Can't
From DFTBA
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"Can't" is the third track on the EP Taking Leave by Alan Lastufka and Tom Milsom.
It was later released as the maxi-single, C4N'7 R3M1X35 on February 14, 2010, featuring six remixes of the song by DFTBA artists, released on CD, digital download, and limited edition USB drive.
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Music videos
- Official music video written by Alan Lastufka & Ed Stockham, financed by Lastufka, and animated by Stockham.
- Live version performed on keyboard by Tom Milsom recorded at a small gathering in Lastufka's house.
- Cover version performed by Dr. Noise as his "Group Therapy Remix", later released on the Pieces of the Mirror EP, and the C4N'7 R3M1X35 maxi-single.
- Cover version performed by ALL CAPS as their "Attachment Remix", later released on the C4N'7 R3M1X35 maxi-single.
Easter Eggs
Lastufka wanted the official music video to reference not only the song "Can't", but the entire album of "Taking Leave" via easter eggs in the music video. Lastufka wrote in numerous references to other songs on the album, and the album's packaging/artwork.
Some of these references/easter eggs include:
- The box from which the female lead takes parts to build her puppet is marked with "#A0005" which is the DFTBA Records' catalog number for Taking Leave, the studio album on which "Can't" appears.
- "His edited heart" is redrawn from the stitched up heart that appears on the Taking Leave CD face artwork.
- One of the trees in the park where she's making him pick her flowers has a heart with the letters "MPDG" carved into it, which also appears on the back cover of the Taking Leave digipack ("MPDG" stands for Manic Pixie Dream Girls).
- During the aforementioned flower-picking scene, there is a book on the ground open to a page which has the last line of the lyrics from "Forgiven" written on it. This is again referencing the back cover of the Taking Leave digipack.
- Shortly after, her puppet falls into the box in which he's been collecting the flowers and leaves he's picked for her. This both references the Taking Leave cover art and a poem Lastufka wrote a few years ago entitled, "if you have some place to burn them - the smell will bring you home" in which he describes boxing up fallen autumn leaves and mailing them to a friend.
- The car found at the park resembles the toy car image used to refer to the song "Just A Boy" on the album artwork. The car's license plate is five stars, referencing the DFTBA Records' company logo.
- The car can be seen driving past a chapel, the drawing of which is copied from a photo that appears in the Taking Leave booklet.
- The closing scene with her puppet looking in the mirror very closely resembles the artwork for "The Mirror Song" from the digital booklet, using similar camera angles and repeating the message on the bathroom mirror, which reads "I'm Taking Leave" and was written in lipstick.
- The lipstick writing on the mirror is also referenced in "The Mirror Song".
Notes
"Can't" appeared on the compilation album DFTBA Records, Volume One a few months prior to its official studio album release.
The primary percussive sounds for "Can't" are a sampled inkjet printer which was looped to the beat of the song.
A cover of the song by Bill 'Dr. Noise' Martin was later released on the Taking Leave companion EP, Pieces of the Mirror: The Taking Leave B-Sides.
Lyrics
He can't put into words
Just how she made him melt
She molded folded, pasted and cut
His edited heart was her favorite work of art
And it surprised him every day
The way she made him obey
He can't see clearly
Through love tinted eyes
Her erotic, robotic bedroom lies
Paid off in a blur for the minute he was let inside her
He can't complain about he strain
Of her relationship games
He can't dream vividly
While nightmares run wild
She locked, blocked and mocked his smile
He's been destroyed
Tears come falling from her trained toy
And with a sigh he can't explain why
But he can't say "goodbye"
Chords
Verse: A, Em, C, G
Chorus: D, Em, C, G
Appears on
- (2009) DFTBA Records, Volume One
- (2009) Taking Leave
- (2009) Pieces of the Mirror: The Taking Leave B-Sides (Dr. Noise cover)
- (2010) C4N'7 R3M1X35 (maxi-single featuring various covers and remixes)
- (2010) Bmin/E (ALL CAPS Cover)
