Released September 30, 1997 Genre Blues rock Label Columbia | Recorded January 1997 Length 3:32 Writer(s) Bob Dylan | |
"Make You Feel My Love" is a song written by Bob Dylan that appeared on his 1997 album Time Out of Mind. It was first released commercially by Billy Joel, under the title "To Make You Feel My Love", before Dylan's version appeared later that same year. It has since been covered by numerous performers and has proved to be a commercial success for recording artists such as Adele, Garth Brooks, Bryan Ferry, Kelly Clarkson and Ane Brun. Two covers of the song (one by Garth Brooks and one by Trisha Yearwood) were featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 film Hope Floats. Dylan eventually released the song as a single.
Contents
Personnel
Additional musicians
Billy Joel version
In 1997, Billy Joel covered the song as "To Make You Feel My Love" for his compilation album Greatest Hits Volume III. It was released as the first single from the album and reached number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Joel's single pre-dated Dylan's release of the song by one month.
Garth Brooks version
Garth Brooks covered the song as "To Make You Feel My Love" in 1998. It appeared on the soundtrack of the 1998 film Hope Floats, along with a cover version by Trisha Yearwood as the first and last tracks. It was included first as the bonus track on Fresh Horses for Garth's first Limited Series box set and then included on all later pressings of that album. Brooks' version resulted in a nomination at 41st Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and a nomination for Bob Dylan for Best Country Song.
Adele version
In 2008, British singer Adele recorded "Make You Feel My Love" for her debut studio album 19 (2008). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on October 27, 2008, both on CD and vinyl, originally peaking at number 26. The largest sales of her recording, however, came during 2010–11 when it peaked at number 4.
After the song was performed on the seventh series of The X Factor, it re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 24. The song then surged to number four after a second performance. Following a third X Factor performance and heavy use in the Comic Relief 2010 television, it spent three more non-consecutive weeks in the top 10. In early 2011 the song returned to the top 40 again, at number 34, after it appeared in the 2011 series of Britain's Got Talent. In all the cover spent a total of 55 weeks in the top 75, making it the joint 16th longest runner of all time.
Adele's version features in the soundtrack of the 2010 romantic comedy film When in Rome. Her cover version was also featured in the compilation album for the benefit of those affected by Supertyphoon Haiyan in the Philippines entitled Songs for the Philippines. In October 2013 the song was used in the third week of Strictly Come Dancing as part of the "Love Week" theme. In January 2013, Heart Radio listed Adele's recording as the UK's number one song of all time in its Hall of Fame Top 500.
At a concert at London's O2 Arena on March 22, 2016, the day of the Brussels bombings, Adele dedicated a performance of the song to the victims of the attacks.
Composition
According to Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy, the version expresses Adele's affection for the song, "with just piano as backing, her dreamy, passionate vocals are allowed to shine". According to The Guardian's Dave Simpson, with her "hushed delivery", Adele makes the song "her own".
Music video
The song's music video features Adele singing the song in her apartment.
Other television appearances
In other television appearances in the UK and US, the song was used in Waterloo Road, One Tree Hill, Ghost Whisperer, Parenthood, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Bones, Hollyoaks, EastEnders, Glee, Nashville and the pilot of Against the Wall. In addition, Adele's video of the song, directed by Mat Kirby, was released on music channels in late September 2008 and continues to be featured on her website.
List of recordings
Digital download (version 1)
- "Make You Feel My Love" – 3:32
Digital download (version 2)
- "Make You Feel My Love" – 3:32
- "Make You Feel My Love" (video) – 3:32
CD single
- "Make You Feel My Love" – 3:32
- "Painting Pictures" – 3:33
19 version
- "Make You Feel My Love" – 3:32
19 Deluxe version
- "Make You Feel My Love" (live at Hotel Cafe) – 3:52
Chimes of Freedom live version
- "Make You Feel My Love" (recorded live at WXPN) – 4:04
Live at the Royal Albert Hall live version
- "Make You Feel My Love" (Live) – 3:48
Other versions
"Make You Feel My Love" has also been recorded by Joan Osborne, Josh Kelley whose version appeared on A Cinderella Story: Original Soundtrack, Trisha Yearwood, Neil Diamond, Danny Bowes, Shawn Colvin, Luka Bloom, Timothy B. Schmit, Ronan Keating, Winifred Horan (from Solas), Emily Loizeau, Bryan Ferry, Elkie Brooks (from her 2010 album Powerless), Mary Black, Ruarri Joseph, Phil Keaggy, Paul Evans, Taylor Hicks, Jon Peter Lewis, Kris Allen, Maria Muldaur, Louise Setara, actor Jeremy Irons, Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran, Rebecca Ferguson, Aaron Tveit, Sleeping At Last, Straight No Chaser and Ane Brun.
The song was also covered by Lea Michele on the third episode of Glee's fifth season, "The Quarterback", in honor to Cory Monteith.
The song was covered by Maisy Stella in the ninth episode of the fifth season of Nashville as her character Daphne Conrad, who is singing to her mother Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) who had been in a car accident following the previous episode.