On the Howard Stern show, Charlie Puth sat at his keyboard to play a cover of a song he described as the most “beautifully tormented song” ever written: ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ by Bonnie Raitt. As Charlie himself said, there’s no one quite like Bonnie, and to do her songs justice is a difficult task, but he promised to do his best. Without any fanfare, he began to gently play the intro to the song. Then he began to play a cover that will astonish Music Man readers with its emotional depth.
No matter how emotional Bonnie’s version was, it was clear that Charlie’s cover was infused with his own strength of feeling. With his gentle piano playing, he stripped back the different elements of the song until it was even more simplistic. This stripped-back approach allowed the song’s lyrics to shine, letting the meaning take precedence and its emotional nature become even more apparent. As one online viewer observed, “Sometimes simplicity brings out the most beauty.”
I was amazed by the way Charlie was able to make the song his own. It has been performed by so many amazing artists by now, with Bonnie’s remaining as popular as ever, that I wasn’t sure whether he would be able to do something new with the song. It turns out that ‘something new’ was taking it back to its bare bones, and it absolutely played in Charlie’s favor. I adored the fragility that infused his performance, which truly made it feel as though he was singing from the heart.
Since the original song’s release in 1991, many talented artists have covered the song. Particular fan favorites include Adele’s 2011 cover of the song and George Michael’s 2012 rendition. However, it’s not only Charlie Puth who has continued the song’s legacy by performing covers in more recent years. Also on Sirius XM, Maggie Rogers delivered her own rendition of the song, once again slowing it down and stripping it back to let listeners really sink into its emotional qualities.
It’s amazing how one song can inspire so many to want to put their own voices to it. Not only that, but it is clear that everyone who covers this song puts their whole heart into the performance as well. Bonnie Raitt has written a song that holds its power no matter who is performing it or how many times you hear it, with many songwriters calling it the song they wish they had written themselves. There is no doubt that as long as this song continues to touch hearts, artists will continue to offer their own interpretations, allowing us to hear what this song means to them through their performances.