I Can't Read


"I Can't Read" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels for Tin Machine on their debut album in 1989. The song was subsequently re-recorded by Bowie and Gabrels together in 1997, and performed live during Bowie's concerts in the late 1990s.

Background

Bowie described the song as "full of remorse and agony, I expect, it's when jobs go wrong, and home doesn't really feel warm any more, and you don't need anybody - you don't even pretend you do - and you end up in this kind of state."
Bowie recorded two new versions of the song in 1997, one for the film The Ice Storm and a different version for inclusion on his album Earthling, although this latter version was not released until its inclusion on Is It Any Wonder?. The Ice Storm version was released as a single in Germany and Scandinavia by Velvel Records in December 1997. In January 1998 it was also released in Australia by Shock Records under exclusive license from Velvel Records. The single stayed in the UK Top 200 for 3 weeks, peaking at No. 73.

Track listing

1997 Single / Soundtrack version

CD: Velvel / ZYX 8757-8 (Germany)

  1. "I Can't Read" – 4:40
  2. "I Can't Read" – 5:30
  3. "This Is Not America" – 3:48

    2020 ''Is It Any Wonder?'' version

  4. "I Can't Read '97" - 5:27

    Live versions

Cover versions