I Can See Clearly Now

Album

I Can See Clearly Now

Label

Epic records

Genre

Reggae

Composer(s)

Johnny Nash

Entered Chart

Sep 9, 1972

Peak Date

Nov 4, 1972

Released

June 23, 1972

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Epic 10902

B-Side

How Good It Is

This is not a song about suicide, as has been hypothesized. It is a song of hope and courage for individuals who have experienced adversity in their lives but have overcome it. >> This was the first reggae song to hit #1 on the Hot 100, where it stayed for four weeks late in 1972. The next reggae(ish) song to hit the top spot was Eric Clapton's cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1974, followed by "The Tide Is High" by Blondie in 1981. Thanks to this and his other reggae-influenced songs, Johnny Nash is associated with Jamaica, but he was from Texas. Born in Houston in 1940, he sang in church and at 13 got a gig singing on a local TV show called Matinee, becoming one of the few black faces on the screen. At 16, he got a record deal with ABC Paramount and performed regularly on The Arthur Godfrey Show, a national broadcast. During this time, he recorded anodyne songs "A Very Special Love" and "Almost In Your Arms" which were minor hits thanks to his exposure on TV. After bouncing around to different record companies, he had a breakthrough in 1967 when he went to Jamaica and recorded his song "Hold Me Tight" and a cover of Sam Cooke's "Cupid" with a local rhythm section. Both songs became hits in Jamaica, and over the next two years also charted in the UK and the United States. By 1972, "Cecilia" and "Mother And Child Reunion" found some success in the States incorporating reggae rhythms, and Nash followed that trend with "I Can See Clearly Now." Nash had legitimate reggae credentials: Bob Marley (before he became crazy famous) was an assistant producer and session player on the album, and also wrote three of the songs, including "Stir It Up," which became Nash's next - and final - hit. Nash died on October 6, 2020 at 80. Nash wrote this song himself. He recorded it in London with members of The Average White Band, who in 1974 had a hit of their own with "Pick Up The Pieces." A cover version by Jimmy Cliff (for a time, a bigger reggae star than Bob Marley) went to #18 in the US in 1994. His version was used in the John Candy movie Cool Runnings, about the Jamaican bobsled team. Report this ad A story floated around that Nash wrote this song while recovering from cataract surgery, but there's no evidence that this is true. His publicity people would sometimes embellish a bit to create talking points; one press release claimed that when he was a baby, he cried a song in the crib. This was featured in the opening sequence of the 1997 John Cusack film Grosse Pointe Blank. It was also used in the movie Themla And Louise. >> According to the official biography of Barclay James Harvest, "I Can See Clearly Now" sold seven million copies, and arranger Martyn Ford received the princely sum of £35 for his services. >> On November 12, 1977, Ray Charles performed this song when he was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. This was an obvious choice of jingle for Windex competitor Glass Plus, which used the song in the late '80s to promote its window cleaner. Nash adopted a new look with his move to reggae, ditching his sharp suits for stylish denim and more progressive fashion.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day

I think I can make it now the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day

Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
Gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
Oh, what a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
Gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day