Weekly Music
June 29th, 2011
How beautiful is Bon Iver’s cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me”? His falsetto gives me chills. This song always stops me in my tracks as I have a sad memory of it as a kid when my parents got divorced. I think if I had to name the most beautiful sad song, it might be this.
And for good measure, the original, because Bonnie is my girl. Her very first album is one of the best things on earth if you haven’t heard it.







June 29th, 2011 at 11:09 am
never heard these tracks before but I loved both of them, thanks for sharing such great music :)
http://girlynote.blogspot.com/
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Uh, Bon Iver def. too intense for me right now. Can’t haaandle iiiittt. But Bonnie Raitt actually calmed me down, have loved her for a long time too. Her and Aretha Franklin right? And Van Morrison. Those 3 are probably my biggest childhood trigger for music.
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
bon iver is actually magical.
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Oh man, I have been listening the heck out of this cover lately. The way he sings “when you’re holding me” is so hauntingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing the meaning that Bonnie Raitt’s original version has for you, too.
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Yes! LOVE Bon Iver and LOVE this cover! Was also having a similar sad memory when I clicked on his version, which made me want to hear the original – then BAM, I looked below and there it is! Listened to it four times in a row. fantasticallysad.
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
First time ever looking at your blog and the first post is my all time favorite song and (since hearing it a few weeks ago) my new favorite cover! such a magical song….safe to say i have a new favorite follow!
[Reply]
June 29th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
I have always loved that song… soo beautiful and sad, but so great. I love the cover. Thanks
[Reply]
June 30th, 2011 at 8:05 am
oh god. it’s incredibly sad. beautiful yes, but it just killed me.
[Reply]
June 30th, 2011 at 10:31 am
I just heard that Bon Iver cover for the first time on the radio yesterday. So so so good.
[Reply]
June 30th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Whoa – so weird you mentioned the connection between this song and your parents getting divorced! That is the very reason it kills me to listen to it. It was the soundtrack of my parents’ split, my mom played this tape in the car over and over and I would cry silently in the back seat.
Sorry, I just realized how incredibly depressing that was. I’m over it.
Um…the song is lovely. Thanks for posting!
Sincerely, Debbie Downer (Sarah B)
[Reply]
June 30th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Sarah, that’s pretty much my exact same memory! I too am over it – ha :)
[Reply]
July 2nd, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Kate! So very serendipitous that you post Bonnie Raitt this week. I was just super excited to find that she and others are playing a benefit concert in Mountain View, CA this August 7th. Check it out!
[Reply]
July 5th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Prince does this the best
[Reply]
July 5th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I’m new to your blog and just had to stop and listen to this cover. I LOVED the original. Hauntingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
July 14th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Bon Iver gives me chills. Beautiful cover. Thank you for sharing.
[Reply]