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.
Dixie Hold On
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She′s coming down to tear away your soul
How much longer can you pretend
That your plow ain't threatened by their pen
Hold on - oh, oh, oh Dixie hold on
To stand alone and cut America in two
Means everything′s lost, the constitution's fallen through
You think it right, they think it morally wrong
But you'll fall - oh, oh, oh Dixie you′ll fall
King Cotton, your reign is shadowed with pain
And burning emotion
You need slaves to keep alive
But the North could help you survive
Your misguided notion
Oh, oh Dixie, you are bold and strong
You could have ′em beat before too long
You have a birthright, a lifestyle to defend
You must hold on, until the very end
Hold on - oh, oh, oh Dixie, hold on
The lyrics of Eric Clapton's song Dixie Hold On tackles the dire situation in the south of the United States by the time that the Civil War was approaching. The song speaks of the struggles and uncertainties of the people, particularly of the South, whose cotton industry was being threatened, and whose values and way of life were being challenged. The first stanza stands as a warning, as it describes the incoming "black cloud" that will "tear away [their] souls." Clapton implies that there is danger ahead, and that the people of Dixie cannot afford to ignore it. He also touches on the idea of denial, with the line "how much longer can you pretend?" Clapton believes that the people of the South are not facing the reality of the situation, and that they should brace themselves for the worst.
The song continues to offer a commentary on the struggle between the North and the South. Clapton suggests that if Dixie were to leave America, then everything would be lost. The Constitution, which has been the foundation of the country for so long, would fall through. He also touches on the idea of morality, with the line "you think it right, they think it morally wrong." To Clapton, Dixie's decision of whether to leave the Union or not will not only have political but also moral implications. The final verses encourage the people of Dixie to hold on - to their lifestyle, birthright, and values - even if it means fighting until the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Dixie, watch this black cloud roll
Dixie, be aware of the impending doom that is coming your way
She's coming down to tear away your soul
The unfortunate circumstance will take away your life, passion, and beliefs
How much longer can you pretend
It's time to face the truth
That your plow ain't threatened by their pen
Don't underestimate the power of the intellectuals
Hold on - oh, oh, oh Dixie hold on
Be resilient and hold on during tough times
To stand alone and cut America in two
Is to lose the value of the Constitution
Means everything's lost, the constitution's fallen through
If the unity is lost, everything will fall apart, especially the Constitution
To leave the Union is to weaken what is strong
Leaving the Union will ruin the country's strength and prosperous future
You think it right, they think it morally wrong
What you believe is right might not be morally right to others
But you'll fall - oh, oh, oh Dixie you'll fall
Your beliefs will lead to your downfall
King Cotton, your reign is shadowed with pain
The cotton industry's glory days are gone
And burning emotion
Evoke strong feelings and urge to take action
You need slaves to keep alive
The cotton industry relies on slavery to survive
But the North could help you survive
The North could provide support to sustain the industry without the need for slavery
Your misguided notion
Your belief that slavery is necessary is misguided
Oh, oh Dixie, you are bold and strong
Dixie has a unique and strong character
You could have 'em beat before too long
Dixie could win, given the right circumstances
You have a birthright, a lifestyle to defend
Dixie has a unique culture and heritage worth preserving
You must hold on, until the very end
Dixie must remain steadfast, despite the challenges
Hold on - oh, oh, oh Dixie, hold on
Be resilient and hold on during tough times
Writer(s): paul kennerley
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bcojr1074
I am so proud to born in Arkansas where we still believe in our southern ways and rights.
@williampoff3096
I'm a NATIVE VIRGINIAN with 240+ years of heritage here, AND MANY CONFEDERATE ANCESTORS on both sides of my family. I'm I proud?? DANG STRAIGHT!! Blue Ridge Mountains, THE REAL VIRGINIA!! DEO VINDICE!!
@sicsempertyrannis77
The old dominion is occupied but the remnant remains.
@RayPotter-ee5pq
God bless Dixie and God bless the South! Keep those flags flying y'all and keep fighting the good fight....
@mckinleypotter1785
Damn right brother if they want hell theyl get it my last breath n bullet
@lornepetty4100
I just moved to Texas after 30yrs of living in California and I finally know why I never felt right there- California ain’t America anymore but the south still is and always was the heart of this nation. Being a native of Indiana I was taught the sickening narrative that the civil war was a triumph of good against evil and even more so in California schools-
@lornepetty4100
Such a load of lies. It wasn’t until I was in infantry school in Ft. Benning that I was given a copy of “Rebel private front and rear” and later read the book “Jack Hinson, One Man War” that I began to see the southern perspective and question the bullshit I’d been taught about the war between the states. It’s that realization that 28yrs later brought me here to the best part of America. So yeah, HELL YEAH Waylon!
Hold on Dixie...
@tortugabob
When you fight a war you get to write the history. There was no civil war. Look up the definition of a civil war. It was the War for Southern Independence. It was about slave issues but mainly about import tariffs and the US government using those revenues to build up Northern industry and the railroads. "Abolitionists" in the northeast really wanted control the market for the world's best cotton (Southern long fiber). They wanted to keep the South from selling it to the UK and France. They wanted it for their textile mills. And Lincoln didn't give a shit about slaves but he was smart enough to use the issue to keep Great Britain from entering the war on the side of the Confederacy. He actually wanted to send them to a country solely set up for that purpose (Liberia). The irony of it all is that now the liberal states say that the South is what is keeping them from reaching their utopian socialist state. Liberals in places like California think they should succeed from the Union because they can't get their way on many issues. Let them. No one will miss them. Now don't get me wrong. I love the weather and beauty of that state. But the people who run it are idiots who are running it into the ground.
@remissrain9207
@@tortugabob only reason Lincoln emancipated the slaves was because he was getting whipped by the csa and then so he did it to try to start a slave rebellion but a good majority of slaves had good relationships with there masters ofc a lot didint anyways Lincoln had to morally justify his cause for invading the south to the north and to the rest of the worlds major powers such as britan and France mind you britan had 4000 men ready on the Canadian border the whole time ready to join but the north relied on slaves even goin as far as trying to compromise with south by allowing them to keep the slaves but also hold the insanely high taxes at the time but they said no because it wasent about slavery
@robincoffman6723
my people were from Va., Tn and ALA, proud to be a Confederate daughter