Mister Can't You See

"Mister Can't You See"
Single by Buffy Sainte-Marie
from the album Moonshot
B-side	"Moonshot"
Released	1972
Recorded	1971
Genre	Folk
Length	3:19
Label	Vanguard
Songwriter(s)	Mickey Newbury Townes Van Zandt
Producer(s)	Norbert Putnam Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie singles chronology
"I'm Gonna Be a Country Girl Again" (1971) "Mister Can't You See" (1972) "He's an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo" (1972)

"Mister Can't You See" is a song written by Mickey Newbury and Townes Van Zandt that first appeared on Newbury's 1968 debut album Harlequin Melodies . Newbury's original version was slow and dominated by strings and a very simple drumbeat, with his voice telling a tale of nature's power and beauty. The actual title of the song comes from the line "can't you see the river flowing".

Buffy Sainte-Marie Cover

• "Mister Can't You See" is best known, however, as recorded by Buffy Sainte-Marie on her 1972 album Moonshot , where it was the final track and second single. Sainte-Marie's version is much shorter than Newbury's original and is more straight-ahead rock with the Memphis Horns especially prominent. Owing to a major promotional campaign by Vanguard Records, eager to make up for losses incurred with past Sainte-Marie albums, the label promoted the single vigorously and as a result it became Sainte-Marie's only single or album to reach the Top 75 on Billboard . It peaked at #38 on the Pop Singles chart and #29 on the Adult Contemporary chart. ^[1]

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 213.