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20 phrases by Eric Clapton about music and life

20 phrases by Eric Clapton about music and life

March 30, 2024

Eric Clapton (1945) is one of the leading figures of modern music . Born in England, his contribution to Blues and Rock is absolutely fantastic.

Nicknamed "slow hand" (for his incredible guitar solos) or "God" (God), Clapton has been considered the second best guitarist of all time according to the prestigious Rolling Stone, only surpassed by Jimi Hendrix.

Phrases by Eric Clapton and his best known quotes

Clapton's life has not been a path of roses. In love with the wife of his best friend George Harrison (of the Beatles), he lived obsessed with Pattie Boyd, to the point of composing the song Layla to show him his love. Another mythical song by Eric Clapton, Tears In Heaven, tells us about the untimely death of his son.


To learn more about this unprecedented talent in the world of music, we have decided to create this collection with your best known phrases and reflections .

1. And it makes me feel so angry to know that the flame is still burning ... Why can not I get it over with? When will I learn at once?

From his song "Old Love", Clapton curses himself for remaining in love with a love that is very far back in time.

2. Music became my relief, and I learned to listen to it with all five senses. I discovered that this way I could erase all the feelings of fear and confusion related to my family. These were further exacerbated in 1954, when I was nine years old.

He talks about his childhood, marked by fear and bad atmosphere.


3. I remember that I thought that her beauty was also internal. It was not just about her appearance, but she was certainly the prettiest woman I had ever seen in my life. It consisted of something deeper. It came from inside her too. It was his way of being.

He talks about Pattie Boyd, who was also the wife of Beatle George Harrison.

4. Creating a song is as easy as shaping a feeling.

Embodying feelings in beautiful musical works is one of his gifts.

5. My main philosophy on how to make music is that you can reduce everything to a single note, if that note is played in the most sincere way.

Honesty when composing and performing songs is the basis of every artist.

6. The only education I ever had was to find out things about the blues. I mean, I wanted to know everything.

His obsession with blues led him to share stage and recording studio with idols such as BB King.


7. I became convinced that, for some strange reason, I was invulnerable and would not get hooked [to the drug]. But the addiction does not negotiate and little by little it spread within me like fog.

In this famous quote, Eric Clapton confesses that he lived hooked on cocaine and alcohol .

8. When choosing a guitar I noticed that it was worn ... It's like entering a restaurant. If it is full it is that it eats well.

An excellent metaphor for a master of the strings.

9. The only planning I do is about a minute before playing. I try desperately to think of something that is effective, but I never feel and I resolve it note by note.

Improvisation is part of the DNA of the blues and, by extension, of Eric Clapton.

10. His way of playing is totally hybrid. Musically it does not make sense for the scholar. When he plays the piano, it only makes sense to the one who hears it. If you were a musician, you would say: but what are you doing? Has no sense. And the same when he plays the guitar. Whatever you do, it's as if you had to wait a year or two to get the point of being able to hear it. The first time you hear it, it's useless. Then you reflect and you realize that it is perfect.

In these statements he talks about the great Bob Dylan.

11. Being the author of something so powerful is something I will never be able to get used to. It still disturbs me when I touch it.

Talk about his song Layla.

12. The guitar shone bright and had something virginal. It looked like an elegant device coming from another universe and, while trying to strum it, I felt that it was happening to the territory of maturity.

About its beginnings with the instrument.

13. I was interested in white rockers until I discovered Freddie King.

That interpreter changed his perspective on music.

14. For me, it's about music. I'm just the messenger, and I hope to do it while I live.

His passion for music exceeds any limit.

15. I have the talent given by God or the opportunity given by God, rather.

Clapton is aware of his own abilities, which does not make him pretentious if we consider the quality of his musical work.

16. I am and always will be a Blues guitarist.

Although he has been a very versatile artist, if he is asked, he is very clear: he considers himself basically a lover of Blues.

17The sound of an amplified guitar in a crowded place was so hypnotic and addictive for me that I could cross any kind of border to be there.

Another famous phrase by Eric Clapton, this time about his adolescence.

18. For me there is something primitively calming in music, it goes straight to my nervous system, so I feel ten meters high.

Does music have soothing effects on us? Eric Clapton seems to be sure that, indeed, he manages to relax us.

19. I did not really fit into sports or group activities like any child, I could not find a place. And music was not part of the population's curriculum.

A reflection on his childhood, which was sad and lonely.

20. Some say of me that I am a revolutionary. That does not make sense, all I did was copy BB King.

Humility before whom he always considered as a master of the Blues.


Eric Clapton - The 1970's Review - Movie Trailer (March 2024).


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