In 1993, British
reggae band
UB40 covered the original 1961
Elvis Presley recording as the first
single from their tenth album,
Promises and Lies (1993). The song, renamed "'''(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You'
", was released on May 10, 1993, by Virgin Records, and eventually climbed to No. 1 on the US Billboard'' Hot 100, staying there for seven weeks, becoming their fourth and last top-10 hit. It also topped the charts of 11 other countries, including Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, New Zealand (where it was the most successful single of 1993), and the United Kingdom, where it spent two weeks at No. 1. The song appears on the
soundtrack of the 1993 movie
Sliver, the trailer for the 1997 film
Fools Rush In, and an episode of the 2015 series
Hindsight. In the US, and on the
Sliver soundtrack, the song title was listed as "Can't Help Falling in Love", rather than what appeared on the record sleeve, which included parentheses around the words "I Can't Help". The single version of the song also has a slightly different backing rhythm and melody.
Critical reception In his review, Rovi Staff from
AllMusic noted that "carried by the hit 'Can't Help Falling in Love',
Promises and Lies finishes UB40's transition from a reggae band to an
adult-contemporary band that plays
reggae-pop."
Larry Flick from
Billboard magazine wrote, "U.K.
dancehall stars indulge in Elvis Presley memories on this first single from the soundtrack to
Sharon Stone's new movie,
Sliver." He added that it "has a pillowy, midtempo pace that dabbles in island beats and radio-conscious
funk. Brassy horns are a jolting, though ultimately pleasing, element in the arrangement. A fun respite from usual top 40 fare." In his weekly UK chart commentary,
James Masterton wrote that "this was a hit almost before it had even been released." Pan-European magazine
Music & Media complimented it as a "reggae remake that sounds like the sun will never stop shining." Alan Jones from
Music Week described it as a "predictable ramble through the Elvis Presley/
Andy Williams/
Stylistics perennial".
People magazine called it a "Rasta-Lite" version.
Music video A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American filmmaker
Neil Abramson. It features scenes from the movie and snippets of the band playing and dancing. It was later made available on
YouTube in 2009 and had generated more than 95 million views as of April 2026. An alternate version exists that just features footage of the band without any clips from the movie.
Track listings •
7-inch single • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" – 3:24 • "Jungle Love" – 5:09 •
10-inch single • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" (Extended Mix) – 6:03 • "Jungle Love" – 5:09 • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" – 3:24 •
CD single • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" – 3:24 • "Jungle Love" – 5:09 •
CD maxi • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" – 3:24 • "Jungle Love" – 5:09 • "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" (Extended Mix) – 6:03
Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts Certifications Release history == A-Teens version ==