How Can I Be Sure? by The Young Rascals

Album: Groovin' (1967)

Charted: 4

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Songfacts®:

This song was a follow-up to "Groovin'," and was a huge hit. It's a soulful ballad about the doubts of one's first great love, particularly when the love is one-sided. The song was popular enough that it was covered by many artists, most notably David Cassidy in 1972, whose version reached #25 on the Billboard Top 100. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
Like "Groovin'," this was written by Rascals Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. Both tunes, as well as "I've Been Lonely Too Long," came out of Cavaliere's experience of falling in - and out - of love.

"All of those love songs were about this one particular person," he told Music Connection in 2022. "And it was so interesting and the culmination was 'How Can I Be Sure.' And then it was over. Things happen for a reason and the reason was to write those songs. That is what she was there for. The word muse is real. The stories were genuinely about being in love."
The Young Rascals' original version didn't hit in the UK and the first time it charted was in 1970 when a revival by Dusty Springfield scraped into the charts at #36. Two years later David Cassidy, who was at the time along with The Osmonds the most popular teen idol in the UK, went all the way to the top of the British singles chart with his cover.
Cavaliere and Brigati were living together in a New York City apartment when they wrote many of the group's early hits, often with Brigati bringing Cavaliere's ideas to life.

"I would write the song, the title and the chorus on every one of those songs," Cavaliere told Music Connection. "We had a little piano there and I would play them for him and give him an idea what we were talking about. And I really genuinely felt that his verse lyrics were better than my verse lyrics. They were more colorful. I was a little bit more serious. I would get into the spirit or the politics of things."

Comments: 11

Lyriclover from NyThe lyric is, "How's the whether, whether or not we're together" It's a play on words, but still literally makes sense, as in, is there a "we," are we together or not?

Oh by the way, this melody and lyric is right up there with anything the Gershwin boys composed, which is why it is/should be considered part of the great American songbook.
Ryan Mcminn from Sequatchie TnLove the young rascals am 4o born in 81 rather listen to
This then anything new
Dave Bush from Aston PaThis song has a magical effect on me. It takes me back to late summer 1967. I was 12 about to turn 13. When I hear it I can feel the warm days of summer about to end. What a great time of life.
Jim Lill from Rochester, New YorkIt's a wonderful song... The use of the concertina was to give a French Cafe feel. It has been erroneously stated to be an accordion.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 29th 1968, Lainie Kazan* performed "How Can I Be Sure?" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
Just over one year earlier on September 3rd, 1967 the Young Rascals' original version of the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #80, and six weeks later on October 15th, 1967 it peaked at #4 {for 2 weeks} and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
And on October 22nd, 1967 it reached #1 {for 1 week} on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart; it was the groups' third straight #1 on the Canadian chart, it followed "Groovin'" and 'A Girl Like You"...
* Ms. Kazan never had a Top 100 record, but did release six albums and was Barbra Streisand's understudy in the 1964 Broadway production of 'Funny Girl'.
Camille from Toronto, OhI do love the instrumentation of the song...it reminds me of a french waltz...I envision a large city park filled with all manner of people, young and old, enjoying various activities while the singer strolls along, questioning if he's found true love.
Camille from Toronto, OhI so remember when this song was popular. I was only 9 years old at the time. Things in my family were changing, my mother was experiencing a deep depression. It was not something people discussed or knew much about back in 1967. But the whole tone of our household changed forever, and this is one of the songs that seemed to capture the sadness of that time for me, (even tho this is not necessarily a sad song).
Mrcleaveland from Cleveland,Fort Devens.
Mixermatt from Bloomington, MnShelby Lynne did a cover on this and it's not bad at all
Jesse from Madison, WiThis song demonstrates very well what is missing from music in the '00s, and the '90s really. That is SOUL! FEELING! EMOTION! The vocals in this song are fantastic! The instrumentation is astounding! Orchestral, not schwilly. Complex, not simple. I LOVE this song! Listen to those AWESOME vocals! Think heart and soul. Real emotion.
Michael from Chicago, IlI always thought this song was from a Broadway musical! It just didn't sound like the rest of the Rascals' work. I turn it up when it comes on the radio, though!!

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