If I Can't Have You - Yvonne Elliman
Song Lyrics / Chart History / Artist Information

• Written by written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees
• Originally performed by Yvonne Elliman (Yvonne Marianne Elliman (born 12/29/51 in Honolulu, Hawaii)
• Her father was Irish, her mother was Chinese / Japanese
• Her singing career began when she caught the attention of Eric Clapton in London in 1970. She signed on as a backup singer and recorded some his more popular songs, including "I Shot The Sheriff" and "Lay Down Sally"
• Her biggest break came in 1971 when she landed the role of Mary Magdalene in the Tim Rice Andrew Lloyd Webber production of "Jesus Christ Superstar"
• A single from that album, "I Don't Know How To Love Him", went on to reach #28 on the Billboard Top 40 chart
• Her biggest success came when, after collaborating with The Bee Gees on a song "Love Me", (which reached #13 in 1976), she was asked to contribute a song to an album which would go down in history as one of, if not the most popular albums in history..."Saturday Night Fever"
• If I Can't Have You was the 5th of six songs included on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The list of #1 songs were:
  • Jive Talkin' (1975)
  • A Fifth of Beethoven (1976)
  • How Deep Is Your Love (1977)
  • Night Fever (1978)
  • If I Can't Have You (1978)
  • Stayin' Alive (1978)
• The song was also #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #11 on the Billboard Dance chart
• The story behind Saturday Night Fever was originally touted as being a true story based on real Brooklyn characters.  Written by Nic Cohn, the article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" was published in New York Magazine.
• Cohn recanted his claim that the article was true, stating "my piece was a fraud".  Oh yeah, he was indicted in 1983 on drug trafficking charges, pled down and was given probation
• The Bee Gees recorded a cover version of their own song and released it as the "B" side of the 1978 single "Stayin Alive"
• In 1993 British singer Kim Wilde covered the song with modest success in the UK, taking the song to #12.  Her version was never released in the US
• In 2001 The Bee Gees did a remixed version of the song to include on their very popular 2-CD Greatest Hits album.

Song Lyrics - Song Title

Don't know why
I'm survivin' every lonely day
When there's got to be no chance for me
My life would end
And it doesn't matter how I cry
My tears, so far, are a waste of time
If I turn away
Am I strong enough to see it through
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can't have you
I don't want nobody, baby
If I can't have you...uh-huh, oh
If I can't have you
I don't want nobody, baby
If I can't have you...uh-huh

Can't let go and it doesn't matter how I try
I gave it all so easily to you my love
To dreams that never will come true
Am I strong enough to see it through
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can't have you
I don't want nobody, baby
If I can't have you...uh-huh, oh
If I can't have you
I don't want nobody, baby
If I can't have you...uh-huh