‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t/
You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt is one of the rare songs that had cross-over success on both the country charts and the pop charts. The song also sounds bluesy. It is truly hard to create a great song for both audiences. I think there are less than five such songs on this list.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” is about how Raitt wishes her lover could feel more for her but he/she simply doesn’t. So, she will take what she can and accept the physical intimacy that is offered. The song is sad, since it is one of mismatched desires and unrequited love. Ideally, she wants to be love, but for tonight she’ll accept whatever he is willing to give her. What else can she do? She can’t make him love her.
This is another song on this list where the piano part is played by Bruce Hornsby. The End of the Innocence was also. The piano has some standout riffs—I believe that is harder to pull off on piano than on guitar. The song also has keyboards to fill in the sound.
Raitt’s vocal makes the song. She sounds resigned to her current situation. We empathize because it is a situation most of us can relate to. And it is heartbreaking. Interestingly Raitt’s biggest hit was when she over forty. So few artists have new hits after 40. I think Sia and Leonard Cohen might be the only two others on this list.
Check out the great cover by SOAK.
I Can’t Make You Love Me Lyrics
Turn down the lights,
Turn down the bed.
Turn down these voices inside my head.
Lay down with me,
Tell me no lies.
Just hold me close, don’t patronize,
Don’t patronize me.
‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t.
You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.
Here in the dark, in these final hours,
I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power.
But you won’t, no you won’t,
‘Cause I can’t make you love me, if you don’t.
I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see,
The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me.
Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right,
Just give me till then to give up this fight.
And I will give up this fight.
‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t.
You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.
Here in the dark, in these final hours,
I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power.
But you won’t, no you won’t,
‘Cause I can’t make you love me, if you don’t.
written by Bonnie Raitt