Why Can't I Have You

"Why Can't I Have You"
"Why Can't I Have You"
Single by the Cars
from the album Heartbeat City
B-side	"Breakaway"
Released	January 7, 1985
Recorded	1983–1984
Studio	Battery, London
Genre	New wave
Length	4:04
Label	Elektra
Songwriter	Ric Ocasek
Producers	Robert John "Mutt" Lange; the Cars;
The Cars singles chronology
Music video
	"Why Can't I Have You" on YouTube

"Why Can't I Have You" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fifth studio album, Heartbeat City (1984). It was released on January 7, 1985, as the album's fifth single. Written by Ric Ocasek, the song is a lush ballad.^[1]

Release

Cash Box reviewed the single, saying that "this moody piece of peculiarly American synth-pop is pure Ric Ocasek: broken romance lyrics, angular musical backing and a handful of melodic hooks."^[2]

Although it did not reach the top 20 like its four predecessors, "Why Can't I Have You" managed to reach number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as number 11 on the Top Rock Tracks chart.^[3] The song was the final single from Heartbeat City released in the United States; in the United Kingdom, however, a sixth single, "Heartbeat City", was released after "Why Can't I Have You".

It was also the final Heartbeat City video, and achieved Power Rotation on MTV.^[4]

B-side

The B-side of "Why Can't I Have You" was the non-album track "Breakaway", described as having "Euro-disco undertones" in the liner notes of Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (1995).^[1]

Charts

Chart performance for "Why Can't I Have You"
Chart (1985)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[5]	90
US Billboard Hot 100^[6]	33
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[7]	11
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[8]	38
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles^[9]	34

References

^ ^a ^b Milano, Brett (1995). Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (liner notes). The Cars. Elektra Traditions/Rhino Records. R2 73506.
^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 26, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ "The Cars – Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ Billboard, MTV Programming, February 23, 1985
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0502." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 23, 1985". Cash Box. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[The_Cars_Anthology-1] Milano, Brett (1995). Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (liner notes). The Cars. Elektra Traditions/Rhino Records. R2 73506.

[cb-2] "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 26, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

[3] "The Cars – Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[4] Billboard, MTV Programming, February 23, 1985

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-5] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0502." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_The_Cars-6] "The Cars Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_The_Cars-7] "The Cars Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_Billboardadultcontemporary_The_Cars-8] "The Cars Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2025.

[9] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 23, 1985". Cash Box. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

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v t e The Cars
Elliot Easton Greg Hawkes Ric Ocasek Benjamin Orr David Robinson
Studio albums	The Cars Candy-O Panorama Shake It Up Heartbeat City Door to Door Move Like This
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology Shake It Up & Other Hits Complete Greatest Hits The Essentials The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances The Elektra Years 1978–1987
Singles	"Just What I Needed" "My Best Friend's Girl" "Good Times Roll" "Let's Go" "It's All I Can Do" "Double Life" "Touch and Go" "Don't Tell Me No" "Gimme Some Slack" "Shake It Up" "Since You're Gone" "Victim of Love" "Think It Over" "You Might Think" "Magic" "Drive" "Hello Again" "Why Can't I Have You" "Heartbeat City" "Tonight She Comes" "I'm Not the One" "You Are the Girl" "Strap Me In" "Coming Up You" "Sad Song"
Other songs	"I'm in Touch with Your World" "Don't Cha Stop" "You're All I've Got Tonight" "Bye Bye Love" "Moving in Stereo" "All Mixed Up" "Candy-O" "Night Spots" "Dangerous Type" "Panorama" "Cruiser" "Blue Tip"
Concert tours	Road Rage Tour North American Tour Spring 2011
Related articles	Discography Songs Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars BrainDead Glamour Camp
The New Cars	Todd Rundgren Kasim Sulton Atom Ellis Prairie Prince It's Alive! Utopia
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