Hill is the son of social scientist and public servant, Daniel G. Hill, and brother of the author, Lawrence Hill.
One of his songs was "It's a Long Road" (Written by Jerry Goldsmith) which he recorded for the 1982 action movie First Blood. In 1985, he was one of the many Canadian performers to appear on the benefit single "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights. Although he had many hits in his native Canada, further singles did not fare as well in America.
In 1987, Hill returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the Top 40 hit "Can't We Try", a duet with the then-unknown Vonda Shepard, as well as the near Top 40 hit "Never Thought (That I Could Love)".
A road trip to a Dan Hill concert was the subject of the 1994 Canadian comedy film South of Wawa.
In 2007 he is touring with the CBC Radio program The Vinyl Cafe.
Can't We Try
Dan Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your eyes have lost their shine
You whisper something softly I'm not meant to hear
Baby, tell me what's on your mind
I don't care what people say
About the two of us from different worlds
I love you so much that it hurts inside
Please listen to me, girl
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try to understand
That it's love we're fighting for?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
Spilling out your heart for free
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Girl, that someone should be me
So many times, I tried to tell you
You just turned away
How did I know?
My life is changing so fast now
Leaves me lonely and afraid
Don't be afraid, no
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try to understand
That it's love we're fighting for?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
Don't let our love fade away
Don't let our love fade away
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
I need you more and more each day
Don't let our love fade away
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Love you so much baby
That it tears me up inside
Can't we give a little bit, little bit?
Just a little bit harder
Can we give wow wow wow wow
Can't we try
Can't we give a little bit more
Can't we try, baby
Can't we give wow
We could try just a little bit harder
Can we give a little bit more
(Can't we try just a little bit)
The lyrics of Dan Hill's song Can't We Try express a plea from someone who is deeply in love with their partner despite belonging to different worlds, but they are struggling to make their relationship work. The first stanza portrays the frustration felt by the singer as he notices his partner's sadness and distance towards him. The chorus is a call to action, an urging to both individuals to try harder and give more to their love. The second stanza talks about the missed opportunities and times when the singer has tried to bridge the gap, but his partner wasn't receptive. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the need to keep fighting for love, and not to let it fade away. The last section of the song is more of a musical outro, with repeated pleas to try just a little bit harder.
This song captures the essence of relationships, where two people in love are willing to put in the effort to overcome their differences and make their love work. It is common for people to encounter difficulties in relationships that require a concerted effort to overcome, and this song tries to convey the message that the only way to make love last is by putting in the effort.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your face cloud over like a little girl's
I notice you look sad and vulnerable like a child.
And your eyes have lost their shine
Your eyes look dull and lack their usual sparkle.
You whisper something softly I'm not meant to hear
You say something quietly that I'm not supposed to hear.
Baby, tell me what's on your mind
Please share with me what is troubling you.
I don't care what people say
I am not bothered by what others think or say.
About the two of us from different worlds
Even though we come from different backgrounds.
I love you so much that it hurts inside
I love you deeply, and sometimes it's painful.
Are you listening?
Are you paying attention to what I'm saying?
Please listen to me, girl
I am urging you to pay attention and hear me out.
Can't we try just a little bit harder?
Let's put in a little more effort.
Can't we give just a little bit more?
Let's give a little more of ourselves.
Can't we try to understand
Can't we make an effort to comprehend each other?
That it's love we're fighting for?
We are fighting to preserve our love.
Can't we try just a little more passion?
Can't we put more emotion and enthusiasm into our love?
Can't we try just a little less pride?
Can't we be a little less stubborn and set in our ways?
Love you so much baby
I love you very deeply and sincerely.
That it tears me up inside
It pains me deeply and emotionally.
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
I hear you talking on the phone with someone I don't know.
Spilling out your heart for free
You are sharing your deepest emotions openly and honestly.
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Everyone needs someone to confide in and trust with their thoughts and feelings.
Girl, that someone should be me
I should be the one you trust and share with.
So many times, I tried to tell you
I have attempted to express myself to you numerous times.
You just turned away
You ignored me or refused to listen.
How did I know?
How could I have predicted or anticipated this situation?
My life is changing so fast now
My life is evolving rapidly and drastically.
Leaves me lonely and afraid
I feel isolated and scared.
Don't be afraid, no
There is no reason to be scared.
Don't let our love fade away
Don't allow our love to disappear or diminish.
No matter what people say
Regardless of what others think or comment.
I need you more and more each day
I require and love you increasingly every day.
Can we give wow wow wow wow
Let's make a real effort and exceed our expectations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bev Hill, Daniel Grafton Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BethPaige
It's been YEARS since I heard this. I was an '80s teen and loved this song.
Came on the radio just now, and I KNEW EVERY WORD. :) Thanks, Dan and Vonda.
@billymullins6468
One of the greatest love songs ever
@scotthinman2759
Still one of the best duets of all time. Why can’t we still have music like this!!!🩷
@alanmoskowitz4147
Because it would put marriage therapists out of business so songs like Small Town or Old Time Rock and Roll proliferate the airwaves.
@natalieshandor8311
Agreed so many people I know say the same. This song is sooo beautiful favorite.thank for your comment your million percent right.
@scottwise5560
No one these can make music like this. We come from a generation who enjoyed our music.
@cchevy936
Because we have Millennials whose parents did everything for them, so they can't do for themselves now, so they copy everything. ugh.
@Paul-un2tr
This is Joe's song to Jill....
@richlitton7862
One of the best duets ever. Dan and Vonda could sure sing!
@jasonjohnson3424
The honesty in the lyrics and the timing of the duet is mesmerizing, haunting, and full of emotion. Can't we try...to make more music like this? Amazing.