You Can't Go Back
Recording Artist: Bryan Adams
Writers: Jim Vallance
Bryan Adams
Date Written: August 2016, Mustique
Released: February 26, 2022 (Bryan Adams YouTube channel)
Album: Bryan Adams - Pretty Woman: The Musical (March 11, 2022)
Audio:
 
Bryan Adams: all vocals and instruments
 
Produced by Bryan Adams. Arranged by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams. Recorded and mixed by Hayden Watson at The Warehouse Studios, Vancouver, Canada. Mastered by Bob Ludwig.
Comments:
 
This is the moment when Vivian decides to leave Hollywood Boulevard behind, regardless what the future might hold. She's seen a better life and she's determined to move in that direction - and never go back.

Back-story:
"Pretty Woman: The Musical", opened in Chicago and New York in 2018, Hamburg Germany in 2019, London England in 2020 and Milan Italy in 2021.

A USA touring production hit the road in 2021, stopping in every major American city and continuing into 2022, and a UK cast toured Engand, Ireland and Scotland for most of 2024.

Bryan Adams and I spent three years writing the 21 songs that appear in the production ... a typical time-line for a Broadway show. A "cast album" was recorded in New York in 2018 with nine musicians and 19 singers.

The audio above is Bryan's interpretation of "You Can't Go Back", recorded 2021-2022 at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver Canada.
Samantha Barks
Nederlander Theatre
New York, 2018 >
Lyrics: It makes you happy
At least that's what you say
But you ain't Cinderella
Who'd wanna be anyway?

Of all the things you wanted
One thing you never got
Was to be treated like somebody
Just to have one shot

You can't go back
No - you can't go back

But now you're thinkin'
Of workin' on a dream
You're not quite there yet
You're somewhere in between

I can hear you talkin'
How you deserve the best
A voice inside your head keeps sayin'
Don't settle for less

You can't go back - you've seen the world
You can't go back - you're a different girl
You can't go back - to who you were before
You can't go back - you always wanted more

You have regrets
But you can't change the past
You want the real thing
Is that too much to ask

For the first time in your life
It gets to be your choice
I feel you've found yourself, yeah
You found your voice

You can't go back - you've seen the world
You can't go back - you're a different girl
You can't go back - to who you were before
You can't go back - you always wanted more

You can see the future
It's in the stars
It's gonna be OK
This is who you are

It's true you sold your body
But you never sold your soul
You don't need anyone
It's you that's in control

They can take away your innocence
But they can't erase your pride
You've seen a better life
You've seen the other side

You can't go back - you've seen the world
You can't go back - you're a different girl
You can't go back - to who you were before
You can't go back - you always wanted more

You can't go back
No - you can't go back