“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” is a true American classic, one of those types of songs that a reader would recognize even if they don’t know who sang it. In addition to being catchy, such tunes also tend to speak to universal truths or feelings. And the emotional premise of this song is actually the singer suffering from depression. But more to the point, in the present he is feeling more optimistic. That is ultimately what the expression “I can see clearly now” means.
The misery that he was experiencing put him in an unfavorable state where, symbolically speaking, he could not comprehend the trajectory of his life. Or stated differently, he was blinded by “bad feelings”. So in contrast, his current optimism is symbolized clear perception. And what he is able to perceive is that “it’s going to be a bright, sunny day.”
So this song, despite being chock full of metaphors, is quite easy to understand. Moreover it has this type of infectious optimism to it, which as alluded to earlier has contributed to its timelessness. And conclusively, it can be recognized as a celebration of hope and happiness over hopelessness and despair.
Facts about “I Can See Clearly Now”
The official release date of this track was 23 June 1972. It is featured on an album Johnny Nash released via Epic Records which itself is entitled “I Can See Clearly Now”. And for the record, in addition to singing, Johnny Nash also wrote and produced this song.
Johnny Nash (1940-2020) had been in the music game for over four decades. But this is clearly the signature song of his lengthy career. For instance, it topped the Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks’ lists, in addition to reaching number 1 in Canada and South Africa.
It also peaked at number five in Britain. Also, in all of the countries it charted in, it broke the top 10.
Moreover this track has sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States, thus being certified gold by the RIAA’s prior standards.
I Can See Clearly Now is actually categorized under the reggae genre. In fact the aforementioned album which it is featured on co-stars the late Rasta legend Bob Marley (1945-1981). And in that regard, “I Can See Clearly Now” is recognized as the first reggae track to actually top the famed Hot 100 in America.
As aforementioned this song is a classic, so a number of artists have covered it throughout the years. A couple of more notable names on that list include Dutch singer Lee Towers in 1982 and another reggae legend, Jimmy Cliff in 1993.
