Pop, R&B

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords

Bonnie Raitt Beginner Key of C 5 Chords 2 min read

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Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Capo

None

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Guitar

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.

Ctap to play

Emtap to play

Amtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-C-E-A

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Ukulele

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.

Ctap to play

Emtap to play

Amtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Left Hand

Root notes

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Piano

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.

Ctap to play

Emtap to play

Amtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

gDGBD (Open G)

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Banjo

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.

Ctap to play

Emtap to play

Amtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-D-A-E

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Mandolin

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.

Ctap to play

Emtap to play

Amtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Harp Key

C Diatonic

Chords

C · Em · Am · G · F

I Can’t Make You Love Me Chords – Harmonica

Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking ballad about unrequited love and letting go. Beginner difficulty in the key of C.

Slow Ballad (6/8 Time)

↓↑↓↑

123456

Tip: Use a slow, gentle strum to match the song’s emotional tone.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C F

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

C G C

Turn down these voices inside my head

F C

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

F G

Just hold me close, don’t patronize

F G

Don’t patronize me

Chorus

[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

Verse 2

C

Morning will come and I’ll do what’s right

F

Just give me till then to give up this fight

C G

And I will give up this fight

Chorus

[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

Bridge

F C

I’ll close my eyes, then I won’t see

F G C

The love you don’t feel when you’re holding me

Chorus

[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

Practice tip: Practice the C to F transition slowly; it’s the core of the song’s progression.