In the mid-1960s Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop". After Cream broke up, he formed blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. Clapton's solo career began in the 1970s, where his work bore the influence of the mellow style of J. J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded with Derek and the Dominos; and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded with Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which was featured on his Unplugged album.
Clapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.
All Our Past Times
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to be the one to take the blame.
I don't want to be the one to throw it over.
I don't want to be the one to feel ashamed.
I don't want to be the one who thinks of nothing.
I don't want to be the one to tell you what you have seen.
After all this time, well I thought that you were mine.
[Chorus]
All our past times should be forgotten.
All our past times should be erased.
I don't care how much it costs;
Cause I don't count the loss
As long as I can see your face again.
You don't have to tell me when you're leaving,
If it's half past one, if it's maybe four.
It makes no difference where you think you're going,
But please remember not to slam the door.
[Chorus]
Yes, I don't care how much it costs;
You know I don't count the loss
As long as I can see your face again.
The lyrics in Eric Clapton's song All Our Past Times reflect a sense of regret, loss, and the desire to rekindle a past relationship. The singer doesn't want to be the one to apologize, take blame, or feel ashamed, but rather wants to be the person to share a common dream. The chorus serves as a sort of mantra, indicating that it would be better to forget the past and move on. They express a desire to see the person's face again, despite not caring how much that would cost or how much they would lose.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to be the one to say I'm sorry.
I don't want to take responsibility for any wrongdoing.
I don't want to be the one to take the blame.
I don't want to be held accountable for any mistakes.
I don't want to be the one to throw it over.
I don't want to be the one to give up on our relationship.
I don't want to be the one to feel ashamed.
I don't want to feel guilty about what has happened between us.
I don't want to be the one who thinks of nothing.
I don't want to be indifferent about our relationship.
I don't want to be the one to tell you what you have seen.
I don't want to control or manipulate what you think or feel.
After all this time, well I thought that you were mine.
I believed that we were fully committed to each other over the course of our relationship.
I just want to be the one who would share this dream.
I want to be able to share my aspirations and ambitions with you.
All our past times should be forgotten.
We should let go of and move on from our past memories and experiences together.
All our past times should be erased.
We should completely forget about our past and not let it continue to impact our present or future.
I don't care how much it costs;
The price of moving on and forgetting the past is irrelevant to me.
Cause I don't count the loss
I do not focus on the negativity or the losses associated with moving on from the past.
As long as I can see your face again.
I just want to be able to be with you again and continue our relationship.
You don't have to tell me when you're leaving,
You don't need to inform me of the specific details of when you are departing.
If it's half past one, if it's maybe four.
Regardless of the time when you depart, it does not matter to me.
It makes no difference where you think you're going,
Your destination or intentions don't impact how I feel about you or our relationship.
But please remember not to slam the door.
I ask of you to please not let our goodbye be a harsh or unpleasant one.
Yes, I don't care how much it costs;
The price of forgetting the past and continuing our relationship is trivial to me.
You know I don't count the loss
I don't focus on the negative or losses incurred when making a decision to be with you.
As long as I can see your face again.
All I want is to be able to see you again and continue our relationship.
Lyrics © Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC PATRICK CLAPTON, RICHARD CLAIRE DANKO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sdingeswho
A little gem glittering in the dark, known only to really close listeners to EC. I have been in love with this rendition of “All Our Past Times” since it was new ❤️! Just One Night was recorded in December 1979 at the Budokan in Tokyo — I’m not super-big on live albums, but Just One Night is positively ferocious from start to finish 😎🎶❤️! And right there in the middle is the magnificent “All Our Past Times” 🥰! Great post 😁 — more people need to hear this one! (after they recover from the electrified-slide slash-and-burn Eric leads off with, the definitive rendition of “Tulsa Time” 😎!)
Tom Whalen
A perfect 8-bar solo IMO. Then Al Lee takes his turn and the awesomeness just increases!
José Darío Sánchez Jaimes
Bellísima canción. Llega al alma.
Gary Broughton
This song has always been one of my favorite songs
Lowell George Wanna Be
Beautiful, hidden gem co-written by EC. "I don't care how much it costs/Cause I don't count the loss".
Robert Floate
Superb song from a superb concert. Did this concert ever get video'd - I have never seen any footage from what must have been the best live concert ever by Clapton. What say you???
Gary Broughton
I’ve wore out countless copies of Just one night over the years. Albums ,cassettes,CDs and probably an 8 track
julyroland
@ky phong i think it was 1979 after he visit philippines..
justdynee
Absolutely. Eric's the best. He was in a drug haze then.
ky phong
NO, i've never seen this video concert in Bodokan Theatre - Japan 1978. Great concert.