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.
Keep on Growing
Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playing in the streets, I was unknowing;
I didn't know my fate.
Playing
The game of love, but never really showing;
I thought that love could wait.
I was a young man and sure to go astray.
You walked right into my life and told me love would find a way
To keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
I was standing,
Looking in the face of one who loved me,
Feeling so ashamed.
Hoping,
And praying, Lord, that she could understand me,
But I didn't know her name.
She took my hand in hers and told me I was wrong.
She said, you're gonna be all right boy, oh just as long
As you keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Maybe,
Someday baby, who knows where or when, Lord,
Just you wait and see.
We'll be walking,
Together hand in hand, alone forever;
Woman just you and me.
'Cause time is gonna change us, Lord, and I know it's true;
Our love is gonna keep on glowing and growing and it's all we gotta do.
Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
The lyrics to "Keep on Growing" by Derek and the Dominos speak to the journey of a young man who is unsure about love and his place in the world. He is playing in the streets, laughing, and unknowing of his fate. He is participating in the game of love but is not willing to fully show his emotions or commit to anyone, thinking that love can wait. This mentality of delaying love is common among young people who think that they have all the time in the world to find love.
However, his fate changes when he meets a woman who walks into his life and tells him that love will find a way to keep growing. She takes his hand and speaks words of encouragement, telling him that he will be alright as long as he keeps growing. This woman understands him and helps him to see the error of his ways. The young man realizes that he has been looking for love in all the wrong places and that he needs to keep growing and changing to find true love.
The song speaks to the message that love is a journey that requires growth and change to find. Time will pass, and people will change, but as long as love keeps growing and glowing, it will endure. The song is a testament to the power of love and the importance of growing and changing with your partner to keep that love alive.
Line by Line Meaning
I was laughing, Playing in the streets, I was unknowing;
At a young age, I lived life without much thought or worry.
I didn't know my fate. Playing The game of love, but never really showing; I thought that love could wait.
I was naive and didn't consider the future. I flirted with love but wasn't serious about it.
I was a young man and sure to go astray. You walked right into my life and told me love would find a way To keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
I was bound to make mistakes, but then you came into my life and gave me hope that love could succeed and develop.
I was standing, Looking in the face of one who loved me, Feeling so ashamed. Hoping, And praying, Lord, that she could understand me, But I didn't know her name.
I felt guilty when I looked into the eyes of someone who was affectionate towards me. I wanted her to comprehend my character, yet I didn't even know who she was.
She took my hand in hers and told me I was wrong. She said, you're gonna be all right boy, oh just as long As you keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She held my hand, corrected my behavior, and gave me reassurance that I'll be okay if I just continue to mature and develop in love.
Maybe, Someday baby, who knows where or when, Lord, Just you wait and see. We'll be walking, Together hand in hand, alone forever; Woman just you and me.
There's a chance that we'll end up together, no one knows when or where. But wherever it is, we'll be happy building a life together.
'Cause time is gonna change us, Lord, and I know it's true; Our love is gonna keep on glowing and growing and it's all we gotta do. Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
As time goes on, we'll both change and grow, but our love will continue to thrive as long as we keep nurturing it.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOBBY WHITLOCK, ERIC PATRICK CLAPTON, ROBERT S. WHITLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LuismiguelTorresAraujo
I was laughing,
Playing in the streets, I was unknowing;
I didn't know my fate.
Playing
The game of love, but never really showing;
I thought that love could wait.
I was a young man and sure to go astray.
You walked right into my life and told me love would find a way
To keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
I was standing,
Looking in the face of one who loved me,
Feeling so ashamed.
Hoping,
And praying, Lord, that she could understand me,
But I didn't know her name.
She took my hand in hers and told me I was wrong.
She said, you're gonna be all right boy, oh just as long
As you keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah,
yeah, yeah.
Maybe,
Someday baby, who knows where or when, Lord,
Just you wait and see.
We'll be walking,
Together hand in hand, alone forever;
Woman just you and me.
'Cause time is gonna change us, Lord, and I know it's true;
Our love is gonna keep on glowing and growing and it's all we
gotta do.
Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing. Yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Keep on growing, keep on growing, keep on growing.
@Cerph
(super cool beginning instrumental)
I was laughin'.
Playin' in the streets, I was unknowin'.
I didn't know my fate.
Playin'
(The) game of love, but never really showin'.
I thought that love could wait.
I was a young man, an a' sure to go astray.
You walked right into my life n', told meh', love would find a way- (hey yay)
Justa' keep on growin', keep on growin', keep on growin'
I was standin',
Lookin' in the face of one who loved me.
Feelin' so ashamed.
Hopin',
n' Prayin' Lord, that she could understand me,
But I didn't know her name.
She took mah' hand in hers and'a told me I was wron'.
She said, ya' gonna' be all right boy, whoa' just be strong- (yeah, yeah).
Justa' keep on growin', keep on growin', keep on growin'- yeah, yeah, yeah.
(instrumental- Eric kicking ass)
Baby...
(short instrumental)
Baby- someday babeh', who knows where or when Lord;
Just you wait n' see.
We'll be walkin',
Together hand n' hand, alone forever;
Woman just you and me.
This time's gonna' change us Lord, and I know it's true- (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Our love's gonna' keep on growin' ... and growin', and it's all because of you- (yeah, yeah).
Justa' keep on growin', keep on growin', keep on growin'- (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Keep on growin', keep on growin', keep on growin'- (all right)
(kick ass instrumental)
Songwriters: Bobby Whitlock, Eric Clapton
@benjaminborchardt1448
VinylVibes It’s one of my favorites for sure, but what about:
John Coltrane- A Love Supreme
Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
The Who- Who’s Next
Bjork- Homogenic
Rumors- Fleetwood Mac
The Velvet Underground and Nico- Self Titled
The Beatles- Revolver
Nas- Illmatic
Paranoid- Black Sabbath
Joy Division- Closer
New Order- Substance
Alice In Chains- Dirt
Neil Young- After the Gold Rush
Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited
@kimberlyreid1110
The whole album is a masterpiece. All the stars had to have been aligned perfectly for this to come off. I wore out two vinyl copies and now have it on CD. Every cut is a gem.
@keithjones7390
Absolutely!
@BarbarraBay
its not a "masterpiece"
@rajay777
Bobby Whitlock on recording this song: “Let me tell you about how one of the songs came together. The sessions started out with the four of us. Eric, Carl, Jim and me. Derek and the three Dominos. When we started the recording process we treated it the same way that we treated our live performances. No different. We always started out where ever we were with a jam or two. No matter if it was Royal Albert Hall or the Speakeasy. In the studio nothing changed in that department. We jammed before "I Looked Away", then into the song. Then we jammed before and into "Bell Bottom Blues". The third song was about to go down, so we did our usual jam and it was astounding! It had a groove like never before. Then suddenly Eric said, "Let me put another guitar on it!" He did as I was standing in the doorway of the control room and looking at him through the glass about eight feet away from me. The song ended and he said again, "Let me put another one on." He played the second over-dub without listening to the first one. When that was finished he said, "Let's do another." He put the third guitar part on without listening to the other two over-dubs while he was recording. When that one was finished he said, "Just one more." Eric heard only the original guitar while he was doing the over-dubs. He could hear what he had already done in his head. When he was finished he got up and walked in and said, "Let's hear what they all sound like together." It was amazing what we heard back. All of the guitars blended together as if they had been worked out long before the session. It was incredible standing there watching and listening to Eric the master at work. I felt like a fly on the wall. I thought that was a-kin to watching Rembrandt at work. What a very special moment for me. And now you all! When we had finished listening to it Tom said that it was going to the can because we didn't have room on this record for an instrumental. I said to them, "Give me twenty minutes!" I took a yellow note pad and a pencil out into the foyer of Criteria and my relatively short life fell out of me, words and melody and all, so fast that I could hardly get them down on the paper. When I was finished I went back into the studio where Eric and Tom had been waiting in the control room for me to finish. The mike was there waiting for me, so I walked up to it and started to sing the song. I got half way through the first verse when I stopped it and said to Eric, "Hey man come on out here and let's do our Sam and Dave thing to it." Eric came out and we did it first run through. First take! That was it! And the song "Keep On Growing" had been born.”
@ArkanTheClean
Saw that last night by accident. Blew me away. Always a fave track for years to this day and now it has risen higher. I just wish that women would have just shut up and let him speak :-)
@ArkanTheClean
This is as close as you are going to get to an audio example of Heisenberg uncertainty principle or indeterminacy principle, statement or one thing existing in two places at the same time that the position and the audio of an object cannot both be heard at exactly, at the same time as you listen to one the other cannot be heard. So just sit back and let the 'whole thing' just Wash over you. Amazing.
@tomdickharryjane
Not sure how many might read this and be fans of Motorhead. This sounds like just about every song they recorded. Lemmy wrote many of the lyrics in a short time, and the songs and albums were sometimes done in one or two takes. As a live jam. Like this album, much of Motorhead is inspired and spontaneous which IMHO gives it a fresh sound.
@trishjohn6050
Someone has been watching Bobby's videos on YOUTUBE. I2 to 15 minutes of Heaven.
@carusmike
Thank you for this description appearing here. I've always enjoyed listening and following each guitar and have always wondered how it came about.
@needham849
This is the greatest album of all time.