Some Adele fans were stunned after learning one of her biggest hits was written by another music legend, despite it being so commonly associated with the London-born songstress. The 37-year-old has amassed an army of devoted fans thanks to her soulful, powerful voice and her talents as an emotive, storytelling songwriter.
She first made waves on the music scene back in 2008, after signing a record deal upon graduating from the prestigious BRIT School in 2006. Her debut album was titled 19, in reference to the age she was throughout its production and release.
It was a hit, spawning the UK top five singles, Chasing Pavements and Make You Feel My Love. The latter single is commonly associated with Adele, evoking a similar sense of melancholy and the emotional reverence she’s so known for.
The song was actually written by the legendary artist, Bob Dylan. The iconic musician wrote it for his album, Time Out of Mind, which was released in September of 1997.
A month earlier though, the song was released by Billy Joel for his compilation album Greatest Hits Volume III.
The song has been covered by a range of artists – a testament to the enduring legacy of Bob Dylan’s lyrical prowess – but Adele’s is perhaps one of the most famous, with many fans initially believing it was a song she wrote herself.
In a discussion on Reddit, one Adele – and Dylan – fan penned: “I learned today that ‘Make You Feel My Love’ was a Bob Dylan cover”.
They explained that while they were working, they had the 1998 drama film Hope Floats – which stars Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr and Mae Whitman – on in for some “background noise” and heard the song being sung by a man.
They added: “When I tell you how quick my neck snapped all the way back to look at the television! This movie came out in 1998. I completely put my work aside for this impromptu mystery Google quest and I just couldn’t believe it. I love them both.”
Another music fan commented: “Garth Brooks also has a cover of it, which may have been the one you heard. Even he said his daughters prefer Adele’s version”.
Someone else shared: “I discovered it through Apple Music lyrics section. It mentioned the song is written by Bob Dylan so I just had to Google it and it was from a 1997 album Time Out of Mind (Not Dark Yet is another great song on this album).
“I always rate this and Million Years Ago as the songs with the best lyrics in her discography. The Adele version to me seems vocally more polished but damn Dylan’s songwriting is a thing of legend.”
And another fan added: “I’d argue the Adele cover is the one I hear the most online though.”