Hey y'all, Happy thanks giving!!. I was listening to 3 different versions of "I can't make you love me".

The first by Bonnie Raitt.
The second by Prince.
The third by George Michael.

First of all, I am amazed by how the same song can be interpretted by three different people. Here is what I mean...

Ms. Raitt's version seems to say, "Okay, I know that you don't love me anymore so, I will abide by your rules and leave you alone....just give me one more night.

George Michael's version says pretty much the same thing, only I think that he is now saying it to his lover.

Prince's version in my opinon puts the greatest spin on the song of all. While he agrees that he cannot make you love me, Prince goes further and says, "okay, I may not be able to make you love me, but I am gonna damn sure try!!. In other words, although, she says what she says, he being the person that he tries to so hard to change her mind.

What do you all think?

honestly, i really like bonnie's voice much better on this one
and to me, it feels more heartfelt -- not to mention it is her song

Snap said:

Agreed. I feel that Prince tried a little too hard to make it sexier than the original classic.

sitruk7 said:

IMO, His version, shows that there might be some hope and he will not take it laying down.While Bonnie just gives up. If you asked me, nobody gives up that easy.

I prefer George's version.
When P's version came out I hoped it would be better but it ain't.
Especially the Unplugged by George is great!

omg, crazy

P's version is by far the best and best vocal performance.....

bonnie's is a complete snore to me

Prince's version. But I like Bonnie's also. Hers is more Slow. I feel MORE EMOTION in HIS.

shorttrini said:

but if you look at the lyrics you will see the song *is* about giving up. by prince sexying the song up he proved that he had finally lost touch with the power of lyric.



the highlighted lyrics give the song its weight. this is a song of despiration...a broken hearted soul reaching one last time to redeem love knowing damn well it aint gonna happen. we've all been there. we've all begged in tears, "dont go".

prince turned the song into a vampy request for sex and in doing so stripped the song of its power. now i know this is all just IMHO but for the life of me I just cant see how people can even consider prince's crapfest as being worthy of anyone's attention..or worse saying its better then bonnie's version.

sosgemini said:[quote]

shorttrini said:

co-sign. i've heard both versions, and bonnie's is just right on. prince just smutted it up for the sake of smutting it up, i guess. woulda been a chance opportunity to keep the song in its original form/meaning/feeling/whatever and still make it his, but nope! didn't happen.

pity.

I liked Prince's R&B arrangement, but once the lyrics became "Just hold me close, between your thighs" I think he lost the plot. Bonnie's version has more raw emotion. Much like the way Whitney turned Dolly Parton's plaintive, bittersweet "I Will Always Love You" into an overwrought declaration of love.

renfield said:

agreed.

The reason that I like Prince's version, is due to the fact that he still has not given up hope.He is not going down without a fight, which is something that we all do, when we get rejected. There isn't anybody on this earth that has not said something stupid, in the hopes that it will get somebody back. His also has to do with ego. This is something else that we never think about. When a person that we love, says no, our ego is bruised. Price's version shows this. This is why he continues to try.He is also hoping that by making love to her, that those feelings that they once shared, will come back. I don't see this as him spoiling it at all or turning it into a "sex song". His is full of real emotion. Yes, at first his is about giving up. He then however that he must not give up without a fight.
[Edited 11/25/05 16:13pm]

Haven't heard George's version. At least if I did, it didn't leave an impression.

Bonnie's version brings me to tears -- every time.

Prince's version does not.

Sometimes it's best to leave an original alone.

The acoustic (mtv unplugged) version that George Michael did, really give me the chills. Best of all.....

shorttrini said:

but if you read the lyric. what prince is conveying via his voice (and ad lib) and how you've interpreted his take on it totally contradict the lyric.

look at it this way, what if mariah carey were to redo "the love we make" and turn it into a sexy slinky fuck-request song...full with her kooing and ahhhing..would it work? when the song is about death caused by drugs?

IMO there's nothing wrong with Prince injecting his personality into the song. It's his interpretation of it. I happen to like it. I like both versions.
[Edited 11/26/05 8:57am]

Bonnie's is the best, imo.

her's is the version that really moves me, anyway.

sosgemini said:

I guess in Prince's version, I see signs of hope, of a person who is not going to give up the fight so easy. His is also, full of emotion and love. Remember, at one point in the song he says, "What's a man to do". This tells me that he is is willing to do anything to get her to stay.

I disagree..

The first by George Michael.
The second by Prince.


I think George Michael put more emotion behind his performance. I also could play George Michael's version in a lot of different settings. It could fit with a pop crowd but also a slow/classical/sad crowd. Where as, (this is just subjective to me though) I think Prince's version (while interesting) is mostly r&b.

I love George Michael's version. I like Prince's.
If you want another reason why I like GM'S version better..check out his 96 unplugged performance of this song. All I can say is WOW..He can sing.

I like them in this order:

Bonnie
Prince
George

I agree that Prince's "sexing it up" goes contrary to the intent of the song, but I like that spin -- it definitely makes it his version. I think it's not unlike his version of Nothing Compares 2 U vs. Sinead's. While Sinead's song come from a state of loss and defeat, Prince's delivery is much more one of desperately pleaing to keep holding on.

.
[Edited 7/21/18 16:58pm]

I gotta say Bonnie's is better. This is one of those songs where you know the person who wrote it, experienced what they are singing about. Prince and George Michael's version are both okay, but it's Bonnies song. I'd like to hear her sing "Do Me Baby" or "Careless Whisper". PS: She might sound pretty good doing "Slow Love" from S.O.T.T

ThePunisher said:

The funny thing is, Bonnie did not write it.
It was actually written by a man. His name is Mike Reid and he used to play for the Cincinati Begals. He has also written songs for Ronnie Milsap.

Paisley4u said:

Totally agree !

Georges version is OK Bonnies is good, but Princes version is the best. Honestly the song was made for him, it gives me goosebumps, when I hear it, I love it 2 death

id be interested in finding out why prince made the changes that he did...if the meaning of the lyric was totally lost on him or if he just didnt care.

shorttrini said:

Wow. Hmmm...that is a great perspective on the song. I love that song. It is so sad though. Yeah I never noticed that before. Yeah Raitt has defeat in her voice but Prince has hope. Great observation.

sosgemini said:

On the contrary, I think he does care. That is the entire point of his interpretation. He cares so much that he is will to make a fool out of himself. He took the meaning of the lyric and made it something that we can identify with. He just like anybody wants to hold on to her, for as long as he can.

The same thing can be said of Phil Collins, "One More Night". In that song, she is leaving him but, he wants "one more night", just to see if he can convince her to stay.

How did Prince, lose the lyric or did not care about it?

shorttrini said:

because One More Night is asking for "one more night". this song is a declaration that the relationship is already over.



lets remove the vocal execution. lets remove the musical arrangment and simply look at the lyric. the words convey pain, heartache, loss and desperation. the narrator of this song is letting all that hurt go. its a final decleration that this thing is over. Their last night alone is not a passionate one. The narrator already knows that whatever intimacy occurs will be one of mercy, not love. with all the cards on the table i personally believe that it is against the character of the narrator to flip personality and become a lothario. this person is in far too much pain. the situation too sad.

prince's intrepretation betrays the narrative of the story. IMHO.


(btw: this is a fun discussion. the org would be a much better place if we all were capable of these types of discussions. minus the "your not a fan" knee-jerk reaction that is far too common here)