Tears in Heaven

Tears in Heaven is a song by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings. Its lyrics were inspired by the pain and loss Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who fell from a window of a 53rd-floor New York apartment building owned by his mother's friend on March 20, 1991. Clapton, who arrived at the apartment shortly after the accident, was visibly distraught for months afterwards. This song is one of Clapton's most successful, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S.

Background

The years following 1990 were extremely turbulent for Clapton. In August 1990, his manager, two of his roadies and his friend and fellow musician Stevie Ray Vaughan were killed in a helicopter accident. Seven months later, his son Conor died in a fall from a New York skyscraper. These two tragic deaths inspired several songs, including "Tears in Heaven".

Composition

"Tears in Heaven" is Clapton's musically soothing and emotionally wrenching ballad. The song is in the key of A major and follows the chord progression of A–E/G♯–F♯m–D–E7–A. The song's structure is verse-chorus-verse-chorus-outro.

Reception

"Tears in Heaven" won three Grammy Awards in 1993, including for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance. The song also won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1992.

Legacy

"Tears in Heaven" is often considered one of the greatest songs in pop music history. It is a significant song in Clapton's career, as it helped him cope with his grief over the loss of his son and has touched countless fans around the world.

See also

• Eric Clapton discography
• List of awards and nominations received by Eric Clapton