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.
Mean Old World
Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
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This is a mean old world, try and live it by yourself.
Can't get the one you love, have to use somebody else.
I've got the blues, gonna pack my things and go.
I've got the blues, gonna pack my things and go.
Guess you don't love me, babe, loving mister so-and-so.
Sometimes I wonder why can your love be so cold?
Sometimes I wonder why can your love be so cold?
The lyrics of Derek and the Dominos's song Mean Old World depict the harsh realities of life in a solitary manner. The singer starts with acknowledging that the world is a mean and cruel place and surviving it alone is a daunting task. He continues to lament that despite his efforts, he can't have his desired love and has to make do with someone else. The chorus of the song highlights his despondence and decision to leave since his love interest doesn't reciprocate his feelings and instead chooses to be with another man.
The second verse intensifies his feelings of despair and confusion as he wonders why his love interest's feelings are so cold towards him. He cannot understand why he is not loved back, and it seems like his love goes to waste. Ultimately, he decides that he cannot continue living like this and packs his bags to leave.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are an honest and poignant representation of a person's struggles in a difficult world, where one's love life can be unpredictable and full of heartaches.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a mean old world, try and live it by yourself.
The world is a cruel and harsh place, and it can be difficult to survive on your own.
Can't get the one you love, have to use somebody else.
When you can't be with the person you truly love, you may resort to being with someone else as a substitute.
I've got the blues, gonna pack my things and go.
Feeling sad and down, the singer has decided it's best to leave and put some distance between themself and someone who doesn't love them back.
Guess you don't love me, babe, loving mister so-and-so.
The artist believes that the person they love doesn't feel the same way, and is instead with someone else.
Sometimes I wonder why can your love be so cold?
The artist is confused and hurt by their loved one's lack of warmth and affection towards them.
I guess you don't love me, gonna pack my things and go.
Once again, the singer realizes that their love is unrequited and decides it's best to leave and move on with their life.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron T-Bone Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind