Make You Feel My Love by Adele

Album: 19 (2008)

Charted: 4

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This is a cover of a Bob Dylan song from his 1997 album Time Out Of Mind. Adele explained to the Manchester Evening News January 22, 2008 why she decided to record this: "I wrote 9 songs in a short space of time, all about this awful relationship I was in. I never quite got down what I was really feeling in those songs, though. Although I was trying to. It wasn't that I was holding back or anything, but I just couldn't get it down. I was bitterly upset and then my manager played me this Bob Dylan song 'Make You Feel My Love.' The lyrics are just amazing, and summed up exactly what I'd been trying to say in my songs. It's about regretting not being with someone, and it's beautiful. It's weird that my favorite song on my album is a cover, but I couldn't not put it on there."
Another cover by Garth Brooks reached #1 in the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart in 1998 and also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Hope Floats the same year.
The song returned to the UK singles chart in September 2010 after X-Factor contestant Annastasia Baker performed the song on the show.
Following three separate jumps into the Top 10 of the UK singles chart after performances of the song on the X-Factor, the song moved 27-7 after its use in Kerry Katona's first routine in the 2011 series of Dancing On Ice on 17 January 2011. In doing so, Adele became only the third act, and first female, to reach the Top 10 as many as four times in the same Chart run. The first to achieve this feat was Acker Bilk whose "Stranger on the Shore" proved no stranger to the Top 10 in 1961/1962. The second was Elton John whose record-breaking selling "Candle in The Wind 97" boomeranged in and out of the Top 10 in 1997.
The song's music video was released on music channels and Adele's website in late September 2008. In the clip, Adele is waiting for a response to a text during the early morning in a city apartment. The director Mat Kirkby foolishly included his actual phone number in the promo and the resulting phone calls have since driven him to distraction. He told The Sun: "The song featured on her first album, 19, but because everybody sang it on X-Factor people have started downloading it and watching the video on YouTube. I've had more than 5,000 calls. Some people sing the song down the phone, others shout abuse. It's making my life a misery."

Comments: 8

Mojoringo from OhioBob Dylan was born Jewish. He was one of the most prolific songwriters in the 60's and 70's. He often wrote about life and had a protest view in much of his earlier pennings. Bob became an evangelical Christian in the 1970's. He would try to talk about his excitement for Jesus during recording sessions with other atheists, agnostics, and people of other religions. Although this song is thought of as a rather straightforward love song, Dylan wrote it from the perspective of Jesus, who is trying to get to all sinners so they can feel his redemptive love. Adele, and others see the song as a wanton love song about two people. it is really about Jesus's love towards distracted non-believers. It's really nice that the meaning can be vague so it can be so perfect as a mainstream popular music song. Such is the brilliance of Bob Dylan.
AnonymousSTOP! This is not Adele’s hit. Even though she has a great voice, her rendition of this song is cheap and pathetic at best. So are the other covers of this most beautiful love songs ever written. Listen to the author in his singularly fantastic voice and deep emotion.
Sparky from London, United KingdomI prefer Adele's cover to either [Garth] Brooks and [Trisha] Yearwood. Have not heard the original by Dylan.
That having been said it is a good song and yes it is depressing at times but then we can't always just have 'happy' tunes all the time can we?
Mike from Pittsburgh, PaBritain's Got Talent 2011 runner-up, 12 year old Ronan Parke , did a cover for the semi-finals ... he received a standing O from the crowd and judges. Very nice version from a talented young singer.
Leigh from Cape Town, South AfricaOn her dvd Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Adele dedicates this song to Amy Winehouse, saying how this was Amy's favourite song... very touching moment.
Jessica from Logan, UtThis song was also used in the season 6 finale of "Bones." Very well done!
Ben Dirks from Nijmegen, -Comment on the song; not on Adele: Manfred Mann covered quite a few Dylan songs [Mighty Quinn i.g.]. Bob Dylan played with The Band. This composition sounds [to me] a lot like Davy's on the road again [Simon / Robbie Robertson] .... Inspiration?!?
Joycemorrison from PhTrisha Yearwood also has a version in the Hope Floats album. pretty good, too. but tis a sad song, too, somehow.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

HelloAdele

Adele's "Hello" was the first song to sell over a million downloads in a week.

Time In A BottleJim Croce

Jim Croce was killed in a plane crash on September 30, 1973. A few weeks later, his song "Time In A Bottle" hit #1.

Ants MarchingDave Matthews Band

The definitive Dave Matthews Band song, "Ants Marching" is a look at monotony, something they avoid by improvising at concerts and mixing up their setlists.

China GroveThe Doobie Brothers

There really is a China Grove (in Texas), but Tom Johnston didn't know about it when he wrote the Doobie Brothers song.

I Love ItIcona Pop

Icona Pop consider "I Love It" a kiss-off to their boyfriends. "We just wanted to get the song out and get the pigs to hear it," group member Jawo said.

(Don't Fear) The ReaperBlue Öyster Cult

Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult wrote "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" after he was diagnosed with a heart condition and started thinking about his own mortality.