Tears in Heaven

"Tears in Heaven"
Single by Eric Clapton
from the album Rush and Unplugged
B-side	"Tracks and Lines" – 3:00
Released	January 1992
Format	Cassette, CD, 7", 12"
Genre	Soft rock, acoustic rock
Length	4:30
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Writer(s)	Eric Clapton and Will Jennings
Producer	Russ Titelman
Eric Clapton singles chronology
"Wonderful Tonight" (1991) "Tears in Heaven" (1992) "Layla" (1992)

"Tears in Heaven" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings about the pain Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who fell from a window of the 53rd-floor New York apartment of his mother's friend, on March 20, 1991. Clapton, who arrived at the apartment shortly after the accident^[1], was visibly distraught for months afterwards.^[2] This song is one of Clapton's most successful, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S. The song also spent three weeks at #1 on the American adult contemporary chart in 1992.

Will Jennings, who worked with Clapton on the song, was reluctant at first to help him with such a personal song.^[1] The song was initially featured on the soundtrack to the film Rush, and it won three Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1993. It was also included on Clapton's Grammy award-winning album, Unplugged. It is #353 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs.

"Eric and I were engaged to write a song for a movie called Rush. We wrote a song called 'Help Me Up' for the end of the movie... then Eric saw another place in the movie for a song and he said to me, 'I want to write a song about my boy.' Eric had the first verse of the song written, which, to me, is all the song, but he wanted me to write the rest of the verse lines and the release ('Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees...'), even though I told him that it was so personal he should write everything himself. He told me that he had admired the work I did with Steve Winwood and finally there was nothing else but to do as he requested, despite the sensitivity of the subject. This is a song so personal and so sad that it is unique in my experience of writing songs." – Will Jennings ^[2]

Clapton stopped playing it in 2004, as well as the song "My Father's Eyes".

"I didn't feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing those songs. I really have to connect with the feelings that were there when I wrote them. They're kind of gone and I really don't want them to come back, particularly. My life is different now. They probably just need a rest and maybe I'll introduce them for a much more detached point of view."

Clapton allowed the song to be used in the 2009 Dutch public safety campaign "Valwijzer". This campaign is aimed at parents, and wants to make them aware of the risks and consequences of children falling. ^[3]

Covers

• In 2009 "The Soldiers" released a cover, found on the album "Coming Home".
• Coko of SWV and her mother Clyde "Lady Tibba" Gamble recorded a soulful rendition of the song in 2001 on the Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge" album.^{[citation needed]}
• Joshua Redman recorded a jazz rendition on his 1993 album Wish.
• Aerobiz Supersonic for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System copied the tune of this song for their "North America theme".
• Paul Anka covered the song on Rock Swings.
• Declan Galbraith on his album Thank You.
• Aled Jones has recorded a cover version of the song, which can be found on his album, Whenever God Shines His Light.
• In 2004, Loona had small success with her cover in Europe
• In 2004, several artists recorded a cover together to raise money for the victims of the Tsunami. Among the song's performers were Elton John, Rod Stewart, Steven Tyler, Josh Groban, Gwen Stefani, Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Slash, Andrea Bocelli, Katie Melua and Mary J. Blige.^{[citation needed]}
• Technology vs Horse recorded a cover version of the song for the opening track of their 2006 album Teddy Jam.^{[citation needed]}
• Tuck & Patti on their album Pure Tuck & Patti released in May 2006.^{[citation needed]}
• The Choirboys on their album The Choirboys released in 2005.^{[citation needed]}
• Andrew Johnston, a 13-year old choirboy, performed this live on Britain's Got Talent season 2 semifinals, and later recorded it for his debut album One Voice.
• Adeaze, A New Zealand R&B group recorded a cover in 2004 for the album Always and for Real.^{[citation needed]}
• The Zimmers recorded a cover in 2008 for their debut album Lust For Life released in October 2008.^{[citation needed]}
• Gregorian perform a cover version of the track on the album Masters of Chant.^{[citation needed]}
• Vytautas Juozapaitis, a soloist of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre recorded a cover on his third album Neprarask Vilties (Don't Lose Your Hope) released in 2008.^{[citation needed]}

References

Tab http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/e/eric_clapton/tears_in_heaven_tab.htm

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