Like many emotional songs. "Tears in Heaven", the song I chose has an interesting history. It was written for a movie called "The Rush" by Eric Clapton and his friend Will Jennings in 1991. Eric Clapton apparently told his friend after writing one song for the movie, that he wanted "to write a song about my boy". The boy he was referring to was his 4 year old son Conor, who died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment on the 20th of March 1991. He landed on the roof of an adjacent four-story building. EC was devastated and isolated himself for a while and came back to songwriting. Clapton stated, "I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked... I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music"
"Tears in Heaven" is Clapton's best-selling single in the United States today. With more than 2,800,000 copies sold – both physical and digital – it remains one of the best-selling pop singles of the 1990s and one of the best-selling singles, released by any non-American artist. Clapton fans will also know of another hit, "While my guitar gently weeps". He performed with other famous musicians such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Beegees.
He is in our age group as he was born in 1945. He is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is English and was awarded the OBE and later the CBE by the Queen.
I won't include all the lyrics but the following will reveal why this is about the tragic loss of his son.
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 stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way through night and day
'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.
Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven
Above introduction by Mahendra (Speedy)
Mahen
ReplyDeleteThank you for that most evocative song of Eric Clapton which is one of my favourites. The Marians version of Neela Dasa Pura is simply gorgeous and so is the Sydney Attygalla's Ranmali. They do turn back the clock to my youth growing up in a peaceful Ceylon. Despite the passage of years I feel terribly homesick hearing them. What a lovely collection of old favourites including Sobhana Sandawe. Thank you again for those wonderful memories.
Thanks ND. This song was posted mostly because I was so impressed with the piano playing of Niluki Fernando who is a niece of a friend of mine. This was recorded at a party and I wanted to share with those who were there and posted it on YouTube and thought why not share it with my Blogging friends too! i am not at my best here but I love this song.
ReplyDeleteMahen, Good to see you back - thank you for another beautiful song which was lovely to listen to. I notice you’ve got quite a few items on YouTube
ReplyDeletewhich I must listen to sometime .
Thank you.
This is a treat! A song we like with the history behind it, played by a talented young lady and sung by our Mahendra! Thanks, guys! This story is something we can shed tears over. It is true and shows that the rich and famous are not exempt from the horrors of life. But by singing about it the original sufferer, the present presenters and we we who enjoy it get consolation too. Zita
ReplyDeleteOne reason I sent this was because of Eric Clapton's reference to the healing powers of music. ("I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked... I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music"). This is an area I am very interested in and I wonder whether Readers might like to comment on their own experience.
ReplyDeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteI refer you to my article on my health scare in 2016 when I wrote about the 'Mozart effect' which was published in this blog. This is the healing power of music. It was of tremendous help to me psychologically and made a enormous difference to my general well being. I suppose listening to music is a form of meditation the therapeutic value of which is universally accepted. Music and Meditation also takes one's mind away from the turmoil and trauma of contemporary life which plagues us from time to time. This has been my panacea for the perils of life for many years. Glad you've found it.
Thanks for that. I referred to your Blog post of July 2016 and found your reference to the "Mozart effect" -The “Mozart Effect” with classical music is tremendously helpful in bringing about peace to one’s soul in stressful situations. Listening to the classics is something that can be done in the confines of your own home. Music of Chopin, Beethoven and Mozart was of great help to me all through my ordeal.".
DeleteThere is a whole literature on the "Mozart effect " that I wasn't aware of and thanks ND for bringing it to our notice. Most of the literature is about the possible enhancment of IQ by listening to Mozart and in the mid 90s the catch phase "listening to Mozart makes you smarter.". This proved to be an overstatemnt. There isn't much written on any suggested medical benefits in relation to diseases. I hope ND will point to some references.
Music therapy is of course an established psychological clinical intervention. My own direct experience was seeing it being used in a Geriatric Day Hospital and a Parkinsonian Group in Switzerland.In PD, the rhythmic cueing provided by music was very helpful in improving gait and also had the additional effect of uplifting the mood.
Hi Mahen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post.
I do empathise with Eric Clapton. To lose your own child is a grief that is eternal. I am speaking through personal experience!!.
I vividly remember when Eric lost his little boy. We were at the tail end of my tenure in Aberdeen.
The news was like a spear through our hearts!!!
Shall call you at some point for 'chat'.
This is Zita and I am about to write about my bit of experience on the Mozart effect. I remember some years ago when my brother Kenneth, died at the age of 46 years. I happened to be in Sri Lanka at the time. I was stunned. I went to work like a zombie. Came back and sat for hours in front of my piano, playing, the simple sad songs I knew. There is the hymn Nearer my God to thee which is sung by Christians at funerals. I could play this well and it saved me. Tears were pouring down my face as I played. I remembered Kenneth just a year younger to me. Such a friend. So talented. My best friend. So Nihal and my other friends, the healing power of music is a fact. There is music to suit your mood. You can just curl up and let the music take over. What a great thing we are talking about this now! from Zita
ReplyDeleteZita dear,
ReplyDeleteI must say that from the moment I heard the song "One day at a time dear Jesus" I take a lot of solace from it. For me its CARPE DIEM It was compounded when I heard your JOE's rendition of it @ the 2007 Reunion and it was so great it still ring in my ears. Please thank Joe for that.
Like you I too have lost brothers -- 3 of them..... one in Essex & the other two in SL. One common factor is that they all just dropped & passed on while travelling to or from work --on the road. Ages 54,49 & 63 the most recent.
The irony of it all was that my Dad too died suddenly while driving home from work & was only 46 yrs. at the time.!!!
All cardio related and suddenly.
I wish I too could go the same way.
Take care. Zita & pass on my greetings to Joe & your family.
This is Zita. Oh Razaque, every word you say about the sudden loss of so many of your loved ones is so true and I am sure there is no one who will not agree with what you say. Oh, you lost them at 46, 54 49, 63? Such young age by today's life expectations. I know exactly how you felt. You just become a zombie as I said. The problem is there is nothing one can do. I said this to one of my Buddhist friends when I was in that predicament. She said, Zita, just start breathing and concentrating on the breath going in and out for a couple of minutes and make the breaths very deep. Soon you'll feel better. It does work for this and also when one is worried about something in general. I thought I'll share this with you and our other colleagues. All the best to you always Razaque, from Zita
ReplyDelete