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.
Layla
Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
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And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long
You know it's just your foolish pride
Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
Turned my whole world upside down
Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane
Please don't say I'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain
Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
The lyrics of Derek and the Dominos's song "Layla" are a heartfelt plea from a man to Layla to ease his worries and fears. The song describes Layla as someone who runs and hides from her loneliness and foolish pride, and someone who has been let down by her old man. The singer professes the foolishness of his love, as it has turned his whole world upside down. The lyrics contain a somber tone as the singer begs Layla to ease his worried mind, and not to tell him that all his love is in vain.
The singer is asking Layla's help to deal with his own feelings, and he suggests they make the best of the situation before he loses his mind. However, he is also worried Layla may not feel the same, and this is expressed when he asks her not to say all his love is in vain. The repetition of the desperate plea "Layla, you've got me on my knees" adds emphasis to the singer's feeling of helplessness.
Line by Line Meaning
What'll you do when you get lonely
What actions will you take when you feel alone?
And nobody's waiting by your side?
When you have no one by your side to support you?
You've been running and hiding much too long
You have been avoiding your problems for far too long
You know it's just your foolish pride
Your ego and pride are the only things getting in your way
Layla, you've got me on my knees
I am completely devoted to you, Layla
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Please be with me, Layla, I can't live without you
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
Layla, only you can calm my troubled thoughts
I tried to give you consolation
I attempted to comfort you in your time of need
When your old man had let you down
When your father figure failed you
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
I fell helplessly in love with you, despite the circumstances
Turned my whole world upside down
You completely changed my life and perspective
Let's make the best of the situation
Let's try to find a positive outcome in this difficult scenario
Before I finally go insane
Before I lose my mind due to my intense feelings for you
Please don't say I'll never find a way
Don't tell me that there's no hope for us
And tell me all my love's in vain
Don't tell me that my love for you is pointless and will never be returned
Lyrics © Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Patrick Clapton, Jim Gordon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind