What does Wonderful Tonight mean?

Eric Clapton: Wonderful Tonight Meaning

Album cover for Wonderful Tonight album cover

Song Released: 1978


Wonderful Tonight Lyrics

It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

We go to a party and...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Mar 14th 2011 !⃝

    Every time I hear this ..this is how I interpret it .. this guy is secretly gay ...and in his private life dresses as a woman ...tonight he is 'coming out' at his work social ...

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jan 1st 2010 !⃝

    This is clearly sung from the point of view of a little crippled fella.

    At the start he's sat in his chair watching his wife get ready and waiting for her to do his hair/get him dressed.

    "We go to a party,
    And everyone turns to see
    This beautiful lady
    is walking around with me.

    And then she asks me: "Do you feel alright?"
    And I say "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."


    This is about his wife pushing him into the party, and everyone staring at him because he's in a wheelchair. She asks him if he's upset by the people looking but he isn't because he's in love with her so it's worth going out with her and that.

    "So I give her the car keys,
    and she helps me to bed."

    Obviously he can't drive because his legs don't work, and she lifts him into bed when they get home. He says again that he doesn't mind being crippled because he loves the woman and she makes it ok.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 10th 2009 !⃝

    You guys are retards. In his autobiography, "Clapton", he says its about his wife patty, who is taking a long time to get ready to go out and she asks clapton how she looks and he says you look wonderful tonight. He wrote the song while waiting for her to get ready. It's not sarcastic. And Layla IS about her too. It's not a drug metaphor. It has nothing to do with drugs. It's about the triangular situation between George Harrisson, Patty Boyd, and himself.

  4. anonymous
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    May 2nd 2019 !⃝

    This song always pulls at my heartstrings. This man loves this woman unconditionally and SO VERY MUCH, that he wrote this song which has so much meaning. Love is patient, love is kind, love is many things and Clapton is so understanding of how to love and be loved that. His patience, while waiting for his undecided beautiful wife to finish up her wardrobe which she already perfected before all the clothes and make up, he was simply trying to make the point that he sees and loves her no matter what and how special and fortunate he is to be the man to not only get the outter beauty but so blessed to also get the true beauty and that’s within. He adores this beautiful wife of his and is very much proud of her and who wouldn’t want to share such a Beautiful thing with the rest of the world. It shows how truly selfless he is and how capable he is of loving this woman and keeping her happy regardless of her beauty his love doesn’t change but constantly makes it more pure and intense. He holds his own and the best part is he waited for her which seemed like eternity. Without complains or lack of patience, showing her he’s content right where he is right now and at any given moment. looking at her beauty brings him enough and brings him peace. Although, she spent all that time primping and they made it to the party wheather for 5 minutes or hours. If one needs to leave because they may be ill or drank to much or just have a headache, they will gladly leave hand in hand and care for another like they vowed In their ceremony. This song is the way everyone should live and treat there Significant others, this world would definitely be a better place! This song is my ultimate favorite and most desired in setting any goals I’d want to achieve win a relationship. I would want to feel love like this again in my further relationship. they are madly in love and they aren’t superficial people and they hold each other up and bring any crowd happiness as they all watch the beauty they possess. The amount of envy people take on because of this sensational, inspiring, and trusting love would be enough to fill the world with goodness and grace. Beautiful, touching, and inspiring. Hats off to Clapton.
    It reminds me of my mom and her soul mate in Which is no longer with us but this is the way he viewed my mother and it was the most beautiful sacred thing to me growing up and realizing that you love does exist. It is going to maybe look at new places expect the unexpected good things happen to those who wait and that is the truth. I hope John knows how much impact in my life, rest in peace I love you andThank you for teaching me a lot of important things about life and what it has to offer and science and so much more I could go on and on but I’m sure no one wants to listen to anymore I have to say. Xoxo

  5. anonymous
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    Oct 13th 2018 !⃝

    Wonderful tonight was a track from a album released in 1957 by nino and the ebbtides

  6. anonymous
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    Oct 13th 2018 !⃝

    Eric Clapton was not the first to sing wonderful tonight nor did he write it.it was first recorded by minor and the ebb tides in 1957.

  7. anonymous
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    May 18th 2017 !⃝

    They weren't married at the time the track was written. It is a straight forward true story. Patty Boyd (layla), then claptons GF, were running late for a party. Patty came out of the room several times with different outfits on to ECs annoyance.
    Its that simple. EC has explained this tracks roots for 30 years.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 28th 2012 !⃝

    Happy Birthday Mom!!! I'm going to see Mama Mia tonight in your honor. I wish you were here. I'll have to agree with Amy in that EVERYONE ALWAYS goes on and on to me about how great you are. It's true, thguoh, and I'm always glad to get the reminders! I love you so much. Have a fun day. Buy some new birthday shoes. .

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2012 !⃝

    The most prolific part of the song is where he says, "and I feel wonderful because I see the Love light in your eyes, and the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize How Much I Love You." When you love someone and you can just SEE the love they hold for you. It's a way of saying, "I love you more than you know.". Simply beautiful.

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 5th 2012 !⃝

    I'm guessing they went to the party and he was too drunk (stoned?) to drive, so he gives her the keys and she drives. They get home and she has to help him from the car to the bed. He tells her that she's wonderful and she turns out the light.

  11. anonymous
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    Dec 26th 2011 !⃝

    I had never heard the song until a friend in Korea sent me the lyrics here in NYC. My initial reaction was "how lovely. What a loving compliment to his wife." I knew nothing of his bio. But after rereading the lyrics a couple of times I realized the narrator had had too much to drink at the party (headache) and couldn't drive home. He couldn't really undress himself. And then the final irony is that there was no love act to this wonderful woman because he was too sloshed! Nice touch of self-mocking. I have no idea if Clapton had a sense of the ironic, but this love song turned upside down ends with that nice touch of irony.

  12. anonymous
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    Aug 12th 2011 !⃝

    This is ridiculous, the song isn't about a guy in a wheel chair. Its absolutely explicit the reason why he let's her drive and help him to be. He has a head-ache. It's in the song.

    "It's time to go home now,
    And I've got an aching head.
    So I give her the car keys,
    and she helps me to bed."

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    May 25th 2011 !⃝

    i dont know about the wives thing. but the song is really great. Eric Clapton describes an evening scene at his home where he is going to a party with his wife in a simple yet effective way. has really nice music.emphasizes on the fact that she takes time to dress & asks him how does she look (since she is obviously conscious!). He assures her by saying 'you look wonderful tonight'
    basically only Eric Clapton describe a simple event in the most powerful way, doing perfect justice to it.

    one interesting fact about this song is that it was used as a background score in the tv serial 'friends'. It was when Chandler proposes Monica. has an amazing effect in the scene & makes it more beautiful.

  14. anonymous
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    Apr 18th 2011 !⃝

    The song is about being in love with George Harrison's wife, so is Layla.

  15. anonymous
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    May 26th 2009 !⃝

    Yeah for real! Some of you guys need to look up stuff before you go blurting out random crap that is totally not true. It is also extremely dumb when you assume that half of these songs are about drugs. The last guy was right if you read his autobiography he straight up says it was about Patti. He was getting ticked off cuz she was taking a long time getting ready so he just sat down and dished out this song. It wasnt sarcastic he meant it in a romantic way as you dont need to spend so much time getting ready cuz you always look good.

    As for the whole Layla thing being also about drugs...it isnt!! He wrote it about Patti when she was still married to George Harrison. One of his friends showed him an Arabian love story called Layla and Majnun which was about how this man fell in love with a woman he couldnt have and went crazy. He felt that he was in a similar situation with Patti so he dubbed the song Layla. Layla is Patti!

  16. Anon.
    click a star to vote
    Jul 15th 2008 !⃝

    In her memoir (Wonderful Tonight), Patty Boyd says that this situation literally occured as she was trying on dresses before going to a party. Eventually Eric sang the opening of this song as his answer to her final query as to how she looked. She doesn't mention sarcasm.

  17. Surfer_Coyote
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    Oct 12th 2007 !⃝

    The meaning of this song has been mentioned, but Layla is not about an actual woman. Layla is a metaphor for drugs, Eric Clapton has mentioned it many times in interviews. Layla is about him fighting addiction.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  18. anonymous
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    Jun 10th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about George Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd who Eric Clapton fancied then later married, this is a fact. I know this for sure. Not about an escort service, Eric Clapton needing to pay for a date? I highly doubt that. Layla is also about her.

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