I Can't Make You Love Me
View chords used in this chart
D E A D ||||||
Turn down the lights, turn down the bed ++++++
D Amaj7 OOO|||
Turn down these voices inside my head ++++++
D E Amaj7 D ||||||
Lay down with me, tell me no lies (_______)
Amaj7 Bm E+ E
Just hold me close, don't patronize - don't patronize me
D A D
CHORUS: Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
D A Dmaj7
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
D A F#m
Here in the dark, in these lonely hours
D A Dmaj7
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
Bm E+ E
But you won't, no you won't
D A Dmaj7
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't
D E A D
I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
D Amaj7 E
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
D E A D
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
D A E
Just give me till then to give up this fight
Bm E+ E
And I will give up this fight
CHORUS:
________________________________________________________________
From: StevenJ1@aol.com
I Can't Make You Love Me
(M. Reid/A. Shamblin)
as recorded by Bonnie Raitt
Capo III in Eb
Cmaj7 Bm7/E Bm7 Cmaj7
C Bm7/E Bm7 Cmaj7
C Bm7 Am7
[Cmaj7]Turn down the l[Bm7/E]ights,
t[Bm7]urn down the b[Cmaj7]ed
T[C]urn down these v[Bm7]oices [Em]inside my h[Am7]ead
L[Cmaj7]ay down with m[Bm7/E]e,
t[Bm7]ell me no l[Cmaj7]ies
[C]Just hold me c[Bm7]lose, [Em]don't patro[Am7]nize
Don't patron[Cmaj7]ize me [Dsus4] [D]
CHORUS:
Cause I can't m[C]ake you l[G]ove me if you d[Cmaj7]on't [Am7]
You can't m[C]ake your h[G]eart feel s[Bm7]omething it w[Cmaj7]on't
H[Em7]ere in the d[Cmaj7]ark, in t[D]hese final h[Em]ours
I will l[Em]ay down my h[Cmaj7]eart and I[D]'ll feel the p[Em7]ower
But y[Am7]ou won't, no y[Dsus4]ou won't [D]
'Cause I can't m[Cmaj7]ake you l[Bm7]ove me, [Cmaj7]
if you d[Cmaj7]on't
Bm7/E Bm7 Cmaj7, C Bm7 Em Am7
I[Cmaj7]'ll close my e[Bm7/E]yes,
t[Bm7]hen I won't s[Cmaj7]ee
The l[C]ove you don't f[Bm7]eel when y[Em]ou're holding m[Am7]e
M[Cmaj7]orning will c[Bm7/E]ome and I[Bm7]'ll do what's r[Cmaj7]ight
J[C]ust give me till t[Bm7]hen to g[Em]ive up this f[Am7]ight
And I will g[Cmaj7]ive up this f[Dsus4]ight [D]
repeat CHORUS
From: Len Moskowitz <moskowit@panix.com>
Cheryl<euphoria@ix.netcom.com> posted nice chords. Here's a slightly
different version with the chords I've selected notated under hers.
I've also provided tab for the chords. I play it on a 12-string.
Lovely song.
I Can't Make You Love Me
(Bonnie Raitt, from "Luck of the Draw")
Capo up one
Chord Tab
Dmaj7 F#m7 F#m7/E D D9 Amaj7 Bm Bm/E Esus4 E A
E 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0
B 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 0 0 2
G 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 2 1 2
D 0 2 2 0 0 0 4 4 2 2 2
A x 4 4 x 0 0 2 2 2 2 0
E x 2 0 x x x 2 0 0 0 x
Intro:
Dmaj7 F#m7 F#m7/E D
D9 Amaj7 F#m7 Bm/E
Dmaj7 F#m7 F#m7/E D
D9 Amaj7 Bm
[D]Turn down the [E]lights, [A]turn down the [D]bed
Dmaj7 F#m7 F#m7/E D
[D]Turn down these [Amaj7]voices [A]inside my [E]head
D9 Amaj7 F#maj7 Bm
[D]Lay down with [E]me, [Amaj7]tell me no [D]lies
Dmaj7 F#maj7 F#maj7/E D
Just hold me [Amaj7]close, don't [Bm]patronize - don't pa[E+]tronize
D9 Amaj7 F#maj7 Bm Esus4
[E]me
E
{soc}
Cause I can't [D]make you [A]love me if you [D]don't
Amaj7 D A D
You can't [D]make your [A]heart feel something it [Dmaj7]won't
D A F#m D Dmaj7
[D]Here in the [A]dark, in these lonely [F#m]hours
F#m7 A E F#m
I will [D]lay down my [A]heart and I'll feel the [Dmaj7]power
F#m7 A E F#m
But you [Bm]won't, no [E+]you [E]won't
'Cause I can't [D]make you [A]love me, if you [Dmaj7]don't
{eoc}
F#m7 F#m7/E....
[D]I'll close my [E]eyes, [A]then I won't [D]see
[D]The love you don't [Amaj7]feel when [A]you're holding [E]me
[D]Morning will [E]come and [A]I'll do what's [D]right
Just [D]give me till [A]then to give up this [E]fight
And I will [Bm]give up [E+]this [E]fight
{c:chorus}
How to play I Can't Make You Love Me
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is D. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.