“My Heart Can’t Tell You No:” From Rod Stewart to Sara Evans

Recently, we’ve featured “Unbelievable,” a song that was originally written for George Jones. The country music band Diamond Rio took it instead and it gave them their 21st No. 1 song on the country chart. Today, we bring you another song intended for a country artist but never got around to record it. Entitled “My Heart Can’t Tell You No,” this song was supposedly for country artist Barbara Mandrell. Unfortunately, the legendary singer never made it to the recording studio. As a result, the British pop-rock music artist Rod Stewart grabbed the song and brought it to the charts. The song became a Top 5 hit for Stewart both on Billboard Hot 100 (#4) and Adult Contemporary (#3) charts between 1988 to 1989.

In 2011, a country artist has finally recorded the song. Thanks to Sara Evans for reviving and bringing it to the country music audience. Her recording has ultimately taken the song back to its original music genre. Accordingly, the song charted on country music charts both in the US and Canada. Specifically, the song peaked at No. 21 on Hot Country Songs chart and reached No. 40 on Canada Country chart. While only a Top 40 hit on the country charts of both countries, Evans’ cover remained a country hit although it was a Top 5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Sara Evans’ Twangy Cover

“My Heart Can’t Tell You No” was included on Evans’ 2011 album Stronger. The music video for her cover clearly explains what the song is all about. It’s a heartbreaking song anchored on the subject of infidelity. In the video, an incredibly fit Evans is seen in a flamboyant act. She played the role of an apartment dweller and spotted a couple near her unit and observed that something unpleasant is going on between them. She gives off a knowing gesture as she passed by the pair.

She and the boyfriend, whom she suspected being a cheater, had exchanged some longing stares. It seems that Evans has been wanting to tell the guy she knows what’s going on with that stare. Meanwhile, she had the chance to be with the girlfriend at the elevator, a sort of an awkward moment, so to speak. No conversation took place between the two of them. But, when they bumped into each other at a grocery store, they eventually exchanged dialogues. At that time, the two saw the guy with another woman whom he mentions as his wife. That’s when the “Born to Fly” singer confirmed her theory about his infidelity.

The music video for Evans’ “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” received a nomination for Female Video of the Year from the CMT Music Awards in 2012. The female character in the music video was Vanessa Mandrell, Barbara Mandrell’s niece.

Watch the music video for “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” below.

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