What has to be in my opinion one of the prettiest songs efter crafted and excuted has to be this classic by Bonnie Raitt. It was one of the few if not the only crossover hit of her career and the one song she is most indentified with by almost every casual fan of hers (I'm sure her more devoted fans could rattle off a list of her songs they think is better than this one). Written by Michael Barry Reid and James Allen Shamblin II and on Raitts "Luck of the Draw" album, "I Can't Make You Love Me" is not only beautiful in it's melody but just as poignant in it's lyrics and Bonnie's voice sings them perfectly.
When I first heard this song I stopped whatever it was I was doing and just listened and rarely has a song ever stopped me in my tracks. Usually music propels me forward, to not only keep moving but to move faster, this song however stopped me cold. First I was astonished at how beautifully melodic it was but the more I listened to it the firmer the lyrics grabbed me. A song about unrequited love and a chorus that basically tells of a place we've all been at one point or another. We've either been both the person loving and not being loved and vice versa or one of the other.
This song has been covered by so many artists from the likes of Tank, Boyz II Men, Kenny Rogers, Prince, Patti LaBelle, George Michael and countless others and I doubt any of their versions come close to Raitt's original. You may or may not disagree with me on this being one of the prettiest songs ever written but listen to that piano towards the end of the song and I defy you to disagree with me then.
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