Can’t! | 5 Gems

Can’t!: 5 Gems features songs by Ben Harper x Charlie Musselwhite, Joey Lawrence, Lauryn Hill, Lizzo, and Timmy Thomas.

👀 Well… And, if you weren’t aware, “We CAN’T end this way.” Word.  Oh, and one more for good measure: “There’s nothin’ my love CAN’T fix for ya, baby.”  The common thread between these three excerpted lyrics from three different songs is… drum roll, please… CAN’T.  All five of the songs from Can’t!: 5 Gems feature the word CAN’T in their song title.  Simply put, you CAN’T miss it! Can’t!: 5 Gems features songs by Ben Harper x Charlie Musselwhite, Joey Lawrence, Lauryn Hill, Lizzo, and Timmy Thomas. So, without further ado, tell yourself that you CAN embrace the CANNOT in these CAN’T songs 😜!

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1. Lizzo, “STILL CANT FUH” (Ft. Doja Cat)	2. Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, “We Can’t End This Way”	3. Lauryn Hill, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – (I Love You Baby)”
4. Joey Lawrence, “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix”	5. Timmy Thomas, “Why Can’t We Live Together”	5 Gems (2026)

 

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1. Lizzo, “STILL CANT FUH” (Ft. Doja Cat)

MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING » Nice Life Recording Company / Atlantic Recording Corporation » 2025

Lizzo (Melissa Jefferson) makes herself clear on “STILL CANT FUH”, the fifth track from her 2025 rap mixtape, MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING. He will not be fucking her… The unapologetic but infectious and unforgettable chorus continues to articulate that there will be no smashing, no matter how hard he tries! “It’s a nice car, but you still can’t fuck / NBA draft and you still can’t fuck / You made the playoffs, you still can’t fuck / Call me a slut, and you still won’t.” Lizzo taps fellow Grammy-winner Doja Cat (Amala Zandile Dlamini) for the assist. Lizzo co-wrote “STILL CANT FUH” with Doja Cat, Alex Goldblatt, Andrew Wansel, Eric Frederic, Jasper Harris, and Theron Thomas. Goldblatt, Harris, and Ricky Reed produced it.

The chorus lays out the lack of fuh-ing, while the post-chorus further cements the can’t, won’t, and still can’t… fuck! But, both Lizzo and Doja Cat have more to say! After a fiery start with the chorus and post-chorus, Lizzo doesn’t back down in the first verse.  Keeping the f-bombs flying, she spits, “Fuck these niggas and fuck these bitches, like, bye, I’m wildin’ / I’m not on Bumble, I’m not on Raya /Can’t get no neck with no back, you ain’t Khia / Upsettin’ these bitches like Cookinwitkya.” Damn! And for good measure, Lizzo mentions the infamous Candace Owens, which is satisfying. Doja Cat is fiery, too.  “Said, cocaine in his Hanes underwear / Everybody in here know what’s under there.” Um, his D? Hanes are popular, but some of us moved beyond Hanes a long time ago, Doja. Anyways, not the point! The Hanes line stands out, but Doja ends with a non-bang:

“Wouldn’t let him hit to stop a missile

‘Just the tip,’ okay, I’ll cut it off

Beg for pussy, then I cut him off

Ain’t none of my clothes comin’ off (And you still won’t).”

“STILL CANT FUH” is brief but fun.  It is an explicit way for Lizzo and Doja Cat to say, I don’t owe you sex, and you can’t make me give it to you.  Besides great performances and striking lyrics, the backdrop is sick with gospelized vocal patch, colorful keys and synths, and a knocking, hip-hop beat.

Appears in:

Lizzo, STILL CANT FUH: Midnight Heat No. 53 (2025)

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2. Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, “We Can’t End This Way”

Get Up! » Ben Harper / Concord Music Group, Inc. » 2013

Five words: “We can’t end this way.” No, sir, we can’t! As an exemplification of an eclectic music enthusiast, I have a soft spot for blues and gospel music. Ben Harper (1969 – ) and renowned ‘harp’ player Charlie Musselwhite (1944 – ) made my musical heart melt with their retro-tinged, collaborative blues-gospel song, “We Can’t End This Way”. “We Can’t End This Way” is the third track from their 2013 collaborative, Grammy-winning blues album, Get Up!. 15 nominations in, Mr. Musselwhite won his first and only Grammy for this project. Harper, on the other hand, earned his third win. Both the song and the album were among my favorites from that year. Harper wrote and produced “We Can’t End This Way.”

“We Can’t End This Way” is like listening to a little piece of heaven.  It is a special song from the beginning. Embracing an old-school sound and vibe, it feels and sounds organic and rootsy to the nth degree. Music in the 2010s did not sound like this track, hence, a sizable part of its charm – the throwback, retro aesthetic. Ben Harper is locked in, giving his all with his gritty, soulful, and high-flying, soulful vocals. His authenticity and sincerity are impressive as he brings the tuneful melodies to life. His gospel experience shines through the socially conscious lyrics:

“There’s a man on the corner

Beggin’ for help

There’s a man that walks past him

And he’s drownin’ in wealth

Who doesn’t understand?

Who doesn’t understand?

How disappointment destroys the soul.”

During the chorus, excerpted earlier, Harper gets a mighty assist from the soulful, gospel-tinged background vocalists. His vocal ad-libs, riffs, and runs are nothing short of masterful. Adding to the excellence is Musselwhite’s elite harp playing, solidifying the blues. Charlie, like Ben, not only explores a different musical genre but also helps to take us back to a starkly different musical era.  The big takeaway is that “We Can’t End This Way” is a surefire gem.

Appears in:

Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, We Can’t End This Way: Bangerz N Bopz No. 53 (2025) 13 Entertaining Songs Concerned About the End (2025)

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3. Lauryn Hill, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – (I Love You Baby)”

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill » Ruffhouse » 1998

Grammy-winning R&B/hip-hop superstar Lauryn Hill delivered a surefire classic with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”.  But, guess what? Frankie Valli (b. 1934) originally recorded it in 1967 on his album, Four Seasons Present Frankie Valli Solo (“Can’t Take My Eyes off You”). Focusing on Hill’s epic cover, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – (I Love You Baby)” is the 15^th and penultimate track on her 1998, historic, Grammy-winning masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Notably, it was a hidden track on the album.  It earned the distinction of becoming the first hidden track to receive a Grammy nomination (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 41^st Annual GRAMMY Awards). “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” didn’t impact the pop charts, but it did spend one week on the R&B charts, where it peaked at number 45.  Regardless of its lack of chart success, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” is considered one of Hill’s best songs.

Hill makes “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” her own, period. It sounds starkly different from the original, which has a traditional pop sound and vibe. One reason Hill’s version is distinct is the banging hip-hop soul beat.  That beat easily carries this ‘67 classic to the late ‘90s. Also, the beatboxing is epic too. The sound is modernized, thanks to the production of Ms. Hill! Besides the beat, a sickening bass line, and colorful keys, ‘up the ante.’ Hill captivates with her stunning voice, blessing our ears with that gorgeous tone.  She’s particularly on fire during the chorus. She asserts, expressively:

“I need you, baby, and if it’s quite alright

I need you, baby, to warm a lonely night

I love you, baby, trust in me when I say, ‘It’s okay’.”

Beyond the chorus, Lauryn brings a swagger, solidifying the hip-hop influence (those chill but potent ad-libs).  Ultimately, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Lauryn Hill remains the sugar, honey, iced tea to this day. Oh, Lauryn, why couldn’t you have released another album?!

Appears in:

Lauryn Hill, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You: Covers No. 15 (2025) Frankie Valli vs. Lauryn Hill: Head 2 Head No. 19 (2025) 13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 4 (2025) 13 Possessive Songs Featuring the Adjective, MY, Vol. 3 (2025)

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4. Joey Lawrence, “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix”

Joey Lawrence » UMG Recordings, Inc. » 1993

Joey Lawrence – what a heartthrob! Admit it, boys and girls, you had a crush on him, or, at a minimum, you were envious of his dashing looks.  As a middle-aged man (b. 1976), Joey’s still got it.  That is not the point of this article, of course, but transparency is important, and Joey was the sugar, honey, iced tea. Well, in many ways… looks, acting, etc. His musical career was not one of them.  Lawrence released his self-titled debut album in 1993. His sole top 40 hit was “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix”, which peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Only one other song from the album would chart, “Stay Forever”, peaking modestly at number 52.

“Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix” was written by Lawrence, Eric Beall, and Alexandra Forbes.  Beall, Forbes, Tony Peluso, and Steve Barri produced it. The sound is R&B-infused teen pop. There are New Jack Swing vibes in full swing, idiomatic of the era. Matthew Lawrence brings lots of personality, playfulness, vocal runs, and some schmaltzy spoken word moments.  Matters of the teen heart are in full force.  “Why is my baby blue? / Can’t see the colors of a sunny day?” he asks early on.  Reasonably, Joey admits, “Oh, I’m not denying / There’s a time for crying / Just tell me why you look so sad tonight.”  Aww! Later, he tells his baby, “I’ll take you up so high / You’ll start forgetting you were ever down / Kisses will dry your eyes / This is the way to turn your world around.” Also, young Joey informs us, “Love is the glue that binds us / When we get lost it finds us, yeah.” What more can be said about Joey Lawrence’s “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix” than WHOA!

 

 

Appears in:

Joey Lawrence, Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 40 (2025)

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5. Timmy Thomas, “Why Can’t We Live Together”

Why Can’t We Live Together » Rhino » 1972

That is a legitimate question, Timmy Thomas (1944 – 2022). If everybody wants to, why can’t we? It is a complicated thing. It was complicated on Thomas’s unique, minimalist 1972 classic, “Why Can’t We Live Together”, and it remains complicated today.  If you were to judge a song by its title, you might assume this is a romantic song – a boy yearning for his girlfriend to move in.  Not the case! The opener from the 1972 album, also named, Why Can’t We Live Together , is socially conscious.  Thomas wrote and produced it.  A hug pop hit, “Why Can’t We Live Together” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

What makes “Why Can’t We Live Together” unique is the instrumental.  Thomas plays a Lowrey organ and uses percussion presets as the drums.  This is big for the 1970s, where real drummers/live drums remained king.  But Thomas’s innovative spirit makes “Why” ear-catching.  Also, Timmy doesn’t get in a rush to sing.  He gives us an extended instrumental intro, setting the tone of organ and percussion.  After the singing concludes, Thomas also takes his time, flexing the muscles of the distinctness of the organ and percussion sounds.  Even with the minimalist vibes, Timmy proves himself to be a dynamic, expressive vocalist.  He sells the message of unity like a champ. “No more wars, no more wars, no more war,” he sings in the second verse, adding, “Mmm, just a little peace in this world.” Amen! Race enters the mix in the third verse, where Thomas asserts, “No matter, no matter what color / Mmm, you are still my brother.” That part! “Why Can’t We Live Together” is one of the more unique soul songs you’ll ever hear. It’s minimalist yet feels much bigger. Drake sampled it in his beloved, heavily memed, number two Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Hotline Bling”.

Appears in:

Timmy Thomas, Why Can’t We Live Together: Wacky Wednesday No. 22 (2025) Who, What, When, Where, Why, How Songs (2025)

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5 Gems (2026)
Almost: 5 Gems No. 1	Alone: 5 Gems No. 2	Am: 5 Gems No. 3
Big: 5 Gems No. 4	Break, Breaking, or Broken: 5 Gems No. 5	Can’t!: 5 Gems No. 6

 

~ Table of Contents ~ » ~ intro ~

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Can’t!: 5 Gems No. 6 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic Recording Corporation, Ben Harper, Concord Music Group, Inc., Nice Life Recording Company, Rhino, Ruffhouse, UMG Recordings, Inc.; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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