Tears in Heaven
2254123
225615893
2008-07-14T15:55:43Z
Kbdankbot
6505923
Robot - remove category per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 July 7|2008 July 7]]
{{Infobox Single
| Name = Tears in Heaven
| Cover = Tears_in_heaven.jpg
| Artist = [[Eric Clapton]]
| from Album = [[Rush (soundtrack)|Rush]]
| B-side = "Tracks and Lines" – 3:00
| Released = January 1992
| Format = [[Audio Cassette|Cassette]], [[CD]], [[Gramophone record|7"]], [[Gramophone record|12"]]
| Genre = [[blues ballad|Blues Ballad]]
| Length = 4:30
| Label = [[Warner Bros. Records]]
| Writer = Eric Clapton and [[Will Jennings]]
| Producer = [[Russ Titelman]]
| Certification =
| Chart position =
| Last single = "''[[Wonderful Tonight]]''" <br><small>(1991)</small>
| This single = "'''Tears in Heaven'''" <br><small>(1992)</small>
| Next single = "''[[Layla]]''" <br><small>(1992)</small>
| Misc =
}}
"'''Tears in Heaven'''" is a [[ballad]] written by [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Will Jennings]] about the pain Clapton felt following the 1991 death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who fell from a 53rd-story window in his mother's friend's [[New York City]] condominium. By all accounts, the death was simply a tragic accident, and Clapton was distraught for months afterwards.{{ref|snopes}} This song is one of Clapton's most successful, reaching #2 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] singles chart in the [[U.S.]] The song also spent three weeks at #1 on the [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|American adult contemporary chart]] in [[1992 in music|1992]].
Clapton wrote the song with [[Will Jennings]], who was reluctant at first to help him with such a personal song.{{ref|songfacts}} The song was initially featured on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Rush (1991 film)|Rush]]'', and it won three [[Grammy awards]] for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Male Pop Vocal Performance]] in 1993. It was also included on Clapton's Grammy award-winning album, ''[[Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)|Unplugged]]''. It is #353 on [[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]] Top 500 Songs.
<blockquote>
"Eric and I were engaged to write a song for a movie called Rush. We wrote a song called 'Help Me Up' for the end of the movie... then Eric saw another place in the movie for a song and he said to me, 'I want to write a song about my boy.' Eric had the first verse of the song written, which, to me, is all the song, but he wanted me to write the rest of the verse lines and the release ('Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees...'), even though I told him that it was so personal he should write everything himself. He told me that he had admired the work I did with Steve Winwood and finally there was nothing else but to do as he requested, despite the sensitivity of the subject. This is a song so personal and so sad that it is unique in my experience of writing songs." – Will Jennings {{ref|songfacts}}
</blockquote>
Clapton stopped playing it in 2004, as well as the song "[[My Father's Eyes (song)|My Father's Eyes]]."
<blockquote>
"I didn't feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing those songs. I really have to connect with the feelings that were there when I wrote them. They're kind of gone and I really don't want them to come back, particularly. My life is different now. They probably just need a rest and maybe I'll introduce them for a much more detached point of view."
</blockquote>
==Covers==
*[[Coko]] of [[SWV]] and her mother Clyde "Lady Tibba" Gamble recorded a soulful rendition of the song in 2001 on the Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge" album.
*[[Joshua Redman]] recorded a jazz rendition on his 1993 album ''Wish''.
*[[Paul Anka]] [[cover song|covered]] the song on ''[[Rock Swings]]''.
*[[Gregorian (band)|Gregorian]] chant group.
*[[Declan Galbraith]] on his album ''Thank You''.
*[[Aled Jones]] has recorded a cover version of the song, which can be found on his album, [[Whenever God Shines His Light]].
*In 2004, several artists recorded a cover together to raise money for the victims of the Tsunami. The song's performers included, but are not limited to, [[Elton John]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Steven Tyler]], [[Josh Groban]], [[Ozzy Osbourne]], [[Velvet Revolver]], [[Andrea Bocelli]], [[P!nk]], and [[Gwen Stefani]].
*Technology vs Horse recorded a cover version of the song for the opening track of their 2006 album [[Teddy Jam]].
*[[Tuck & Patti]] on their album ''Pure Tuck & Patti'' released in May 2006.
*[[The Choirboys]] on their album "The Choirboys" released in 2005.
*Andrew Johnston, a 13 year old choirboy, performed this live on [[Britain's Got Talent]] season 2 semifinals.
*Jourdain, a 13 year old singer from Melbourne, performed this on [[Australia's Got Talent]] semifinals.
==References==
<div class="references-small">
*{{note|snopes}} [http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/tears.htm "Tears in Heaven"] entry at [[Snopes]]
*{{note|songfacts}} [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1274 "Tears in Heaven"] entry at [[Songfacts]]
*{{note|songfacts}} [http://www.kadinca.net/ft7543/eric_clapton_-_tears_in_heaven "Tears in Heaven"] entry at [[Eric Clapton]]
</div>
[[Category:1991 songs]]
[[Category:Eric Clapton songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Record of the Year]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Song of the Year]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video]]
[[Category:Funerary and memorial compositions]]
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