Can't Get You Off My Mind

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"Can't Get You Off My Mind"
Single by Lenny Kravitz
from the album Circus
ReleasedFebruary 19, 1996 (1996-02-19)
Genre
Length4:34
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Lenny Kravitz
Producer(s)Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz singles chronology
"Circus"
(1995) 		"Can't Get You Off My Mind"
(1996) 		"The Resurrection"
(1996)
Music video
"Can't Get You Off My Mind" on YouTube

"Can't Get You Off My Mind" is a song written and performed by American singer and songwriter Lenny Kravitz and released in February 1996 by Virgin as the third single from his fourth studio album, Circus (1995).[2] The song was later included in the albums Greatest Hits (2000) and Lenny (2001) as a bonus track. There are two versions of the music video for the song: one was directed by Matthew Rolston, the other by Jim Gable.

Background[edit]

The song was inspired by Kravitz's missing his then-girlfriend while being on tour. Also, he missed his mother who died in December 1995. He explained to The Guardian that he envisioned the song while he stayed at the Royalton hotel in New York. The song was initially called "The Country Song."[3] Kravitz also said to Q, "...lyric was not a pastiche, man. It came out of me naturally, just as all my lyrics do. I don't analyze songwriting, I simply write... And anyway, when you are on tour a lot, as I was, life is a lonely highway, and I did get lonely out there on the open road, OK?".[4]

Reception[edit]

Daina Darzin from Cash Box noted that Kravitz "is positively countrified on this languid, pretty ballad, which turns gracefully soulful in midstream. Mellifluous vocals, gently twimng harmonies and easy-going, soaring instruments make this a track that could work on any number of radio formats."[5] CD Review stated, "Kravitz is inspired by a lot more than just Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, and the second half of Circus slows down to accommodate a little mood and melody . But the lovey "Can't Get You Off My Mind” has a little too calculated country feel ".[6]

Paul Moody from NME felt it "is so lovestruck dumb you can't help but fall for it".[7] Rob Wagner of The Tech added, "Obviously, Kravitz's touring with the Rolling Stones has greatly influenced him. His song "Can't Get You Off My Mind" steals some chords from "Wild Horses" by the Stones. I kept expecting to hear Mick Jagger jump in."[8] Kevin Powell of Vibe wrote, "With its country western texture, the song feels distant, as if Kravitz were somewhere deep in the sticks, chilling, dreaming about a woman he'd met at a local bar."[9]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 33
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[11] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 54
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 62
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[14] 36

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom February 19, 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 Virgin [15]
February 26, 1996 10-inch vinyl [16]
Japan March 20, 1996 CD [17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (July 15, 2023). "Lenny on Mars Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Circus - Lenny Kravitz | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ Barlow, Eve (24 May 2018). "Lenny Kravitz on 30 years in music: 'I did whatever I had to do to survive'". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Can't Get You Off My Mind by Lenny Kravitz". Song Facts.
  5. ^ Darzin, Daina (8 June 1996). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Mainstream Reviews". CD Review. WGE Pub.: 38 1995. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ Moody, Paul (9 September 1995). "Long Play". NME. p. 50. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  8. ^ Wagner, Rob (October 13, 1995). "Kravitz specializes in reviving old-time rock 'n' roll - The Tech". The Tech. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. ^ Powell, Kevin (November 1995). "Lenny Kravitz: Circus". Vibe: 113. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2939." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2877." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  13. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  14. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 17, 1996. p. 31.
  16. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 24, 1996. p. 31.
  17. ^ "遥かなる面影～ライブat武道館～ | レニー・クラヴィッツ" [Far Away Shadows ~Live at Budokan~ | Lenny Kravitz] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
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