The group debuted at the Lyceum Theatre in London on June 14, 1970 where the announcer mispronounced their provisional name of Eric and the Dynamos to Derek and the Dominos, the band decided to take up the new name and undertook a summer tour of England. From late August to early October, working at Criteria Studios in Miami with legendary Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd, the band recorded Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, a brilliant double album now widely regarded as Clapton's masterpiece. Most of the material, including Layla (which soon became an FM radio staple) was inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd who was married to his best friend George Harrison. Clapton was seeing Pattie secretly at the time and Whitlock was dating her sister. It was not until much later that the affair was open; Boyd moved in with Clapton in 1974 and married him in 1979. However, they were separated in 1985 when Clapton started a relationship with Yvonne Khan Kelly and they divorced in 1988. The two-part song "Layla" was recorded in separate sessions; the opening guitar section was recorded first, with the second section following several months later. The second section was an elegiac piano piece composed and played by drummer Jim Gordon; early on, he objected to it being added onto Layla, but after some arguing among the band's members he finally agreed.
The Layla LP was actually recorded by a five-piece version of the group, thanks to the unforeseen inclusion of slide guitar virtuoso Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. Clapton recorded most of the album while lying on the floor strung out on drugs. The band was heavily into drugs at this time, but, unlike many artists such as The Beatles, Clapton feels this did not hurt the recording process. A few days into the Layla sessions, Dowd, who was also producing the Allmans, invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami. The two guitarists who previously knew each other only by reputation, met backstage after the show, and then both bands repaired to the studio to jam (an impromptu session which, happily, was captured on tape). Clapton and Allman "fell in love" with each other's playing and became instant friends, so Allman was immediately invited to become the fifth member of The Dominos. (These studio jams were eventually released as part of the 3-CD 20th-anniversary edition of the album.)
When Allman and Clapton met, The Dominos had already recorded three tracks (I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues and Keep On Growing); Allman debuted on the fourth cut, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, and contributed some of his most sublime slide-guitar playing to the remainder of the LP. The album was heavily blues-influenced and featured a winning combination of the twin guitars of Allman and Clapton, with Allman's incendiary slide-guitar a key ingredient of the sound. It showcased some of Clapton's strongest material to date, as well as arguably some of his best guitar playing, with Whitlock also contributing several superb numbers, and his powerful, soul-influenced voice.
I don't know why
Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know I care
Don't you know I love you
Don't you know I care
Yeah the love I have for you
I take you anywhere
I like to take you for a walk
Or take you for a ride
Or take you for a ride
I like to do everything
That your 'lil heart desires
Don't you know don't you know
Don't you know don't you know
don't you know oooh baby don't you know
Yes I want you to believe me
'Cause I´m the one who know
I like to take you for a walk
Or take you for a ride
I like to take you for a walk
Or take you for a ride
I like to do everything
That your little heart desires
The lyrics of "I Don't Know Why" by Derek and the Dominos express the singer's unconditional love and devotion towards someone. The repeated phrase "Don't you know I love you, don't you know I care" emphasizes the depth of his affection and suggests that the addressee is not fully aware of it. The singer's willingness to take the loved one anywhere and do everything that their heart desires demonstrates his eagerness to please and make them happy. The lines "I like to take you for a walk or take you for a ride" evoke a sense of freedom and adventure, as if the singer wants to share his life with his beloved and explore the world together. The insistent repetition of the phrase "Don't you know" and "oooh baby" convey a sense of urgency and desire to persuade the addressee of his feelings. The repeated use of "I" indicates the personal nature of the song and suggests that the singer is speaking from his own experience.
The song's lyrics may be interpreted as a plea for recognition and reciprocation of love, as the singer seems to have strong feelings for someone who may not feel the same way. Overall, "I Don't Know Why" is a simple and straightforward love song that does not rely on complex metaphors or poetic language, but rather on the raw emotions of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know I love you
I want you to understand that I have deep affection for you
Don't you know I care
I want you to understand that I am concerned about you
Yeah the love I have for you
I have an intense feeling of love for you
I take you anywhere
I am willing to take you wherever you want to go
I like to take you for a walk
I enjoy accompanying you on walks
Or take you for a ride
I also like to go on rides or drives with you
I like to do everything
I derive joy from fulfilling your every wish
That your 'lil heart desires
I want to gratify all your smallest wishes
Don't you know don't you know
Do you fully appreciate or comprehend
don't you know oooh baby don't you know
I am pleading with you to understand or acknowledge
Yes I want you to believe me
It's important to me that you trust me
'Cause I'm the one who know
I know what's best for us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Buck
This is better than the studio version!
Peter Iacontino
Good post Tom. I never heard D.&D do this. This was early in the tour. I seen them twice in NY, October & December.
Umbari
@Tom Caswell it was a shame, tom.. because this song is so good, really good
Tom Caswell
Thanks Peter! This was before the Layla sessions as well so a lot of the album songs hadn't been done yet so they played a number of songs on their pre-Layla UK tour from Eric's solo album. Blues Power, Let It Rain and Bottle Of Red Wine remained through their US tour but I Don't Know Why didn't make it past the UK tour.
Susan Reed
Thanks Tom, love this :-)
Tom Caswell
You're welcome!