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.
My Father's Eyes
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for my prince to come
Praying for the healing rain
To restore my soul again
Just a toe rag on the run
How did I get here?
What have I done?
How will I know him?
When I look in my father's eyes
(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
When I look in my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
Then the light begins to shine
And I hear those ancient lullabies
And as I watch this seedling grow
Feel my heart start to overflow
Where do I find the words to say?
How do I teach him?
What do we play?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That's when I need them
That's when I need my father's eyes
(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
That's when I need my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes (yeah)
Then the jagged edge appears
Through the distant clouds of tears
I'm like a bridge that was washed away
My foundations were made of clay
As my soul slides down to die
How could I lose him?
What did I try?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That he was here with me
And I looked into my father's eyes
(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
I looked into my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
My father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
I looked into my father's eyes (looked into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
(Look into my father's eyes)
(Look into my father's eyes, yeah, yeah)
The song "My Father's Eyes" by Eric Clapton is a reflection of a man's journey to find himself, his identity, and his purpose in life. The author is sailing down behind the sun, waiting for his prince to come and praying for the healing rain to restore his soul again. He describes himself as a "toe rag on the run" who is lost and seeking something he cannot define. He wonders how he got there and what he has done to end up in such a place where his hopes have all but vanished.
The author then questions how he will know his prince when he looks into his father's eyes. He sees his father's eyes as a symbol of wisdom and guidance he needs to find the answers to his questions. As the light begins to shine, he hears those ancient lullabies and watches a seedling grow, which makes his heart overflow. He realizes he needs his father's wisdom and guidance to teach his son and play with him as he grows up. Bit by bit, the author comes to realize that his father's eyes are the key to his own identity and sources that he needs to find the answers to his questions.
Finally, the author confronts the jagged edges of reality and the distant clouds of tears as he realizes that he has lost his father. He compares himself to a bridge that was washed away, with his foundations made of clay. But, as his soul slides down to die, he realizes that he never truly lost his father because he was always with him. He just needed to look into his father's eyes to find the answers he was looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
Sailing down behind the sun
Traveling through life, waiting for the next chapter to begin
Waiting for my prince to come
Anticipating love and happiness to arrive in life
Praying for the healing rain
Asking for relief from emotional pain
To restore my soul again
Hoping to recover from a sense of emptiness
Just a toe rag on the run
Feeling like a lowly, insignificant person trying to escape life's obstacles
How did I get here?
Questioning how life's events have led to the current circumstances
What have I done?
Wondering if past actions have contributed to present struggles and difficulties
When will all my hopes arise?
Longing for positive things to happen in life and wondering when they will occur
How will I know him?
Thinking about how to recognize and connect with the right person in life
When I look in my father's eyes
Finding guidance and support from a father figure
My father's eyes
The loving and supportive presence of a father
Then the light begins to shine
Feeling a sense of hope and positivity as circumstances improve
And I hear those ancient lullabies
Remembering comforting songs and memories from childhood
And as I watch this seedling grow
Witnessing personal growth and change
Feel my heart start to overflow
Experiencing a range of powerful emotions
Where do I find the words to say?
Struggling to express thoughts and emotions
How do I teach him?
Wondering about the best ways to educate and guide a child
What do we play?
Deciding how to have fun and bond with a child
Bit by bit, I've realized
Slowly coming to understand important life lessons
That's when I need them
Realizing the importance of advice and guidance from elders
That's when I need my father's eyes
Seeking direction and support from a paternal figure
Then the jagged edge appears
Encountering sudden and tumultuous turmoil in life
Through the distant clouds of tears
Trying to persevere through emotional pain and confusion
I'm like a bridge that was washed away
Feeling ungrounded and disconnected from stability and support
My foundations were made of clay
Realizing that previous beliefs and practices were built upon unstable ground
As my soul slides down to die
Feeling despair and hopelessness in the face of overwhelming difficulties
How could I lose him?
Mourning the loss of support and guidance from a father figure
What did I try?
Questioning past actions and seeking to learn from mistakes
And I looked into my father's eyes
Finding comfort and guidance through reflecting on memories of a father figure
My father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
Recalling the wise and compassionate presence of a father
(Look into my father's eyes)
Emphasizing the importance of seeking guidance from older, wiser mentors
(Look into my father's eyes, yeah, yeah)
Expressing reverence and respect for the valuable insights and lessons imparted by elders
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Patrick Clapton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philkokinis4177
Losing one's Father
And realizing that
What he taught you
Is something which is needed to teach one's own Son or
Daughter. That if you could see things the way your
Father saw them
You would be a
Champion for him and for
Yoursel.
Very Beautiful
Songwriting by
Eric Clapton
@Matthaus_Grosser
Who's still listening to this masterpiece 2024❤?
@cleidecaze2664
🇧🇷 I am here!!
@loukyvanwoenzel9337
And me...
@chriswright2250
Meeting too❤.
@brucereister471
Masterpiece. You got that right!
😊
@alfonsocorbala1319
@@chriswright2250ñññn
@softRock88
I believe that somewhere in the world, there are people who feel the same emotions that I feel when I listen to masterpieces like this song.
@Star-Destroyer
right here, i definitely do
@hamburgerjung9173
i feel the same! MASTERPIECE! greets grom germany
@agnaldomauricio6082
Eis-me aqui do Brasil!!