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.
May You Never
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
May you never make your bed out in the cold
May you never lose your temper, if you get hit in a barroom fight
May you never lose your woman overnight
Well, you're just like a great, strong sister to me
And I know that your love is true
And you hold no blade for to stab me in my back
So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind?
Love is a lesson to learn in our time
Please, won't you please bear it in mind for me?
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold
May you never make your bed out in the cold
May you never lose your temper, if you get hit in a barroom fight
May you never lose your woman overnight
Well, you're just like a great, strong brother to me
And I know that your love is true
And you never talk dirty behind my back
I know that there's some that do
So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind?
Love is a lesson to learn in our time
Please, won't you please bear it in mind for me?
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold
May you never make your bed out in the cold
May you never lose your temper, if you get hit in a barroom fight
May you never lose your woman overnight
May you never lose your woman overnight
May you never lose your woman overnight
The song "May You Never" by Eric Clapton is a heartfelt wish to a friend or loved one. In the chorus, Clapton hopes that the person will always have someone to hold them when they go to bed, never have to sleep in the cold, never lose their temper in a fight, and never lose their significant other suddenly. It is a message of love and support, a wish for the person's happiness and security.
The verses of the song are directed to a specific person, who Clapton refers to as a great, strong sister/brother. He appreciates their love and loyalty, acknowledging that there are people in the world who would betray him. Clapton urges this person to remember that love is a lesson that we must all learn in our time. He hopes that they will keep this in mind not just for themselves, but for him as well.
Overall, "May You Never" is a message of kindness, understanding, and support. It is a wish for the person's well-being and happiness, and a reminder that love is the most important thing we can offer each other.
Line by Line Meaning
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
I hope you always have someone to support and comfort you during difficult times.
May you never make your bed out in the cold.
I hope you never have to face the harsh realities of life without a warm and comfortable place to sleep.
May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
I hope you always have the strength to remain calm and collected even in the midst of conflict and violence.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
I hope you never experience the pain of losing a loved one suddenly and unexpectedly.
Well, you're just like a great, strong sister to me,
You are like a family member to me, someone I can trust and rely on.
And I know that your love is true,
I am confident that your feelings and intentions towards me are sincere.
And you hold no blade for to stab me in my back;
You do not have any hidden motives to harm me or betray my trust.
I know that there's some that do.
I am aware that there are people who pretend to be trustworthy but are actually deceptive and harmful.
So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
Please remember and take to heart the following message:
Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
We must learn to love and care for one another in this lifetime while we have the chance.
Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.
Please remember this important lesson for my sake.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
I hope you never experience the pain of losing a loved one suddenly and unexpectedly.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
I hope you never experience the pain of losing a loved one suddenly and unexpectedly.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Martyn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gerru
Lyrics:
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
May you never make your bed out in the cold.
May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
Well, you're just like a great, strong sister to me,
And I know that your love is true,
And you hold no blade for to stab me in my back;
I know that there's some that do.
So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
May you never make your bed out in the cold.
May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
Well, you're just like a great, strong brother to me,
And I know that your love is true,
And you never talk dirty behind my back;
I know that there's some that do.
So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
May you never make your bed out in the cold.
May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.
Dippides
Never knew Clapton covered this. Great song! His voice matches perfectly for this.
Jerry Keller
Ha! I just learned while searching for this song tonight - that it isn't originally Clapton's. Always thought it was, as I had always heard Clapton's cover.
John Martyn instead.
Free Bruno Powroznik
John Martyn's voice is perfect for this. Clapton's is clearly lacking in comparison
Dippides
@Free Bruno Powroznik Oh, I agree with that. Still think it was a good cover.
Hey it's me Spider
My band used to play this in the late 90’s until this day I thought Clapton wrote it wow
Stevie Wood
Great tempo, great tribute to John Martyn. Always an honour to have EC cover your work. An all time classic.
David Cunningham
Great album. Wore the grooves out of this one.
Andreas Hoppe
When I was 7 my parents gave me this album for Christmas. I still love this album up to this day :)
Hannah M
Exactly - his voice is phenomenal in that version, I'm not much of a fan of Kathy but it's a great collaboration.
EmeraldElk
Real Martyn fans are just happy to see people anyone singing his songs. From a street busker to Clapton just keep singing his music