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.
Driftin' Blues
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a ship out on the sea.
Well I'm drifting and drifting,
Like a ship out on the sea.
Well I ain't got nobody
In this world to care for me.
If my baby would only take me back again
Well you know I ain't good for nothin' baby
Well I haven't got no friends.
I give you all of my money,
Tell me what more can I do.
I give you all my money,
Tell me what more can I do.
Well you just a good little girl
But you just won't be true.
Bye-bye baby, baby bye-bye bye-bye,
It's gonna be too late baby
I'll be so far away.
The lyrics of Eric Clapton's song "Driftin' Blues" speak to the sense of aimlessness and loneliness that comes from drifting without a sense of direction or purpose. The imagery of a ship out on the sea is a powerful metaphor for this experience, with the waves representing the cycles of life and the vastness of the ocean symbolizing the endless possibilities and potential pitfalls that can come with the journey through life. However, the central feeling of the song is one of profound sadness, as the singer laments the fact that they have no one to turn to in their darkest moments.
The lines "Well I ain't got nobody/In this world to care for me" are particularly powerful, as they capture the sense of isolation and abandonment that can come with being adrift in the world. The singer's desperation is further emphasized in the lines "If my baby would only take me back again/Well you know I ain't good for nothin' baby/Well I haven't got no friends," which suggest that even the most basic human connection would be enough to give them a sense of purpose, and that without it they feel completely worthless. The song's bittersweet ending, in which the singer bids farewell to their love and accepts that they are destined to drift alone, underscores the sense of melancholy that pervades the entire composition.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm drifting and drifting,
I am wandering aimlessly and continuously,
Like a ship out on the sea.
Just like a vessel without any destination or purpose,
Well I ain't got nobody
I don't have anyone to turn to,
In this world to care for me.
No one in this world is concerned about my well-being,
If my baby would only take me back again
If my lover would agree to return to me once again,
If my baby would only take me back again.
Then I would be happy once more,
Well you know I ain't good for nothin' baby
I am aware that I am incompetent and inadequate,
Well I haven't got no friends.
I don't have any companions or buddies.
I give you all of my money,
I have relinquished all of my wealth to you,
Tell me what more can I do.
Kindly inform me of what else I can possibly do to please you,
Well you just a good little girl
You are a nice and pleasant lady,
But you just won't be true.
Regrettably you are unable to remain honest and loyal,
Bye-bye baby, baby bye-bye bye-bye,
Farewell, my dear, goodbye, goodbye,
It's gonna be too late baby
It shall soon be too late, my love,
I'll be so far away.
I shall be distant and unapproachable.
Lyrics ยฉ Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, KIM GANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ildikobiro5921
He was born to play the blues. The blues flow in his veins and his soul. He honestly is among the 5 best blues men to ever live and im including everybody from Robert Johnson up to Clapton at 70. And hes had plenty of suffering to temper his blues with.
@asmit_plays
Please do list all of them๐ I would be glad to see
@Joa_DB
More like to enhance his blues with.
@mattbartley5712
He lived the blues, so he knows they are part of him. Lost alot of friends on his highway. We are blessed he didn't disappear. A master.
@RoRo-vr6wx
@@mattbartley5712 I also think gary moore dosent get the credit he deserves
His blues was kinda unique it was emotionally romantic!
@neilj3310
โ@@RoRo-vr6wxGary Moore... Incredible player
@maximilianoflores560
Eric Clapton is the best guitarrist/musician that ever touched the earth, thank you for all
@niguel4438
One of the finest examples of combining the roots of Delta blues with a modern interpretation. No one does it better than EC. I can just imagine Robert Johnson in the wings swooning. Brilliant!
@user-us2cd5zq2n
The tone he gets out of that guitar is beautiful and clear as a bell. What a great song, and when that organ starts in โค
@elizabethhanlon3969
OMG!! So wonderful blues and voice! Sounds like heaven!!โคโคโคโคโค