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 wonder if we will ever 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!