I Can See Clearly Now

Infobox Single
Name=I Can See Clearly Now


Artist=Johnny Nash
from Album=I Can See Clearly Now
B-side="How Good It Is"
Released=1972
Format=7" single
Recorded=
Genre=Pop-Reggae
Length=2:45
Label=Epic
Writer=Johnny Nash
Producer=
Last single="Cupid"
(1969)
This single="I Can See Clearly Now"
(1972)
Next single="Stir It Up"
(1973)"I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by Johnny Nash. It was a single from the album of the same name and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972. It was covered by many artists throughout the years, including a 1993 hit version by Jimmy Cliff.

Johnny Nash version

Music and lyrics

The song's extremely optimistic lyrics, an unabashedly upbeat tempo in D-major, and a quick, sustained midway crescendo, contrasted against minor key hits popular at the same time, such as "Nights In White Satin," "I'll Be Around," "Witchy Woman," and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." Nash thus joined Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Rick Nelson as 1950s rock pioneers each having his last Hot 100 top 10 success in late 1972.

It is a common misconception that the song was written and/or performed by Bob Marley, possibly based on the fact that The Wailers were the backing band on Nash's original recording. Marley wrote Nash's next single, "Stir It Up".

Chart performances

After making modest chart advances for a month, the RIAA certified gold single unexpectedly took only two weeks to vault from #20 to #5 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 4, 1972, remaining atop this chart for four weeks, and also spent four weeks atop the adult contemporary chart. [Whitburn, Joel (1996). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)]

Track listings

; 7" single
# "I Can See Clearly Now" — 2:44
# "How Good It Is" — 2:38

; 7" single
# "I Can See Clearly Now" — 2:44
# "Cupid" — 3:30

Certifications

Charts

Other covers

The song experienced a revival in popularity again in 1993 when Jimmy Cliff recorded a version for the soundtrack of the film "Cool Runnings". The song also appears in various other films, such as "Grosse Pointe Blank", "The Break-up", "Thelma & Louise", "Antz", "Deep Blue Sea", "Envy", "Hitch" and "Shrek 2"'s Far Far Away Idol.

It has also been covered by
*Anne Murray
*Aswad
*Beat Crusaders
*Claude François as "Toi et le soleil", a French version
*Doyle Bramhall in the early 1990s, a blues version
*Donny Osmond
*Even in Blackouts on "The Fall of the House of Even"
*Everlife
*Funk, Inc. in 1973 on "Hangin' Out"
*Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1973 on "Imagination"cite web
url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:oc811vjjzzma~T00
title=Imagination
accessdate=2008-01-22
last=Eder
first=Bruce
work=allmusic
publisher=Macrovision Corporation
quote=I Can See Clearly Now - Nash]
*Holly Cole Trio
*Hothouse Flowers in 1990 on "Home" [cite web
url=http://www.hothouseflowers.com/home.asp?s=music&p=home
title=Home
accessdate=2008-01-22
quote=Released: 1990 [...] composed by [...] 7. Johnny Nash]
*Lee Towers
*Marisa Monte
*Neil Finn in 1999 to raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation
*Screeching Weasel on My Brain Hurts
*Sonny and Cher
*Soul Asylum on ""
*Willie Nelson

It is also a perennial favorite for several a cappella groups, including The Coats and University of Oregon's On the Rocks.

References