Released 22 September 1988 Genre Soft rock Label Warner Bros. | Format 7" Length 5:12 | |
Writer(s) Simon Climie, Dennis Morgan | ||
"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. The song also was covered in portuguese by brazilian pop singer Paulo Ricardo in the album "O amor me escolheu" in 1997, in a version called "Tudo por nada".
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Rod Stewart version
"My Heart Can't Tell You No" was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and adult contemporary charts, eventually reaching 4 and 3, respectively, in 1989. It was the highest charting single from the album. In the United Kingdom, the song reached a peak position of 49, becoming his second Top 50 single from Out of Order. 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".
Critical reception
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Evans' version of the song a "gentle, regretful cover". 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". Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a D rating, calling it "watery, country-pop claptrap."
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 is Vanessa Mandrell, Barbara Mandrell's niece. Her aunt was originally intended to record the song.
Note that the actress in Rod Stewart's video is Denise Greer.
Reception
The video for "My Heart Can't Tell You No" was nominated for Female Video of the Year at the 2012 CMT Music Awards.
Chart positions
"My Heart Can't Tell You No" debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week dated June 18, 2011. It reached a peak position of 21 on the chart dated January 28, 2012. The song did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number 5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles extension chart.