Phish.net

“Can’t Come Back”–featured on the collection of outtakes from Joy called Party Time–is one of the more straight-ahead efforts – both musically and lyrically – from the man who brought us “Mound,” “Catapult” and the unforgettable “Fuck Your Face.”  The song is a lament for a friend or lover who has walked out on the narrator, either literally or figuratively, and, despite the narrator’s pleas, “can’t come back.”  Most remarkable about “Can’t Come Back” is Mike’s heartfelt vocals that achieve a wistfulness reminiscent of Gram Parsons. Sadly, “Can’t Come Back” has not yet been performed live either by Phish or, curiously, Mike's solo band.

(Gordon)
© Who Is She? Music, Inc. (BMI)

One small step
I saw you take
along the tube
toward the glow

Words I formed
to call you back
You paused and spoke
soft and low

Can't come back
Can't come back
I can't come back, come back

I thought I saw
you in your chair
a shadow bent
like you were there
I asked the dark
what would you think
of coming back
to join me

Can't come back
Can't come back
I can't come back, come back

Can't go back
Can't go back
I can't go back, go back