You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure

Album: Cosmic Slop (1973)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • What does the phrase "you can't miss what you can't measure" mean, exactly? We posed this question to Funkadelic leader George Clinton. "My mother called it 'mother wit,'" he said. "If you don't know how much it was, then you can't miss it. I don't know if that's actually true all the time, but it felt good when we said it."
  • The song is about a guy who is despondent since his woman left him. He calls a plumber to fix the kitchen sink, but it's his tears that are causing the problem. The plumber can't do anything about the pipes, but he does offer some advice: "you can't miss what you can't measure."
  • Much of the lyric was cribbed from a 1965 song by Clinton's group, The Parliaments, called "Heart Trouble." The "I'm trudging water" and "I chew my nails off one by one" bits both came from that one.

    Sidney Barnes, who co-wrote "Heart Trouble" with Clinton, is also credited as the co-writer of "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure."
  • Garry Shider and Ray Davis share vocals on this song with Clinton. Shider also played guitar on the track.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.