What does Tears In Heaven mean?

Eric Clapton: Tears In Heaven Meaning

Album cover for Tears In Heaven album cover

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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    Mar 11th 2008 !⃝

    I recently delivered my stillborn son on Christmas eve. I bought a mix cd from starbucks the other day and this song was on it. As I listened to it, I cried, Again and again, I had to research it because I didn't think it was a love song and a little confusing. I couldn't think about anything else besides my son in heaven while listening to it. Does anyone know why, he says "I know I don't belong here in heaven"? IS it his son's view. Or he can't be in heaven cause it's not his time yet, so has to be strong and carry on? or is he directing to his son because he's in heaven, kinda like I don't belong here in heaven.. with you because god decides when it's time? Any ideas why he words it like that? In any case it's a very beautiful song and thanks for any input.

  2. kossoff1
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    Jan 8th 2008 !⃝

    Clapton actually started this song with his grandfather Jack in mind, however it became more relevant to connor and I think he finished it this way. The whole thing about the apartment window thing is so tragic, however being a father myself, its hard to imagine ever being in a situation where I would buy an apartment that was 50 floors or more higher with a four year old running around all day. This is where the stupidity lies, which incidentally had nothing to do with Clapton.

  3. anonymous
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    Dec 6th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about his son's death and it wasn't because of him or his mother. He was on a NJ apt. on the53Floor(said by his exwife) and she was on the other room looking at some fax. while Connor was with his nanny. He was playing hide and seek . At the time there was the janitor cleaning some things in the room and he opened the window (which was like a crystal wall, it was not meat to be opened)to let some air in and when Connor and the nanny entered the room the janitor stopped the nanny to tell her that the window was opened but at the same time conor was runing to the window and fell. Neither the mother or the father were doing drugs at that time nor the mother was with her boyfriend.

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 13th 2007 !⃝

    Eric Clapton was not with his son when he died, he was not chasing him, he was not in a drunk stupor unable to watch over him properly, and he did not throw him out a window while tripping out of his mind as I've heard someone comment.

    I heard his story on Larry King today. He was in his apt and Connor was at his mothers apt building, some 5 blocks away from Eric's. The inquest said that someone was cleaning the window and left it open. Apparently poor Connor climbed up and fell.

  5. anonymous
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    Oct 2nd 2007 !⃝

    Its during RUSH movie that Eric think he can write something about his boy.
    Some (beginning) are from Eric and many are "patched"/revising from Will Jennings.
    http://www.songfacts.com/int/2007/08/will-jennings.html

  6. anonymous
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    Oct 1st 2007 !⃝

    I always thought this was a nice love song, until I learned that it was about his son. I don't have children, but I could not listen to this song in public for many years because it would always make me cry. I would literally have to get away from where the song was playing so no one would see me. I wonder how he could perform this song live. I can keep from crying when I hear this in public now, but just got done weeping like a baby while listening to it just now on the internet. May seem silly, but I feel like if he can share such a painful experience through such a beautiful sounding song, the least I can do is feel some of the pain. Music is great, but music that can really move you and make you feel what the artist feels is rare. And in those instances it shows that music is the greatest of the arts.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 25th 2007 !⃝

    Wow, there is something seriously wrong with you people. You really need to get your facts straight, because all of you know nothing and love to spread vicious gossip. These facts are indisputable, and none of you got the main fact right, none of you. The Mother (Del Santo), the Nanny, or Clapton "left" the window open to air out. A block Janitor for the complex was in the room cleaning, who stupidly slid open a 4 foot by 6 foot glass wall that was suppose to be permanently locked, but the lock was broken. The Boy Conor was running (playing) with the Nanny, and did not realize the window was open when jumping toward the one foot wooden ledge on the inside of the glass frame. The Mother (Del Santo) was in the next room reading a fax, not on drugs. Clapton arrived 5 minutes later from his place across town somewhere. Clapton went with Conor to the Circus the day before, not that day. Tears in heaven was written by Clapton 9 months later, for his SON, not the effing movie Rush. Get it straight or don't say it-

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 23rd 2007 !⃝

    You're are all bloody well wrong. Clapton wrote this for his own son. Don't be a jackass and say that he was careless and he wrote it for the movie RUSH. It is a beautiful song and is so inspiring. To Eric!

  9. anonymous
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    Sep 9th 2007 !⃝

    Clapton was in a hotel, he was not high, Connor was with his mother(who was sober, and had just finished cleaning their condo and left the window open to let it air out) when Connor fell to his death. While the song was written for Rush, It's still about Connor. There was no one high and no bad nanny. My source:
    http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/tears.asp

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 29th 2007 !⃝

    Clapton had spent the day before with his son at the circus. They (being his son and son's mother) had planned on going to the zoo that day. His mother was dealing with a fax. Conor was playing with the nanny. The housekeeper had a left a large (4 ft.) window open for cleaning. There were no safety bars on the window. Conor ran from the nanny as part of a game. He ran right out the window and fell over 50 stories to a roof top below. The nanny screamed, bringing the mom into the room. Clapton arrived a few minutes later for the zoo trip, not knowing what had just happened. He was informed in a sort of surreal way. VERY TRAGIC but having nothing to do with drugs or child neglect. Yes, Tears in Heaven and the Circus were written for Conor by Clapton by his own admission. I believe even Phil Collins wrote a song for Conor.

  11. anonymous
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    May 26th 2007 !⃝

    Actually, the lyrics are through the eyes of Connor, asking Eric if he'd be sober enough to recognize him.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
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    Feb 7th 2007 !⃝

    Circus left town.... Thats the song Clapton wrote to make his peace with connor. He was actually across town in his own Condo. Connor's mother, Lori Santos (Clapton's ex),was in her bedroom with her current boyfriend, While connor was in the living room playing with the maid. He tripped and fell out the window. PLEASE PEOPLE QUIT BLAMING ERIC AND DRUGS FOR ACCIDENTAL DEATH. Eric was clean and sober at the time of connor's death. Tears in Heaven originally for the movie Rush...

  13. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2007 !⃝

    The song was not written by Babyface - you're thinking of Change The World

  14. anonymous
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    Aug 11th 2006 !⃝

    Eric clapton was not even present at time of his son’s death. If you just look at some news stories from the incident you will have all the details. Also look for the interview where clapton said it was to painful for him to perform the song anymore due to the fact that he has since moved on after his son's death.

  15. anonymous
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    Aug 7th 2006 !⃝

    He wrote this song about the death of his son which occured wen he ws playing hide and seek with him in his top floor apartment, he was chasing his son who then tripped nd fell out of the window (which ws left open) the song is eric wondering whether his son will remeber him when the finally meet again in heaven.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



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