Few artists have had longevity in a career like Anne Murray. Murray spent four decades releasing hit after hit, with numerous songs charting on both country and pop radio. But among Murray’s successful singles is “You Won’t See Me”. The song, on Murray’s Love Song album, was first released by The Beatles. Out in 1965 on their Rubber Soul record, “You Won’t See Me” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
A cautionary tale about a relationship that might be nearing the end, “You Won’t See Me” says in part, “I won’t want to stay / I don’t have much to say / But I can turn away / And you won’t see me / You won’t see me.”
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Murray’s version was released in 1974. “You Won’t See Me” became a No. 1 single on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It also hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Surprisingly, “You Won’t See Me” was not a hit at country radio.
In 2007, Murray released a new version of “You Won’t See Me”. On her Duets: Friends & Legends album, Murray sings the updated track with Shelby Lynne.
“You Won’t See Me” is Murray’s first release with a song by The Beatles, but it wasn’t her last. She later covered both their “Day Tripper” and “I”m Happy Just To Dance With You”.
Anne Murray Looks Back on Her Historic Career
Murray’s last album of new songs, Anne Murray’s Christmas, came out in 2008. By the time it was released, the Canadian was ready to retire from her historic career.
“I was so relieved,” Murray, now 80, tells American Songwriter, adding that she had done music for 40 years, and she was “so tired.” She goes on to say she wanted time not only for herself, but also for her family.
“I wanted to get to know my kids again, and just be mom,” she adds. “And even by that time, a grandmother.”
While fans still soak up Murray’s decades of hits, she has no regrets about choosing to step away from the spotlight.
“People ask me if I miss performing. No, I don’t,” Murray maintains. “I did a lot of it. I don’t miss performing. Do you know what I miss? I miss my road family. Because we were a family, and not just my band, but my crew. Everybody, we were a family. We did things together. We planned nights off together. I ate with my crew and my band every single night on the road. And we planned Euchre (card game) nights with everybody: bus drivers, truck drivers. Everybody was involved. And it was really a cohesive group. It was a wonderful thing.”
Photo by Jeff Goode/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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