{{Infobox song | name = You Can Go Home | cover = The Desert Rose Band You Can Go Home 1991 CD Single Cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = The Desert Rose Band | album = True Love | B-side = Glory and Power | released = September 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/mcas754188 |title=Desert Rose Band - You Can Go Home / Glory And Power - Curb / MCA - USA - MCAS7-54188 |publisher=45cat |access-date=2018-03-09}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Country, country rock | length = 3:33 | label = MCA/Curb | writer = Chris Hillman, Jack Tempchin | producer = Tony Brown | prev_title = Come a Little Closer | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = Twilight is Gone | next_year = 1991 }}
"'''You Can Go Home'''" is a song by the American country rock band The Desert Rose Band, which was released in 1991 as the lead single from their fourth studio album ''True Love''. It was written by Chris Hillman and Jack Tempchin, and produced by Tony Brown.<ref name="discogs2">{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Desert-Rose-Band-You-Can-Go-Home-Glory-And-Power/release/3875208 |title=Desert Rose Band - You Can Go Home / Glory And Power (Vinyl) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2012-09-15}}</ref><ref name="discogs1">{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Desert-Rose-Band-True-Love/release/2854996 |title=Desert Rose Band - True Love (CD, Album) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2012-07-20}}</ref>
Continuing the band's commercial decline on both the American and Canadian Country Singles Charts, "You Can Go Home" failed to reach the Top 40. The song reached No. 54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs, and No. 64 on the RPM Country Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-desert-rose-band/chart-history/csi/ |title=The Desert Rose Band Chart History |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2018-03-09}}</ref><ref name="collectionscanada1">{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1682&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=11jq1uuicfbth860997u8p11q4 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |publisher=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2012-07-20}}</ref><ref name="collectionscanada2">{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?q1=desert+rose+can+home+true&q2=Country+Singles&interval=50&sk=51&&&&PHPSESSID=11jq1uuicfbth860997u8p11q4 |title=Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |publisher=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2012-07-20}}</ref> It also reached No. 35 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Country Singles chart.<ref>Cash Box newspaper - November 23, 1991 - Cash Box charts: Top 100 Country Singles - page 20</ref>
==Background== Although the album initially gained active play,<ref>Cash Box newspaper - November 2, 1991 - Country music: country radio - page 24</ref> "You Can Go Home" suffered commercially from a lack of airplay in comparison to the band's earlier releases. Speaking to ''Billboard'' in August 1993, Hillman spoke of the single's performance in relation to the record company pressure the band endured with the ''True Love'' album: "We were mildly seduced by the record company to go into a direction which they felt would break us through. So we compromised on a lot of things. We got resistance at radio on the first single "You Can Go Home", and the record company bailed."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6BEEAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6BEEAAAAMBAJ/page/n26 27] |quote=desert rose band you can go home. |title=Billboard |via=Internet Archive |date=1993-08-14 |access-date=2012-09-15}}</ref>
For the ''True Love'' album, Curb Records issued a press release which spoke of the song in comparison to the album. They noted that the album "balances elements of traditional country music with bold new ideas", while the songs themselves focus on "adult relationships" and "the heart of country music", adding they have "feelings that come from the heart, but the attitude is one of introspection rather than overt display". The press release stated "The first single illustrates this unique combination of elements with a thoughtful truism expressed as a traditional country hook line: "You can go home (but you can't go back)."<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 1991 |title=Desert Rose Band |publisher=Curb Records, MCA Records |url=http://www.drb-fans.com/images/reviews/DRB%201991%2009-01.pdf |via=drb-fans.com |access-date=March 15, 2022}}</ref>
==Release== "You Can Go Home" was released by Curb Records in America and Canada only on 7" vinyl, cassette<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/you-can-go-home-mw0000271904/releases |title=You Can Go Home - Desert Rose Band : Releases |website=AllMusic |access-date=2012-09-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Desert-Rose-Band-You-Can-Go-Home/release/3954847 |title=Desert Rose Band - You Can Go Home (Cassette) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2012-10-16}}</ref> and promotional CD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Desert-Rose-Band-You-Can-Go-Home/release/3876466 |title=Desert Rose Band - You Can Go Home (CD) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2012-09-15}}</ref> The 7" vinyl featured the ''True Love'' album track "Glory and Power" as the B-side,<ref name="discogs2"/> which was written by Hillman and frequent collaborator Steve Hill.<ref>True Love CD liner notes</ref> The cassette version featured both tracks on each side, while for the promotional CD single release, "You Can Go Home" was the only track, which came in a standard CD single case with an insert. It was distributed by UNL Distribution Corp.<ref>You Can Go Home CD Single (Curb 54188) credits (back sleeve)</ref>
==Promotion== A music video was filmed to promote the single, which was directed by Gustavo Garzón.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.copyrightencyclopedia.com/thats-about-as-thrilling-as-watching-the-grass-grow-you-can/ |title=(That's about as thrilling as) watching the grass grow, You can go home, Middle America |publisher=Copyrightencyclopedia.com |access-date=2012-09-15}}</ref> Licensed under MCA Records, it was produced by ET/VideoLink,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drb-fans.com/images/You%20CAn%20Go%20Home.JPG|format=JPG|title=Photographic image|website=Drb-fans.com|access-date=2022-03-30}}</ref> a division of Edwards Technology Video, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/ET%2FVideoLink |title=ET/VideoLink - CDs and Vinyl at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=2012-09-16}}</ref> The video was shot in mid-1991 at Nashville in Tennessee and Tennessee Railroad Museum in Chattanooga.{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}} "You Can Go Home" received medium rotation on the TNN (The Nashville Network), and heavy rotation on CMT (Country Music Television).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bCgEAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bCgEAAAAMBAJ/page/n33 34] |quote=desert rose band. |title=Billboard |via=Internet Archive |date=1991-10-12 |access-date=2012-09-16}}</ref>
==Critical reception== Upon release, ''The Albany Herald'' stated: "Hillman as lead vocalist easily leads the Desert Rose Band through easy-listening music. "You Can Go Home" could have been a poignant wish for the good, old days, but in Hillman's hands becomes the realization that maybe you shouldn't want to go back to the way it was."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6C9SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xzQNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2427,3371247&dq=desert+rose+band+can+home+true&hl=en|title = The Albany Herald - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> ''Cash Box'' listed the single as one of their "feature picks" during September 1991. They commented: "This cut is pure Desert Rose Band with its rootsy vocal harmony, country-pop melody and breezy tempo. Definitely a fine kick-off for what sounds like a top-of-the-line album."<ref>Cash Box newspaper - September 28, 1991 - Country music: Reviews, singles - page 20</ref> In a review of ''True Love'', they said the song had a "traditional country sound with a modern day attitude".<ref>Cash Box newspaper - February 1, 1992 - Country music: retail rap - page 21</ref> ''Billboard'' commented: "Set to an assertive beat, the band takes a trip back home - but finds only memories intact."<ref>Billboard magazine - September 21, 1991, - Single Reviews - Country: Desert Rose Band - You Can Go Home - page 77</ref> Robert Santelli of ''Asbury Park Press'' described the song as "an account of what it means to meet up with an old sweetheart".<ref>Asbury Park Press - Desert Rose Band nurturing its roots - Robert Santelli - October 4, 1991 - page C4</ref>
In the 2007 Italian book ''24.000 Dischi'' (''24,000 discs''), written by Riccardo Bertoncelli and Cris Thellung, a review of the ''True Love'' album highlighted the song, stating "Always open to collaboration with other authors, Hillman signing the opening track, You Can Go Home, with Jack Tempchin. The Desert Rose Band proceeds as a perfect device but a bit too true to itself."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5cdvbGGtuIQC&q=desert+rose+band+true+love&pg=PA542 |title=Ventiquattromila dischi. Guida a tutti i dischi degli artisti e gruppi piů ... - Google Books |isbn=9788860181510 |access-date=2012-09-17|last1=Bertoncelli |first1=Riccardo |last2=Thellung |first2=Cris |year=2006 }}</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic highlighted "You Can Go Home" as an album standout by labeling it an AMG Pick Track.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-love-mw0000269203 |title=True Love - Desert Rose Band : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=2012-09-27}}</ref>
==Track listing== ;7" single #"You Can Go Home" - 3:33 #"Glory and Power" - 3:24
;Cassette single #"You Can Go Home" - 3:33 #"Glory and Power" - 3:24
;CD single (American promo) #"You Can Go Home" - 3:33
==Chart performance== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1991) !Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|Canadacountry|64|chartid=1676|publishdate=November 16, 1991|access-date=August 16, 2013}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|53|artist=Desert Rose Band}} |}
==Personnel== ;The Desert Rose Band * Chris Hillman - Lead vocals, acoustic guitar * Herb Pedersen - Acoustic guitar, backing vocals * John Jorgenson - Lead guitar, backing vocals * Bill Bryson - Bass guitar * Steve Duncan - Drums * Tom Brumley - Pedal steel guitar
;Additional personnel * Tony Brown - producer
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{The Desert Rose Band}}
Category:1991 singles Category:The Desert Rose Band songs Category:MCA Records singles Category:Curb Records singles Category:Songs written by Chris Hillman Category:Songs written by Jack Tempchin Category:Song recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer) Category:1991 songs