I am just really now starting to feel this song. Prince's emotions are super strong...

How after the first verse he says;

"Do U?
Do U love me?
Look at me"

Trying to get his lovers attention to confront her feelings for him.

Then after the second verse n chrous he has to ask:

"Tell me why , tell me why U don't?"

Questioning his lover how can she not Love him? How can the feelings he has for her not be returned. He does not understand and he does not want to accept it.

Then he adds;
"Talk 2 me, tell me where U wanna be kissed
Talk 2 me, tell me how U want me 2 do this
In this bedroom/church, U can guess the offering"

If she doesn't Love him now, he is going to make her Love him by morning before he gives up. He is going to give her Love like he never has before.


"I offer U (My heart)
I offer U sexual relations (But U won't)
But U won't (U won't)
Tell me what's up baby?
Am I moving 2 fast?
Not only do I wanna be the first, I wanna be the last, the last
Is that so bad?
I.. I want 2.. U know"

Prince is giving his lover his heart, his all, he is even giving her his body and yet, she is still not satisfied. He doesn't understand. How can he give her everything her heart desires but she does not love him?

"I wanna, I wanna, I wanna make U love me
(Do U love me?)
Come on baby, U can take it (My heart) (Come on and take it)
It's real love - I wanna make it (I wanna)
But U won't love me, love me (But U won't)
U won't love me, baby
What's a man 2 do???
What is this man gonna do???"

He offers her his soul. Where he is coming from, his desires for her are not Lust, but it is real true love he feels for her and even tho she cannot return it, he will take what he can get. Altho at the same time, he does not understand what else he has to do to make her Love him.

"I can't make U love me if U don't
I want U 2 (love me) love me
I need U 2 (kiss me, yeah)
Oh darlin' (Love me)
Love me {x5}"

During this part you can hear him kinda giving up but at the same time feeling pain for he is going to make love to his lover but the feelings he has for her cannot be returned and he knows in the end, he will be cheated by not getting her love.

"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 between your thighs
(I can't make U love me),,,"

You hear Prince blow out the candle and the image I have and I hope this happened instead of him getting to make Love to her and her leaving him or wanting to leave before he wakes up and he faces the morning alone...I hope he blew out that candle because she left and he was going to sleep in an empty bed, for he knws...even if she was in it, it would still be empty for thier would be no love in that room other than his that night.
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 3:30:37 PST 2003 by jseven]

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
Cuz I can't make U love me if U don't
I can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart (my heart) and I'll feel the power
But U won't, no, U won't
Cuz I can't make U love me if U don't

Do U?
Do U love me?
Look at me

I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love U don't feel, when U're holding me (Hold me)
Morning will come and I'll do what's right (Do it right {x2})
Just give me 'til then 2 give up this fight
And I will, I will give up this fight
Oh, yes I will

Cuz I can't make U love me if U don't
I can't make your heart feel something it won't
Ah, don't U know here in the dark, in the dark baby, these final hours (Here in the dark)
I will lay down my heart (my heart) and I'll feel the power, oh yes I will
But U won't
Tell me why, tell me why U don't?

(I can't make U love me if U don't)
Come here, baby
(I can't make your heart feel something it won't)
Talk 2 me, tell me where U wanna be kissed
Talk 2 me, tell me how U want me 2 do this
In this bedroom/church, U can guess the offering

I offer U (My heart)
I offer U sexual relations (But U won't)
But U won't (U won't)
Tell me what's up baby?
Am I moving 2 fast?
Not only do I wanna be the first, I wanna be the last, the last
Is that so bad?
I.. I want 2.. U know

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna make U love me
(Do U love me?)
Come on baby, U can take it (My heart) (Come on and take it)
It's real love - I wanna make it (I wanna)
But U won't love me, love me (But U won't)
U won't love me, baby
What's a man 2 do?
What is this man gonna do?

I can't make U love me if U don't
I want U 2 (love me) love me
I need U 2 (kiss me, yeah)
Oh darlin' (Love me)
Love me {x5}

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 between your thighs
(I can't make U love me)


©1996 Almo Music Corp. - ASCAP

I always liked his version of this, I hate when people say all his remakes suck. Anyway, it's great & heartbreaking

Nice post, btw

CalhounSq said:

Agree, just compare Prince's version with the one from George Michael!
But, Bonnie Raitt's (original) version still tops!

CalhounSq said:

Thanks Calhoun. I gave it a few spins tonight and I felt perhaps others felt this way about this song. Would had Loved him to do it on the last tour. This is one cover I dig a lot.

That is one of the things I love about Prince's music; his emotion comes thru so loud and clear and he gets you to ride on that emotion with him if you choose.

Nothing is cool bout heartbreak and unreturned Love. But at least Prince fans can put this on to help them thru the pain.

jseven said:

That would be INSANE

I've always loved Prince's version of "I Can't Make U Love Me." I do agree that he shows a lot of feeling in this song, not that that is untrue of the majority of his work by any means. I think a lot of the time he has gone thru such situations as he sings about in his songs. Some are more obvious than others, but the loss of love in whatever way it may b, hurts deeply, and for him 2 show such feeling as he does in certain songs, he has had 2 have the experience. One of those things that shows u he can relate 2 those situations we all end up going thru. I like how u broke it down though. Makes it stand out much more. I never really thought about it like that, but u're right on.

I think he found love tho, hope and pray we all do when the time is right.

Peace 'N Love

jseven said:

I always imagined he blew out the candle b/c it was just over - the relationship, the love, the chance of having any kind of spark or light, hence the flame is extinguished...

CalhounSq said:

I know. =-) And that is more than likely what happened. I was just hoping she spared him the hurt before he had to be the one to end the relationship and blow out the candle. She did not relize what she had until it was no longer there and gone.
I love his imagery of candles in "shhh" and how you hear a candle go out on the extended remixed version of "I hate u".

jseven said:

Thanks J7, another reason why you're my favorite orger!!!

i feel this song in a way that says it's better to go on alone, even if it hurts, than to stay in a relationship where the love is gone.

abierman said:

Agreed. For all of Prince's 'emotional' embellishments, the simplicity and starkness of Bonnie Raitt's version delivers the pain in the lyrics far more effectively.

one of the most beautiful songs ever written imho and price and bonnie's versions are both excellent

AprilMichelle said:

actually i love AprilMichelle's version a*capella on the fone from NY to OZ at 2am

blushes ...that was nice of you to say Joshy

Prince covers this song beautifully. I like it better than any version and I don't think it's just because it's Prince doing it.

langebleu said:

i dont know anyone other than prince fans on this site that can tolerate his version of this song. bonnie's version is untouchable.

Prince's version is my favorite version of this song.

Prince made me fall in love with this song!! Who ever the girl is in this song - Stupid!!

both versions suck hot warthog booty.

I like George michael's version of it!! more than Prince's.. but dont get me wrong, Prince's version is still great..

Bonnie Raitts version is good,George Michael's is pretty Good&Prince's version of it is Ok IMHO.

i think where he fucks it up is when he starts with all the silly sex talk. it lost all sense. surely he could've done without it.

mistermaxxx said:

Sounds about right to me.

I never liked Prince's version as much as Bonnie's original (one of the best singles of the 90s, and the best song she ever did)... but lately I've seen how he really took the song to a different level (not better, but different) and almost gave it a different feel and meaning with his new lyrics and different vocal delivery. He truly made it "his own". And that's where this cover is truly a worthy remake. If he had just done it exactly the way Bonnie or George Michael did, I wouldn't like it as much. Because it would just be another version of Bonnie's song (which is still my favorite take on it)...

Bonnie's is not the Original version of this song. The song Was first recorded by the song writer "Mike Reid" on his album "twilight town". So hers was a remake as well.
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 18:25:49 PST 2003 by exodus]

jseven said:

I think Prince's version of "I Can't Make U Love Me" is outstanding. The heartwrenching pain and imagery he conveys in this song are undeniable. I have to agree about the candle being blown out symbolizing his final acceptance that the love/relationship are over.

He has finally realized that once a relationship reaches this point, there is no going back, no rekindling what may or may not have ever really been there. No matter what he does and no matter how unconditionally he loves her, she will not return his love. His heart is broken, but he finally understands and accepts it.

I've always liked this song, didn't know it was a remake, and surprised that a couple of people around here disliked it, it sounds like a PRINCE song, had he created it initially, I think people would think of it differently, he sings it beautifully, it's a nice song...
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 19:02:53 PST 2003 by Starmist7]

IAM said:

DITTO. otherwise I like it. I luv George Michael's version, I think he sings it beautifully.

But the original is best, IMHO

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

!!!

You're straight wrong for that!

Starmist7 said:

These were me thoughts exactly!

I love this song!!
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 22:39:54 PST 2003 by luv4thepurple1]