&M | Format CD single | |
Genre Alternative rock, post-grunge Length 4:21 (album version)4:07 (radio edit) | ||
"If You Could Only See" is a song by the American rock band Tonic. The song was released in April 1997 as part of the band's debut album, Lemon Parade. It remains Tonic's highest charting single in the United States, Canada, and Australia. "If You Could Only See" was a number-one hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, where it spent 63 weeks on the chart.
Contents
Background and writing
In an Australian show (Live At The Chapel), Tonic lead vocalist Emerson Hart elucidated the meaning of this song. He stated that he had been in a relationship with an older woman and that his family did not approve of that relationship, and this song was written about that situation and was directed at his family.
In another interview, Hart said, "When I was 21 or 22, I was in love with somebody who my mom did not feel was a good fit. So my family disowned me for about three years. And the last conversation I had with my mother when I was home I’d said, 'if you could only see the way she loves me, maybe you would understand.' I just wrote that song, after that phone call, literally in a matter of minutes."
Music video
The music video was directed by Jeff Cutter and Rmaaa Mosley.
Track listing
- "If You Could Only See" (Radio Edit)
- "If You Could Only See" (Live Acoustic Version)
- "If You Could Only See" (Adult Version)
- "If You Could Only See" (Album Version)