Eric Clapton - Tears In Heaven - 1991

This song is about the grief of a parent.
It captures the pain, regret, tears, and sense of loss of a father who lost his child.
It is a song of longing for a son who has departed for heaven.

As for songs about feelings toward children, I previously introduced Jiro Sugita's "Musuko" (Son), but that is a song about a parent suffering through the rebellious phase of a beloved child they raised with such hardship.

Jiro Sugita "ANAK (Son)" 1978

As for a song about the sorrow of a mother who lost her son, there is "Mamy Blue," which I introduced earlier. *There aren't really any songs about losing a daughter... for some reason, it's always sons.

But well, for fans, it's a bit complicated. Why? Because that son was born from an affair—a secret child he had while cheating on Pattie, the wife of his former best friend whom he had been in love with for years (the very Layla to whom he dedicated "Layla"), and whom he betrayed and made cry...

And besides, Pattie was undergoing fertility treatment at the time.
At a time like that, it was more than just insensitive; it was truly awful.
Clapton is a real piece of work.

Having said that, I love his guitar playing and his songs, and I've remained a fan through it all, but still...

Derek & The Dominos "Layla" 1970

Men are just so hopeless!! Hmph!

Why on earth, when you've pined for someone so much and finally managed to get the woman you love, would you go and have an affair with someone else!!

"Bad Love" 1990

"Lay down Sally" 1977

Honestly, there was a period where Clapton was just a total mess. He was drowning in drugs and alcohol, and it was truly terrible. His live performances were so bad they were abysmal. It was so bad that some fans would get angry and leave halfway through.

"Cocaine" 1977

Who was it that called him a guitar god? He was so incredibly rusty. It was to the point where people would heckle him, shouting, "Give me my money back!!"... I really thought he was done for.

He came to Japan quite often, though. I suspect some fans went out of habit, not expecting the Clapton of old. His performances were so inconsistent every time he visited that it was always a nerve-wracking experience (even if the venue wasn't full, he always played at the Budokan. Clapton loves the Budokan).

"Pretending" 1989

And then, the death of his son.
I think everyone assumed, "Clapton is going to fall apart again, isn't he?"

However, he managed to sublimate it through his creative work... ironically, the pain of losing his son and the grief of a parent helped push him toward a complete comeback and recovery as a musician.

Yes, the joint concert with George. He gave us a performance that was miles better than when he had come before.

The moment I saw the resurrected Clapton.

In the sense that it was such a profound experience and sorrow that it actually prompted his recovery, it shows that even if he was just cheating, his love for his child was something else entirely...

& Steve Winwood "Forever Man" 1985

He also has a daughter with a previous affair, but I wonder if a son who looks just like his father is a special existence for a man.

"Tears In Heaven" 1991

This song was created as the soundtrack for the movie "Rush".

Movie trailer "Rush" 1991

If I saw you in heaven...
When we lose a family member or a loved one, everyone wishes for a reunion in the afterlife. I want to see my son again and hold him. I want him to take my hand when I die and go to the other side.

It is a song that spells out such wishes as a father.

In order to recover himself... to forget his sorrow, Clapton wrote these lyrics and composed this song, entrusting a glimmer of hope to the afterlife, and by singing while playing the guitar with all his might, he is likely sublimating his grief to reach his son.

"Change the World" 1996

A song provided for the movie "Phenomenon". It is a cover of a song by country singer Wynonna Judd.

Wynonna Judd Original 1996

Movie trailer "Phenomenon" 1996

"I Shot The Sheriff" 1974

A cover of Bob Marley.

Bob Marley & The Wailers Original 1974

"Wonderful Tonight" 1977

It was actually a song he wrote for his wife Pattie while she was getting ready to attend a Buddy Holly party hosted by Paul and Linda McCartney.

But, as Pattie herself said, it's a song from when things were going well, and listening to it after their relationship fell apart and they divorced is like torture...
Yeah... that's painful, isn't it? It must have been hard for you, Pattie.

& George Harrison "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 1968

In that sense, celebrities live their private lives exposed to the world. Everything they create is their life, and to put it bluntly, it's all material, so their way of life and their private lives themselves are the creations... It's like they are selling off pieces of themselves to make a living.

I wonder if it's impossible not to go crazy...

"Bell Bottom Blues" 1973

"After Midnight" 1971

Blind Faith "Presence of the Lord" 1969

Recently, Jeff Beck passed away, and now only Clapton and Jimmy Page remain of the three major guitarists.
Eddie, who was still so young, has also become a star in the sky... *sniff*

I wonder how many more times I will be able to go to Clapton's concerts in Japan. I want the gods Michael, Ritchie, Yngwie, Vai, Santana, and Brian... I want them all to live long lives.

I have corrected, added to, and fixed the links of the content written on F2blog, and have re-uploaded it here as a magazine.

"My Favorites ~ Landscapes with Music"
Reprinted from the article posted on 2021/01/14