1) Jamie Johnson (born April 13, 1994) is a 20 year old singer from Kent. H… Read Full Bio ↴1) Jamie Johnson (born April 13, 1994) is a 20 year old singer from Kent. He was a finalist in Series 3 of The Voice UK.

2) Jamey Johnson (born July 14, 1975 in Enterprise, Alabama) is an American country music artist. Signed to BNA Records in 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar", the title track to his 2006 album The Dollar. Johnson was dropped from BNA in 2006 and signed to Mercury Nashville Records in March 2008, releasing his second album, the gold-certified That Lonesome Song. This album has produced two more singles: the Top Ten hit "In Color" as well as "High Cost of Living". In addition to most of his own material, Johnson has co-written singles for Trace Adkins, George Strait, James Otto and Joe Nichols.

I Can't Make You Love Me
Jamie Johnson 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 closely
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
And here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
And I will feel the power but you won't
No you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me
When you don't
When you don't

I'll close my eyes
'Cause then I won't see
The love you don't feel
When you're home with 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 that it won't
And here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart
I will feel the power but you won't
No you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me

When you don't
When you don't

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jamie Johnson's song "I Can't Make You Love Me" describe the feelings of a person who knows that their partner is not in love with them. The song begins with the singer asking their lover to turn down the lights, voices, and the bed. The lover's emotional distance is evident in the singer's plea to their partner, to tell no lies and hold them closely without patronizing them. The singer knows that they cannot force someone to love them if they don't feel it in their heart. They cannot make their partner's heart feel something that it won't. In the last hours, the singer lays down their heart, feeling the power of their love, but their partner won't feel it. The singer closes their eyes hoping not to see the love their partner doesn't feel when they're together. They know that morning will come, and they will do what's right. But until then, they will give up this fight because they can't make their lover love something they don't.

The lyrics are a very heart-touching representation of unrequited love. The singer realizes that no matter what they do, they cannot force their lover to love them, and they need to accept this pain. By the end of the song, they have given up on their fight, knowing that it is impossible to attain the love they desire. The helpless emotion of the singer, the sadness, and the truth behind it all make the song very soulful.

Line by Line Meaning

Turn down the lights
Dimming the lights to create a mood that might bring the two partners together.

Turn down the bed
Preparing the setting for intimacy, where the partners can be physically close to each other.

Turn down these voices inside my head
Tuning out the self-doubt that haunts and brings in negative thoughts about oneself, to focus on the moment with the lover.

Lay down with me
The singer requests the lover to physically come closer for warmth and comfort, to strengthen their emotional connection.

Tell me no lies
The singer desires honesty and authenticity, rather than the lover's sweet nothings just to make them feel good.

Just hold me closely
The singer seeks the physical contact and emotional bond that being close offers, which might be fleeting and short-lived given the lover's inability to love fully.

Don't patronize
The singer wants none of the lover's false praise or sympathies, as it only makes things worse for both parties involved in coming to terms with the lover's lack of feelings.

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
The artist accepts the harsh reality that one person cannot force or make another person love them, despite the efforts and sacrifices they make.

You can't make your heart feel, Something that it won't
The artist explains, in context, that the heart wants what it wants, and no amount of coercion or persuasion from anyone can make it feel otherwise.

And here in the dark, in these final hours, I will lay down my heart
Here the singer reveals being vulnerable to heartbreak and yet also being courageous enough to take risks given the shortness of the time they might have together.

And I will feel the power but you won't
The singer will willingly give into their emotions and be affected by the moment, knowing that their lover will not reciprocate those feelings, as love doesn't work that way.

No you won't
The artist reiterates the previous statement - the lover cannot feel the same power or passion because it is not possible to force oneself to love another.

'Cause I can't make you love me, When you don't
The artist reflects on the reality of the situation - if the lover can't find it within themselves to love the artist, then it's time to let go of the futile attempts to find it.

I'll close my eyes
The singer uses this metaphor to mean that they will stop kidding themselves, stop expecting something they know deep down won't happen.

'Cause then I won't see, The love you don't feel, When you're home with me
The artist chooses to close their eyes, as it is better to be in the dark and less painful than to see and face the naked truth, that one person loves, while the other doesn't.

Morning will come, And I'll do what's right
The artist shows resilience and determination to accept the truth and move on, doing what is right for their well-being in the morning that awaits after a tough night.

Just give me till then, To give up this fight, And I will give up this fight
The artist asks for a little time to process the situation and get over the pain of rejection, promising to no longer fight the inevitability of the situation.

Writer(s): Shamblin James Allen, Reid Michael Barry

Contributed by Lucas D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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