Eric Clapton: Tears In Heaven Meaning

Song Released: 1992

Tears In Heaven Lyrics

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong,
and carry on
Cause I know, I don't belong
Here in heaven

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven
Would you help me...

1. anonymous

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   May 12th 2010 !⃝

   Yes this song is basically about his sons death but what most people don't know is the background information on his own childhood. His dad never had a relationship with him so when he had his son he never had a relationship with him either because he didn't know how. So when he first took his son out he made plans to start being a father. But of course he couldn't because his son fell out of a window. So yes the song is about his son and not knowing if he would even remember him In the afterlife but it also relates to his own father and if his father would remember him at all.
2. anonymous

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   Jan 12th 2010 !⃝

   sorry but everyone is repeating the exact same things and the song was written for the movie he said that it needs another song in it and he decided to wright it about his son that died (everyone said that already) saying that his son didnt belong in heaven that he belonged to be with him etc..
   
   your all calling and fighting over a worthless cause because your just reapeating the same thing again... and ....again
3. Apryl

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   Oct 26th 2009 !⃝

   jesus christ people. i needed to know what the lyrics meaning was 4 a school project and got all this.. can anyone tell me the real story wihtout getting there undies in a bunch? please =] and dont take things so personally. imagine how eric and his family felt rather than slinging off at each other, think about what your saying and respect what others say. your practicly all saying the same thing then getting angry ova minor details put in or left out of the story
   
   cheers
4. anonymous

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   Jul 25th 2009 !⃝

   I don't think it's any of our damn business to know why, who, or what happened with Clapton's son or whatever the song means. If he was just writing it for some personal sense closure or for his son, then So Be It. Its a beautiful song and just enjoy it for that sake. Just leave it alone. His son freakin died you don't even seem like you even care, just if the song was about him dying or not. Freakin fools...
5. anonymous

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   May 26th 2009 !⃝

   Seriously some of you guys are really dumb. Do yourself a favor and go read his autobiography Clapton. It is really good and hopefully it will stop most of you from blurting out wrong information. It is about Conor!!! Crack open a book please!
6. JasmineStar

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   Apr 27th 2009 !⃝

   In the song Eric wonders if he might see his son again in Heaven, but he then questions whether he would belong in heaven, knowing his guilt on a number of issues, so he questions whether he could meet with his son again. i am not sure what guilt Eric felt, but probably any parent of a child who has died suddenly would feel some guilt, wondering if they could have kept them safer. But even if Eric was off alcohol and heroin by teh time his child died,we all know it can take a lot longer to rebuid the relationships that were not possible while a person was a heavy drug user. It also can take time for a person to be considerate of others, or to think of their needs. A broken lock on a window, leaving a child with nannies and needing to run around but no park anywhere available, and a child left to run off the balcony seems something he may have felt guilt over. Taking a child to New York appartment because your career or recordign is there when the childs needs might be for open spaces to run around, is not really the parents selfishness, but if a child dies from this, the guilt a parent would feel would be very tough.
7. vicky33

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   Mar 31st 2009 !⃝

   He died in March 1991.
   Why did he jump?
   did he just tried to stand on border the window without knowing there was no glass and accidently felt?
   I wonder what happened in his mind? this is a mystery ...
   do you know something?
   
8. anonymous

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   Mar 14th 2009 !⃝

   What year did his son die?
9. anonymous

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   Dec 26th 2008 !⃝

   I had heard before I had heard the song itself that it was written for Clapton's son, Connor. After hearing the song, my sister and I found ourselves discussing it months later after hearing it again and she told me she thought that in the song Clapton was asking his son all of those questions (Would you know my name? Would you help me stand?). I disagreed with her interpretation, however, as I had always thought after hearing the song, that Clapton was writing from his son's point-of-view. His son was so young when he died, and the questions in the song are his son asking him, "Would you know my name?" An adult, if they believe in afterlife, has already determined their own answers to these questions of meeting deceased family members in the afterlife, whether or not they would know them, see them and remember them. A child, however, does not develop their own idea of the afterlife, and at such an age as Connor at the time of his death, most likely hasn't even considered death or afterlife, so Clapton, I think, is writing from his son's P.O.V, asking these questions, "Would you know my name?" "Would you hold my hand?". However, there's the line, "I know I don't belong, here in heaven." I think this is a part of Clapton's denial over his son's death; it's a stage in grief and it shows in the song. A child deserves to live a long, healthy life. Not to die so young. He doesn't belong there, he belongs with his family, with the people who love him.
   
   Perhaps I'm wrong. Just my own interpretation of the song.
10. m320753

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    Oct 23rd 2008 !⃝

    This song was written to his son, not about him; nor was it written about his father or the maid nor about anything other than a father's love of his son whom the writer knows the son is in heaven. I know there are no tears in heaven, Eric is his son that once they reunite it will be a happy time for all.There are religious overtones for the words in said song, but now is not the time or place for discussion. Now all Eric has to do is make sure he himself gets to heaven. He has put his vices into a remission and it was done before the young boy passed on. So all he and everyone else who feels bad about this happenstance can quietly say a short prayer so Eric and Conor can be reunited.
11. Ryckboy5

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    Oct 14th 2008 !⃝

    You all are being very stupid don't talk lies about this song. Eric wrote it for his son Conor (died by falling out a window).
    
    He did not write the song for his movie Rush. Sure it was in the movie but he actually wrote it for his son. The whole story was Conor was in his mom's house on the 53rd floor and he was playing hide and seek with the nanny and the janitor had opened the window (4ft), and Conor was not paying attention when he got too close to the window and fell right out. Nor mother or Father(Eric Clapton) were on drugs.
12. anonymous

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    Jul 4th 2008 !⃝

    What happened was, Eric at the time was a severe alcoholic and a chronic drug user (cocaine mainly), and he was so indulged in this lifestyle that he never cared about his son. Then he fell out the window and Eric wrote a song about him. Ever since Eric Clapton has been clean.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

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    Jun 19th 2008 !⃝

    For goodness sakes people. Eric was not at the apartment but his wife was. The janitor removed a piece of glass to fix a lock on it. Mom was on the fax machine and nanny was not playing hide and go seek. Connor was by himself trying to get Mom to play. He ran out of the window not tripped. Listen to the dam interview!
14. anonymous

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    Jun 17th 2008 !⃝

    I think that all your silly stories are cruel to what really happened and the meaning of this song. like a previous person on this string of comments, I had a stillborn son at full term, who I only had in my arms for a couple of hours before he was taken, this song and the meaning is very warming to me, and I long to be with Tommy again. Great song Eric!!
15. anonymous

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    Apr 18th 2008 !⃝

    Just Thought I would throw this out there. Great interpretations guys!
    
    From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21258590/
    
    
    In Clapton’s new book, the famed musician wrote that he poured himself into his music, honoring his son with several songs, most notably, “Tears In Heaven.”
    
    “Was that the toughest song you ever wrote or did it just come out?” Potts asked.
    
    “The writing of the song is the therapy. The toughness is doing nothing,” Clapton responded. “From the time where everyone said goodbye to one another at the funeral and I was left at home — from that time to the time the song was finished, it was harder if I didn’t play the guitar. Playing the guitar was actually the solution. The tough part was actually being in the knowledge and the moment of what happened.”

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