About The Song
On October 16, 1964 Lefty Frizzell entered Columbia Studios at 804 16th Avenue South in Nashville for an evening session that ran from 6:30 until 10:30 p.m. Produced by Don Law and Frank Jones, the date featured top Nashville sidemen including Grady Martin on lead guitar, Harold Bradley and Ray Edenton on rhythm guitars, Joseph Zinkan on bass, Buddy Harman on drums, Floyd Cramer on piano, and longtime friend Abe Mulkey adding harmony vocals. Among the songs cut that night was “I Can Tell,” a two-minute-and-fifty-four-second ballad co-written by Frizzell and Mulkey. It appeared as track ten on the album *The Sad Side of Love*, released by Columbia in October 1965 under catalog numbers CL-2386 (mono) and CS-9186 (stereo).
Mulkey had been singing harmony with Lefty for nearly fifteen years by then and had become a trusted collaborator both on the road and in the studio. Their partnership produced a concise, emotionally direct number that relied on quiet observation rather than the dramatic storytelling that had defined many of Frizzell’s earlier hits. The song reflected the more introspective tone Frizzell explored in the mid-1960s, when the industry was shifting toward the smoother Nashville Sound and his chart dominance had cooled.
The lyrics unfold as a subtle confession of growing suspicion. The narrator notes everyday signs—the sun telling time, the moon signaling departures—but insists he can feel something deeper when holding his partner close. “There must be someone new,” he concludes, sensing another love has taken her heart. The verses describe her returning each time yet growing distant, turning a simple touch into unmistakable proof that their relationship is slipping away. The song captures the painful intuition that arrives before words are spoken, a theme familiar to anyone who has watched love quietly fade.
Frizzell delivered the performance with the same smooth, slightly slurred phrasing and gentle vocal slides that had become his trademark since 1950. The arrangement stayed understated, letting his conversational delivery and the steel guitar carry the emotional weight. Mulkey’s harmony added warmth without drawing attention away from Lefty’s lead, creating an intimate atmosphere that felt like a late-night admission rather than a commercial single.
By 1965 Frizzell was no longer scoring regular number-one hits. His final chart-topper, “Saginaw, Michigan,” had come the previous year, yet he continued to record quality material that showcased his enduring skill with heartbreak ballads. *The Sad Side of Love* gathered several strong album tracks, including “She’s Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Little Unfair.” “I Can Tell” fit comfortably among them and reminded listeners of his ability to turn personal observation into art even as commercial momentum slowed.
Although it was never issued as a 45-rpm single and did not appear on the Billboard charts, the song has endured on compilations drawn from Frizzell’s Columbia years. It later appeared in Bear Family’s comprehensive box sets *An Article from Life* and *Life’s Like Poetry*, preserving the original masters for new generations. Its inclusion in retrospectives highlights how Lefty continued to record thoughtful material long after the spotlight had moved on to newer artists.
More than sixty years after that October evening in Nashville, “I Can Tell” stands as a quiet gem from Lefty Frizzell’s mid-career catalog. What began as another productive studio date with a trusted friend became a lasting example of his gift for turning unspoken doubt into honest country music. The track reminds listeners that even when hits were fewer, his relaxed, expressive style and storytelling instincts remained as sharp as ever.
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Lyric
I can’t tell by the sun
The time of the day
I can’t tell by the moon
When you’ll go away
But I can tell when I’m holding you
There must be someone new
There’s a love, another love
I can tell I’m losing you
I can’t tell by the moon
Why you come back each time
If I could read the stars I’d know
Your love was never mine
But I can tell by your kisses
That it won’t be very long
That you’ll break my heart again
I can feel it coming on
I can’t tell right from wrong
I can’t tell night from day
When you’re on my mind
When you’re away
But I can tell when I’m holding you
There’s no love in your heart
And it won’t be very long
That once again we’ll be apart
I can’t tell by the sun
The time of the day
I can’t tell by the moon
Just when you’ll go away
But I can tell by your kisses
There must be someone new
There’s a love, another love
For I feel I’m losing you
But I can tell by your kisses
There must be someone new
There’s a love, another love
For I feel I’m losing you