You Can't Hurry Love
Elizabethtown Vol. 2 Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel
Somethin' it wont
Here in the dark,in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
And feel the power if you wont
No you wont
Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't

I'll close my eyes
Then I wont see
The love you don't feel
When your holdin' me
Morning will come
And I'll do whats right
Just give me till then
To give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel
Somethin' it wont
Here in the dark,in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
And feel the power if you wont
No you wont




Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't

Overall Meaning

The song "You Can't Hurry Love" by Elizabethtown Vol. 2 is a beautiful ballad that speaks of unrequited love. The first verse sets the scene, as the singer requests their lover to turn down the lights, turn down the bed, and turn down the voices inside their head. The singer is asking their lover to be present with them, to hold them close, and to tell them no lies. They implore their lover not to patronize or deceive them, but to be honest and vulnerable.


In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that they cannot force their lover to love them back. Even though they desire and long for their love, they know that they cannot make someone feel something that they don't. They are aware that they're in a painfully one-sided relationship, and they're willing to lay down their heart, even in these final hours, to feel the power of an emotion they can't experience together. The singer admits defeat, knowing they'll close their eyes and refuse to see the love their lover doesn't feel when they hold them.


The final verse is a resolution to give up this fight and to do what's right come morning. The singer admits to their lover that they will let go of them if that's what needs to happen. As much as the singer wants to be loved, they know they can't force someone's heart to feel something and won't continue with this futile attempt. The fact that the singer says "I will give up this fight" reflects that the singer's love is in vain, their heart is broken, and they no longer have the strength to continue fighting a losing battle.


Line by Line Meaning

Turn down the lights
Lower the brightness of the lights in this room.


Turn down the bed
Adjust the bed to a comfortable position.


Turn down these voices
Reduce the noise coming from my own thoughts.


Inside my head
Within my own consciousness.


Lay down with me
Join me in this bed.


Tell me no lies
Speak only truthfully to me.


Just hold me close
Embrace me tightly.


Don't patronize
Don't treat me like a child or behave condescendingly.


Don't patronize me
Do not treat me like a child or behave condescendingly.


I can't make you love me if you don't
It is impossible for me to force you to love me if your feelings are not genuine.


You can't make your heart feel Somethin' it won't
It is impossible for you to force yourself to feel an emotion that you do not experience authentically.


Here in the dark, in these final hours I will lay down my heart And feel the power if you won't No you won't 'Cause I can't make you love me If you don't
In this moment of uncertainty and vulnerability, I will put myself out there and make myself extremely open and exposed to the possibility of experiencing love with you, even though you are not reciprocating. Ultimately, it is impossible for me to force you to love me, and I must accept that.


I'll close my eyes
I will shut my eyes in order to avoid seeing the reality of the love that is not present between us.


Then I won't see
As a result of closing my eyes, I will become temporarily unaware of the negative feelings that you have towards me.


The love you don't feel When you're holdin' me
Although we are physically close, there is an absence of a genuine romantic attraction or affection between us.


Morning will come And I'll do what's right
The next day, I will try to take steps to move on from this situation.


Just give me till then To give up this fight
Just allow me some time before you give up trying to make our relationship work. After that, I will concede that it is time to let go.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Unison Rights S.L., AMPLIFIED ADMINISTRATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Allen Shamblin, Michael Reid

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions