Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven - Lyrics Meaning

While engaged to pen a song for a film called Rush, Eric Clapton and Will Jennings, writer of "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic, created "Tears in Heaven," one of Clapton's most beloved hits. The ballad was written in honor of Conor, Clapton's son with Lory Del Santo, who fell to his death out of a 53rd story window in a New York City apartment building on March 20, 1991. The child was only five years old at the time of his death. After his son's passing, Clapton appeared in Public Service Announcements that implored parents to install gates in their homes to keep their children safe. Though Jennings initially had misgivings about co-writing a track that was so personal, it has become one of Clapton's most successful songs. "Tears in Heaven" won three Grammy Awards in 1993: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance. Of his nine Grammy nominations that year, Clapton took home six. In 2004, Clapton stopped playing the song at his live shows, saying that he no longer felt the pain of his loss as much as he used to, and that he was ready to move forward with his life.