My Heart Can't Tell You No

"My Heart Can't Tell You No"
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album Out of Order
Released	22 September 1988
Format	7"
Genre	Soft rock
Length	5:12
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Simon Climie, Dennis Morgan
Producer(s)	Rod Stewart, Andy Taylor
Rod Stewart singles chronology
"Forever Young" (1988) "My Heart Can't Tell You No" (1988) "Crazy About Her" (1989)

"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

"My Heart Can't Tell You No"
Single by Sara Evans
from the album Stronger
Released	June 20, 2011
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2010
Genre	Country pop
Length	4:34
Label	RCA Nashville
Writer(s)	Simon Climie, Dennis Morgan
Producer(s)	Tony Brown
Sara Evans singles chronology
"A Little Bit Stronger" (2010) "My Heart Can't Tell You No" (2011) "Anywhere" (2012)

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

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics