About The Song
“Can’t Stay Away from You” is a song by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. The song was released in November 1987 by Epic as the third single from their multi-platinum album, Let It Loose (1987). It became the group’s fifth top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; it was their second #1 hit on the adult contemporary chart, following 1986’s “Words Get in the Way”. The song originally peaked at #88 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1988, however the song was re-released after the success of its follow-up, “Anything for You”, peaking at #7 in March 1989.
The song is a pensive ballad sung from the perspective of a woman who is in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same, but she is unwilling to walk away from their relationship because she does not want it to end. The European single contains as a bonus cut a remixed version of “Surrender”, an album cut from “Let It Loose”, which Estefan performed on “Solid Gold”.
Popular Latin singer Jaci Velasquez recorded a Spanish version of the song called “Mi Vida No Es Nada Sin Ti” for her album Milagro.
The song appeared in 1988 episodes of the soap operas Another World and The Young and the Restless.
AllMusic editor Jon O’Brien described the song as “haunting”. Kris Kirk from British magazine Melody Maker wrote that Estefan perhaps will “finally go UK gold” with this “beautifully-performed” ballad. In an ironic review of 4 February 1989 the Phil Cheeseman, reviewer of Record Mirror, chided the song for lack of class to match the previous own work and described it as a “wearisome ballad”. Stuart Maconie of New Musical Express echoed by saying “Have you noticed how the billing of the Sound Machine gets progressively tinier whilst Gloria becomes correspondingly more prominent?” and made a forecast that MSM will “vanish entirely from this earth” soon.
Video
Lyrics
“Time flies when you’re having fun”
I heard somebody say
But if all I’ve been is fun, then, baby, let me go
Don’t wanna be in your way
And I don’t wanna be your second choice
Don’t wanna be just your friend
You keep telling me that you’re not in love
You wanna throw it all away
But I can’t stay away from you
I don’t wanna let you go
And though, it’s killing me, that’s true
There’s just some things I can’t control
Your love is slipping through my hands
And though I’ve heard it all before
I know you’re telling me the truth
I know it’s just no use
But I can’t stay away from you
Hold on to every bit of hope
That’s all I ever do
Hoping you might change your mind
And call me up to say
How much you need me too
And though you’re leaving me no other choice
Than to turn and walk away
Look over your shoulder, I’ll be there
You can count on me to stay
‘Cause I can’t stay away from you
I don’t wanna let you go
And though it’s killing me, that’s true
There’s just some things I can’t control
Your love slipping through my hands
And though I’ve heard it all before
I know you’re telling me the truth
I know it’s just no use
But I can’t stay away from you
I know you’re telling me the truth
I know it’s just no use
But I can’t stay away from you