Bon Iver Covers Bonnie Raitt On Fallon

American Songwriter participates in affiliate programs with various companies. Links originating on American Songwriter’s website that lead to purchases or reservations on affiliate sites generate revenue for American Songwriter . This means that American Songwriter may earn a commission if/when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links.

Just about everybody we know is a fan of Bonnie Raitt’s plaintive 1991 radio hit, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (co-written by former Cincinatti Bengal and country music artist Mike Reid.) It’s epic sadness and weary resignation are enough to give anyone pause, including Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, who released the track as a B-Side to his latest single, “Calgary.” Vernon has already declared the Indigo Girls to be his favorite songwriters. We wonder what other Lilith Fair-appropriate artists are in his playlist.

Videos by American Songwriter

Watch Vernon put his own spin on “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” with a snippet of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” thrown in for good measure, on Jimmy Fallon below.

Log In