I Can't Make You Love Me
Gretel Scarlett Lyrics


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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 that 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 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gretel Scarlett's song "I Can't Make You Love Me" speak about a very relatable and vulnerable situation in which one person is yearning for the love of another person who does not reciprocate the same feelings. The song starts with the request to the other person to turn down the lights, the voices, and the bed to ease the situation. The person then asks the other to lay down with them and not tell any lies, as they wish to feel the affection and closeness with the person they love. The person doesn't want to be patronized or misled and just wants to be held closely.


The chorus of the song is very poignant, stating that "I can't make you love me if you don't / You can't make your heart feel something that it won't." These lines emphasize that even though they want the person to love them, it's not something that they can genuinely force or manipulate. Despite the feelings and the power they hold, the odds of making the person love them are slim to none.


The lyrics go on to say that the person will close their eyes because they can't bear to see the other person not reciprocating the love. They know that the morning will come, and they'll try to do what's right by giving up. The person pleads with their love interest to give them time till then to fight for the love that they long for, but they know that it may be a lost cause.


Line by Line Meaning

Turn down the lights
Please dim the lights


Turn down the bed
Prepare the bed by lowering the sheets


Turn down these voices inside my head
Quiet the internal thoughts that are overwhelming me


Lay down with me
Take a rest beside me


Tell me no lies
Be genuine in your words


Just hold me close, don't patronize
Embrace me tightly without insincere flattery


Don't patronize me
Don't be condescending or fake with me


'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
I am incapable of forcing you to have feelings for me


You can't make your heart feel something that it won't
There's no way to change your feelings if you don't have them


Here in the dark, in these final hours
In this moment of darkness, at this very end


I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
I'll put my heart on the line and feel the strength of vulnerability


But you won't, no you won't
You won't reciprocate or feel the same


'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't
I can't change your feelings towards me


I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
I'll shut my eyes to avoid seeing the truth


The love you don't feel when you're holding me
The affection you don't have when we're together


Morning will come and I'll do what's right
I'll face reality when the sun rises and do what's appropriate


Just give me till then to give up this fight
Allow me some time to surrender and let go of this battle


And I will give up this fight
I will let go of this struggle




Contributed by Layla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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