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.
Thorn Tree in the Garden
Derek and the Dominos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I hate to hurt your feelings but its not the way it seems,
'Cause I miss her.
She's the only girl I've cared for, the only one I've known.
And no one ever shared more love than we've known.
And I miss her.
But it all seems so strange to see,
That she'd never turn her back on me
And leave without a last goodbye.
And if she winds up walking the streets,
Loving every other man she meets
Who'll be the one to answer why?
Lord, I hope it's not me, it's not me.
And if I never see her face again, I never hold her hand.
And if she's in somebody's arms, I know I'll understand
But I miss that girl. I still miss that girl.
Maybe someday soon, somewhere.
The song "Thorn Tree in the Garden" by Derek and the Dominos is a mournful ballad about lost love. The thorn tree in the garden serves as a metaphor for the singer's pain and melancholy. He says that he hates to hurt anyone's feelings, but the thorn tree represents his heartache and the loss of someone who he deeply cared for. He laments the fact that he still misses her and can't seem to get over her.
The singer reflects on the intensity of his love for this woman. He says that she was the only girl he ever cared for and that they shared a deep love. The pain of losing her seems unbearable, even though he tries to rationalize it. He wonders how it's possible that she could leave him without a last goodbye and move on so quickly to love someone else so easily. He sings that he hopes it's not him who will have to answer the questions from others about why she went away.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a thorn tree in the garden, if you know just what I mean,
There's something painful and unpleasant in our situation, something that is difficult to articulate.
And I hate to hurt your feelings but it's not the way it seems,
I don't want to upset you, but things are not as simple or straightforward as they appear.
'Cause I miss her.
I feel a strong sense of loss and longing for the woman I love.
She's the only girl I've cared for, the only one I've known.
I have never loved anyone as deeply or completely as I have loved her.
And no one ever shared more love than we've known.
We had a truly special and unique bond, and our love was more intense and meaningful than any other relationship I've had.
But it all seems so strange to see,
Despite all of this, it's still difficult for me to reconcile the fact that she's gone.
That she'd never turn her back on me
I never thought she would leave me or betray our love.
And leave without a last goodbye.
It hurts me deeply that she left our relationship without any closure or explanation.
And if she winds up walking the streets,
If she ends up living a wild, promiscuous lifestyle,
Loving every other man she meets
Sleeping with countless other men and not valuing herself or her body,
Who'll be the one to answer why?
Who is responsible for the hurts and struggles she's facing now?
Lord, I hope it's not me, it's not me.
I hope that I am not the source of her pain, and that I am not the reason for her downfall.
And if I never see her face again, I never hold her hand.
If I am doomed to live the rest of my life without her, never again feel the warmth of her touch,
And if she's in somebody's arms, I know I'll understand
I will try to come to terms with the fact that she has moved on, and that I have lost her forever.
But I miss that girl. I still miss that girl.
No matter what happens or where life takes us, I will always love and long for her above all else.
Maybe someday soon, somewhere.
There is always a chance that we will find each other again, and that our love will be rekindled in a new time and place.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOBBY WHITLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joakimwennberg8843
There's a thorn tree in the garden, if you know just what I mean,
And I hate to hurt your feelings but its not the way it seems,
'Cause I miss her.
She's the only girl I've cared for, the only one I've known.
And no one ever shared more love than we've known.
And I miss her.
But it all seems so strange to see,
That she'd never turn her back on me
And leave without a last goodbye.
And if she winds up walking the streets,
Loving every other man she meets
Who'll be the one to answer why?
Lord, I hope it's not me, it's not me.
And if I never see her face again, I never hold her hand.
And if she's in somebody's arms, I know I'll understand
But I miss that girl. I still miss that girl.
Maybe someday soon, somewhere.
@zackzallie8735
It feels good listen to this after the piano ending of Layla. Perfect close to a perfect album too.
@matteomonteleone1460
Well said Mikasa
@averycason-rk2oe
Are there anymore songs like these by Derek and the dominoes?
@blipperUT
Perfect ending.
@dustin2423
@@averycason-rk2oe bell bottom blues
@larryaldama1673
👍🇺🇸✝️
@robert-ek1ns
I am 73 years old and I can remember this LP 50 years ago. I am so glad there was a little left on the master tape to include this wonderful song. What a beautiful way to end a very powerful LP
@robert-ek1ns
Thorn Tree is great song
@Carriedawayncaffinated
This song was on a tape that my boyfriend made for me many years ago..he passed away in July 1999..This brings back so many memories....and I miss that boy...someday..someway...
@larryaldama1673
✝️🛐