Clay Aiken – I Can’t Make You Love Me

I Can’t Make You Love Me

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 lonely 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

Have you ever heard this pensive song?  It is a beautiful combination of heartfelt lyrics and loads of passion.

The songwriting team of Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin wrote this classic love song.  Reid said that he got the idea for the song when he read a newspaper article about a man who shot up his girlfriend’s car.  When asked by the judge what he had learned the man replied,

You can’t make a woman love you if she don’t.

Bonnie Raitt recorded this song in 1991 for her album Luck of the Draw. Mojo magazine voted “I Can’t Make You Love Me” #8 on its The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time list in August of 2000.  Right now, the song is ranked #339 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Clay Aiken sang this song on his Jukebox Tour during the summer of 2005.  It was a huge hit and I hope that we will hear Clay sing it again sometime.

Did you have a chance to hear Clay sing this song?  If not, the following video will make you tear up!  Get out the tissue!

Just a reminder…please list your top 3 or 4 love/romantic songs that you would like Clay to sing.  You can leave it in the comments of Tuesday’s article or, leave it in the comments for this article.  The more songs, the more fun!

 

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18 thoughts on “Clay Aiken – I Can’t Make You Love Me

  1. I wasn't 'here' for JBT '05; but, I have watched clips of and listened to Clay's "I Can't Make You Love Me" hundreds of times. It is one of Clay's performances that is always hauntingly beautiful.

  2. Yes, I saw him sing this and it is a favorite. I forgot all about this one – another one is "Till There Was
    You". Someone else mentioned this one – but it just breaks my heart when Clay sings it – "I'm Not
    Supposed To Love You Anymore".

  3. Okay, add this to my list of songs I wish Clay would record. Beautiful, just beautiful. I never went to a Jukebox concert 🙁 At the time I didn't know I could just go by myself! Living through Clack once again!

  4. ~<3~ mine, too, please. this just sent me to the moon and back! how absolutely heavenly is omc's voice. i really needed this right now…thank you! ~<3~

  5. Beautiful!!, you can add this to my list also, so hard to pick out just 4, my list will get longer as the days go by. Thanks musicfan xox.

  6. I went to a number of the JB tours, but I always leave in the Aiken Fog, so I don't remember hearing "I Can't Make You Love Me" in concert. But what a gorgeous song! Please add it to my list also.

  7. I saw the jukebox tour twice. Both times the audience went silent when Clay sang this song and then erupted in applause at the end. I'd love for Clay to record I Can't Make You Love Me. I also would choose My Funny Valentine, Someone to Watch Over Me,and Moon Dance.

  8. Okay! Love Songs – Here is my list…..
    1.) I Can't Help Falling in Love With You (Old Favorite)…..I haven't heard this song in quite a while, but it continues to play through my mind at unexpected moments. I know that Clay would sing a great, amazing, and spectacular rendition of it.

    2.) Bring Back My Love To Me (new)…..Clay's voice on this song is so smooth. I love the change ups on the CD. His inflections of certain words and phrases are masterful, and his sincerity and believability are heartfelt.

    3.) Unchained Melody (old and new)….. Love both versions from Clay. The dramatic way he sings "I need your love" gives me goosebumps every time. Sensational!

    4.) Superstar (sort of old)….. Clay sang a teaser of this during the AI2 Hollywood week. He sounded sooooo good! Would love to hear him sing the entire version of it. Since Ruben has recorded it – I wonder if Clay would ever even consider singing it in concert or at some other event. Mostly I would love to have a recording of it.

  9. Loved Clay singing "I Can't Make You Love Me" My favourite part of that whole song, is when he says "Don't Patronize…………………………..ME." gah!!!!!! I'll post my songs choices on Tuesday….

  10. yHIS ONE IS TOO SAD FOR ME TO LISTEN. my family left me when my mother died. even though I helped take care of her forva year and a half. my sisters had never been so nice to me before and then Mom died and they tried to have me cut out of the will and put away.thats why I like all of you and Clay.you make me happy.In AC I had my Clay tee shirt on the day before the concert and fans would come right up to me and talk. most people think I am invisible.I dont think its possible for a bad person to be a Clay fan.

  11. The 4 songs I would love to hear on a future recording are:

    Only You
    Bring Back My Love
    Breaking Up is Hard to do
    If you don't know me by now

    Ihave heard him sing all of these and he does them with such feeling. What a gift!

  12. My favorite songs to choose would be….1.I Know How The River Feels. 2. To Love Somebody. 3. Wind Beneath My Wings.

  13. I loved it when Clay sang this song. I could not even listen without tearing up. What a awesome job he did on that song. Wow! I am just throwing these out-I may think of better ones tomorrow. But these are a few more-My Love, I Will Always Love You, Everything I Do, I Do It For You which was on one of his cds. Also loved Fields of Gold.

  14. Oh, yes, I Can't Make You Love me was a most beautiful song. But, I have to admit, that everytime I go to his concerts, I am in such an Aiken Fog that I can't even remember what he sang. But, after a few days it all comes back to me.

    There are so many songs I would like him to sing, but I just can't think of most of them now. But, here are a few that I just love. Something About Us, Without You and Bring Back My Love. He does such a good job on Bring Back My Love that I would like for him to put it on his next album.

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