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.
River of Tears
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That would carry me away
Two miles to the dusty street
That I saw you on today
It's four miles to my lonely room
Where I will hide my face
And about half a mile to the downtown bar
Lord how long have I got to keep on running
Seven hours seven days or seven years?
All I know is since you've been gone
I feel like I'm drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feel like I'm drowning
Drowning in a river
In three more days, I'll leave this town
And disappear without a trace
A year from now, maybe settle down
Where no one knows my face
I wish that I could hold you
One more time to ease the pain
But my time's run out and I got to go
Got to run away again
Still I catch myself thinking
One day I'll find my way back here
You'll save me from drowning
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feels like I'm drowning
Drowning in the river
Oh, how long must this go on?
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
The lyrics of "River of Tears" by Eric Clapton depict a person who is grappling with the pain and agony of lost love. The despair and anguish felt by the singer are evident throughout the song, as Clapton's bluesy guitar and haunting melody add to the poignant lyrics. The song starts with the singer lamenting his current situation, as he stands three miles away from a river, dreaming of it carrying him away from his troubles. He then reveals that he saw his love interest on a dusty street two miles away, which only adds to his misery.
The singer then recounts how he's been hiding in his lonely room for most of the time since his lover had gone. He's ashamed to have fled from a local bar, which only adds to his already crestfallen state. The most significant part of the song comes in the chorus, as Clapton repeats the metaphorical drowning of the singer. He cannot stop the river of tears, which has been cascading since his love left, and he feels like he's caught in a never-ending stream of hurt and pain. The song concludes with the singer planning to run away from the town and seeking solace in anonymity. However, even as he leaves, he holds on to the hope that he will find his way back and be saved from drowning in the river of tears.
Line by Line Meaning
It's three miles to the river
The distance to the river is 3 miles which would provide an escape from the situation.
That would carry me away
The singer wishes to escape from their pain and sorrow by being taken away by the river.
Two miles to the dusty street
The distance to the dust-ridden location where the singer had seen their loved one.
That I saw you on today
The artist is still hung up on their loved one they bumped into earlier today.
It's four miles to my lonely room
The artist's isolation is so strong that even their abode is far away.
Where I will hide my face
The singer feels embarrassed and ashamed that they have to hide their face.
And about half a mile to the downtown bar
A place where the singer was so embarrassed that they felt like escaping from that location.
That I ran from in disgrace
The artist was disgraced and felt like escaping from the location due to their condition.
Lord how long have I got to keep on running
The artist is tired of running from their past and wants to know how much longer they have to do that.
Seven hours seven days or seven years?
The artist wonders how long it will take to no longer feel this way.
All I know is since you've been gone
The singer's situation has become worse since the person they love has left them.
I feel like I'm drowning in a river
The artist is suffocating with pain and sorrow and might as well be drowning in a river.
Drowning in a river of tears
Tears are a metaphor for the singer's sorrow, the river represents the suffocating nature of their feelings.
In three more days, I'll leave this town
The singer plans to leave the town to escape their depression and pain.
And disappear without a trace
The singer wants to disappear without leaving a trace of their existence behind.
A year from now, maybe settle down
The artist wants to find a place to settle after a year away.
Where no one knows my face
The artist wants to go to a place where nobody would recognize them.
I wish that I could hold you
The singer misses the person they love and wishes they could hold them.
One more time to ease the pain
The singer thinks that being together just once would relieve their pain.
But my time's run out and I got to go
The artist's time for being together is over, and they have to leave.
Got to run away again
The artist has to run away again to escape the depth of their pain.
Still I catch myself thinking
The artist is still consumed by their painful thoughts.
One day I'll find my way back here
The singer is hopeful to one day return, but only when they have overcome their pain.
You'll save me from drowning
The artist believes that the person they love would rescue them from their sorrow and misery.
Drowning in a river of tears
The singer is overwhelmed by their sorrow and misery.
Feels like I'm drowning
The depth of the singer's sorrow is so strong that it feels like they are drowning.
Oh, how long must this go on?
The singer is wondering when their misery will last, and how much longer they can endure the pain.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC PATRICK CLAPTON, SIMON CLIMIE, SIMON CRISPIN CLIMIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jairushughes2884
I'm glad Eric is still here. So many great ones are gone but we still have Eric. Play on brother.
@RhiannonFan
Eric is 77 (in 2022). He suffers from tinnitus, lower-back pain, and is going deaf. He is living with peripheral neuropathy, which sometimes affects his ability to play guitar. But he is still here. Play on brother.
@geschaub
One of the most heartfelt, beautiful songs ever recorded !
@naveenchandrapathak9274
Which are the others. Top three among your choices.
@Sunny-in6cj
❤
@colinbennie2614
That pain, the tears, his guitar and vocals dovetailed into the very cry from his soul, I just can't stop falling in love with this song and listening to it over and over......Sir Eric Clapton, thank you.
@mrmarkiihl
same here
@morganburnshayden9460
Amen.
@mariselapozosperez609
Amazing, it makes me feel in love!
@markgest7123
I agree