(Who Says) You Can't Have It All
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"(Who Says) You Can't Have It All" is a song co-written and recorded by American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
artist
Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...
. It was released in January 1994 as the fifth and final single from his album '' A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)''. The song peaked at number 4 on the U.S. ''Billboard''
Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
chart and number 11 on the Canadian ''RPM'' Country Tracks chart. Jackson wrote the song with Jim McBride.


Content

The song is about a man who lost his woman. The narrator tells of the lonely scene of his bedroom alone. ''"A stark naked light bulb hangs over my head, There's one lonely pillow on my double bed."'' According to Jackson, it's one of his favorite songs he's written.


Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of ''
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'' magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "heartbreak, pure country waltz" and saying that nobody does this type of song better than Jackson. Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, calling it a "pure country song" due to the fiddle. He goes on to say that Jackson's "equally forlorn voice singing the opening lyrics, 'A stark naked light bulb hangs over my head, there's one lonely pillow on my double bed', serves as confirmation that we're in for 3 minutes and 30 seconds of a deliciously straight-up country weeper that turns out to be one of Jackson's most satisfying singles yet.CountryUniverse.net
Song review


Music video

The music video was directed by Piers Plowden and premiered in early 1994.


Chart positions

"(Who Says)" You Can't Have It All" debuted at number 43 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of January 29, 1994.


Year-end charts


References

1994 singles 1992 songs Alan Jackson songs Songs written by Alan Jackson Song recordings produced by Keith Stegall Arista Nashville singles Songs written by Jim McBride (songwriter) Music videos directed by Piers Plowden {{1994-country-song-stub