As house composers for Stax Records, Hayes and Porter penned most of Sam & Dave's hits, including "Soul Man", “I Thank You,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” and "Hold On I'm Comin'". They also wrote material for Carla Thomas (“B-A-B-Y”), Johnnie Taylor (“I Got to Love Somebody’s Baby” and “I Had a Dream”), and The Soul Children. Starting in the late '60s, Hayes became increasingly involved in his own recording career, eventually leading to the end of the partnership. The Hayes-Porter duo composed 200 songs during their collaboration.
Porter then began recording his own albums for Stax. He also released on other labels under the pseudonyms Little David and Kenny Cain, and had done a single for Stax itself in 1965, "Can't See You When I Want To", a remake of which became a Top 30 RB hit for Porter, and he cut several albums for Stax in the early '70s, including a concept LP, "Victim of the Joke?".
Porter began working with songwriting partner Ronnie Williams, and later went on to engineer the brief relaunch of the Stax label in 1978, after the bankrupt label's assets were acquired by Fantasy Records.
He and Hayes received Pioneer Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. On June 9, 2005, Porter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner Isaac Hayes.
Can't See You When I Want To
David Porter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't see you when I want to
I know you are tied up and I'm free
You got so much to lose
Take your chances seeing me
Baby, you say you loved me
And I say that I'm gonna keep on loving you
I remember that last night you said you'll meet me
At the same old usual time
And I was late and you had to leave early
Don't you know I almost lost my mind
Baby, I'm suffering
But still I'm gonna keep on loving you
Even though I can't see you when I want to
You say we are [Incomprehensible]
That no future for you and me
But I know we want each other
Don't care what the outcome may be here
We can see each other
When we want to
He just might wanna take you out
And I'll have to sit here until he's through
Baby, I'm gonna need you
[Incomprehensible]
I'm gonna keep on loving you everyday
Everyday with all my heart no, no, no, no, no, no
[Incomprehensible]
Just wanna see you're not that [Incomprehensible]
Baby, baby
Now my life may be empty
But when I have you near me
I feel so good, so good
When I know I can't see you
When I want you, I know I can't see you
But everything is gonna work out all good
David Porter's "Can’t See You When I Want To" is a poignant love ballad that captures the frustration of a man who cannot be with the woman he loves whenever he wants. The first verse of the song communicates a sense of tension between the lovers as the singer acknowledges that he is free to see her when she is not. He seems to resent the fact that she is tied down, perhaps by an already established relationship or other obligations, and cannot be as flexible as he is.
Despite the obstacles preventing them from being together, the man is committed to loving the woman. He remembers a specific incident where they had planned to meet, but he was late, and she had to leave early, and he missed seeing her. He describes how much agony he experienced knowing that they were so close yet so far apart physically.
In the final verse, the man acknowledges that others may try to come between them, but he still has hope; he believes that they are meant to be together. He sings about how her presence in his life fills the voids, and he feels good whenever she's near, even if it's not when he wants her to be.
Overall, "Can’t See You When I Want To" is a touching love song about the challenges of loving someone who is not always available. The song's message is that true love is worth fighting for, and sometimes the best we can do is hold onto hope that someday everything will work out.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't see you when I want to
I am unable to see you whenever I wish to
Can't see you when I want to
I am unable to see you whenever I wish to
I know you are tied up and I'm free
You are bound to something, and I am not
You got so much to lose
You might lose something if we meet
Take your chances seeing me
Take a risk to meet me
Baby, you say you loved me
You confess that you love me
And I say that I'm gonna keep on loving you
I declare that I will love you forever
Even though I can't see you when I want to
Despite not being able to meet you whenever I desire
I remember that last night you said you'll meet me
I recall that you promised to meet me last night
At the same old usual time
At the regular scheduled time
And I was late and you had to leave early
I arrived late, and you had to go early
Don't you know I almost lost my mind
Do you know you nearly made me go crazy?
Baby, I'm suffering
I'm enduring unbearable pain
But still I'm gonna keep on loving you
But I will continue to love you regardless
You say we are [Incomprehensible]
You claim that we are incompatible
That no future for you and me
There is no future for us together
But I know we want each other
But I know we desire one another
Don't care what the outcome may be here
I am not worried about the consequences
We can see each other
We can meet each other
When we want to
When we desire to
He just might wanna take you out
He may want to take you elsewhere
And I'll have to sit here until he's through
I'll be waiting here until he's done
Baby, I'm gonna need you
I will require you
[Incomprehensible]
Something unclear or indistinct
I'm gonna keep on loving you everyday
I will love you every day
Everyday with all my heart no, no, no, no, no, no
Every single day with all my heart, I won't stop
[Incomprehensible]
Something unclear or indistinct
Just wanna see you're not that [Incomprehensible]
I just want to confirm that you're not distant
Baby, baby
My love, my darling
Now my life may be empty
My life might seem devoid
But when I have you near me
But when you are with me
I feel so good, so good
I feel wonderful
When I know I can't see you
Despite being unable to meet you
When I want you, I know I can't see you
Though I crave to be with you, I can't see you
But everything is gonna work out all good
Despite not seeing each other often, everything will be alright
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Clark Washington
This was a time when music had merit, meaning, and a understanding to what a person may feel for another. And in order for you to get put on wax, you had to have real talent. And i mean real talent.! And i mean without any question !!
Rosebud
👍👍👍
Adonfffunk
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
John Brown
Fire water can't drench