So what you're telling me is Clapton took a story from an ancient Persian myth, then took a guitarist from another band, who in turn took a riff from another song; he then took a piano piece from his own drummer, all so he could take the wife of a Beatle? That's a paddlin'
Actually it's not a meth the poet qais lived and we learned his poems in high school(i'm an arab) and yes eric clapton took this story because a friend told him about it and he saw how he is similar with qais(the poet) so he wrote it to george harrison wife
Pattie Boyd's got to be the luckiest girl in the world. She has two amazing classic rock/love songs written for her; George Harrison's "Something" and Eric Clapton's "Layla"
Clapton admitted after his divorce from Patti that "the quest fulfilled sated the desire." Once obtained, the reality of their love and life didn't match up with his incensed longing for her. EC said that he thought himself to be "edgy" and "cheeky" to desire the wife of a Beatle, especially his very best friend. EC put Freddie King's song "Have you ever loved a woman" into his show for years. At first it was an anthem of unrequited love, of passion unrealized that introduced and set up Layla as the concert finale. For those of you who are not familar with Freddie King's song, the lyrics go like this: Have you ever loved a woman? So much you tremble in pain? Yee-es! Have you ever loved a woman? So much you tremble in pain? Yee-es! All the time you know She bears another man's name You just love that woman So much it's a shame and a sin Yee-es! You just love that woman So much it's a shame and a sin Yes, you know, yes you know She belongs to your very best friend And yee-es! Have you ever loved a woman? One that you know you can't leave her alone? And yee-es! Have you ever loved a woman (sing!) Only you know you can't leave her alone? A- yee-es! But there's something deep inside a-you Won't let you wreck yo very best friend's home. Fans knew of Eric's pursuit of Pattie after she and George called it quits. She didn't immediately relent to his overtures but she eventually went on the road with him. Pattie and Eric married March 27, 1979 in Tucson Arizona. Three of the Beatles attended, George, Paul and Ringo. John would have come but the staff had not sent him an invitation. After the ceremony the 3 Beatles jammed with EC marking the last time a possible reunion of the Beatles could have taken place. Lennon was disappointed that he missed it and it’s safe to say all the Beatles would have jammed at the reception of Eric and Pattie's wedding had he been there. Eric was married but it didn't change his rockstar ways. It was drugs and alcohol and groupies all around. It soon became apparent that Pattie could not conceive children. Over the years they sought medical advice and help but she remained childless. Meanwhile, Eric took up with Yvonne Kelly, a studio assistant that he had an affair with in Montserrat. From that union produced Eric's first daughter, Ruth. He hid Ruth's existence all through his divorce from Pattie five years later. Still married to Pattie, Eric was also dealing with his strange and strained relationship with his birth mother Pat, who was in and out of his life leaving him confused. They had alcohol in common and Eric had drugs to go along with it. Whatever passion exuded through the vibrations of "Layla" withered away as reality set in to Pattie as she watched the grotesque dance between a mother and an unwanted son. Fans are all too familar with the story of the tragically short life and death of Conor Clapton and of Eric's relationship with Conor's mother Lory Del Santo. Originally Eric approached Pattie with the hairball idea that they could stay married and they both could parent Conor during Eric's annual custody period. That was the last straw for Pattie, frustrated by her own inability to conceive and asked to be a part time mom to another woman's son. She moved to end the marriage. Knowing the backstory of events that occurred after the song's recording, "Layla" can be seen as a plea for love in the first section, and a mix of romance and ennui in the piano coda, of love's great potential and the inability for two flawed people to realize it fully. It is a very human song, stripped away from spiritual overtones and barren of the happiness that both good souls desperately desired. After the success of "Unplugged" Eric played Layla only in his acoustic arrangement, going back to the simpler time of when he first wrote it, when it had the clearer message of love in it. An observer could guess that the singer was pouring salve into some old wounds to smooth out and soothe areas formerly tormented by his demons that had since been vanquished and vanished by years of sobriety. The acoustic arrangement jettisoned the piano coda; its promise of romance and its reminder of a love's potential not realized. The song became what it started out to be; a plain song of love painted in the imagery of an ancient story of unrequited love.
@@kianyt5804 Thank you for the comment. It is the highest compliment I can receive. Eric's struggles unfolded publicly after Conor's death. He opened his soul to us during the taping of the "Unplugged" video in 1992. From that, we learned of his fractured childhood, his dysfunctional relationship with his mother, and his abuse and excess of many vices. Had he not opened up to show us his identity, his story would have ended there and we could have packed it away as "just another wasted rockstar." But for Eric, the story continued and had a happy turn. He had cleaned up, acknowledged a Higher Power, and began on his Road to Redemption. He had a child with Melia McEnery but thought he could fit them into his life as he had Ruth and Conor. Fortunately for him Melia's parents had a functional and loving family. Baby Boomers like Eric, they weren't impressed with his fame or his fortune. They were concerned about their daughter and the young baby girl that Eric had helped conceive into this world. They questioned Eric like prosecutors in court about his responsibilities to the child and to the emotional hurt to Melia caused by Eric's hands off behavior. Challenged by the questions of what it took to be a father, Eric examined his life and decided that, with the help of the clarity of sobriety, maybe the untold promise of a loving family might be within his grasp. He cleared his calendar and spent a month in Melia's parents home in Columbus, Ohio with the task of convincing them that he would meet his responsibilities as a father. Eric "stepped up" and embraced domesticity. He dropped his lifestyle for his girlfriend and infant daughter. They married Jan 1, 2002 at the St. Mary Magdalen Church in Eric's hometown of Ripley, England, where he has lived all his life. It was a surprise ceremony, as the small group of good friends thought they were there for the christening of both the new daughter Julie Rose and Eric's older daughter Ruth. After the christening rituals, Eric and Melia stepped up for the priest to perform the marriage ceremony. After the ceremony, Eric and Melia went outside the churchyard and paid an emotional visit to the gravesite where Conor is buried. Eric Clapton had come to the Crossroads, personally and professionally. Instead of meeting Robert Johnson's Devil who bought Johnson's soul, Eric met a God of Mercy and Compassion for a wandering troubadour who had no lasting family roots. As we know, Eric and Melia were blessed with two more daughters and the family unit lives intact today as the Claptons approach their 18th Anniversary. Eric Clapton's long pilgrimage, a hell raising and guitar screeching blaze through the universe, from the tormented loneliness and loss of unrequited love and passion of 'Layla', found his way to a place of love, acceptance, care and respect that never entered his mind as a young man. The change of heart, the change of mind, and the reason why are found in the lyrics of a song he wrote that many fans may never have heard: BACK HOME I've been on the road too long Moving in the wrong direction I don't know where I belong I don't know what I will do If I can't get back home Troubles I got on my own They don't fit no other person The memories keep rollin' on And I don't know what I will do If I can't get back home I don't fit but I don't give a damn I won't quit 'cause I know who I am And I'll admit and I've been on the lam Bit by bit, I'll review my plan This is it, do the best I can Trust and understand 'Cause I know that I am loved 'Cause I'll be on my way Got no need to stay 'round here 'Cause I been on this road too long Going in the wrong direction And I don't know where I come from All I know is I will die If I don't get back home The story of Eric Clapton is not of his origins but of his destination, a journey of Hope and a thirst for Love that found a place of Refuge. It is his singular story yet it touches many aspects of human life that don't often appear in such a pronounced way. We can wonder if Majnun's life would have taken a similar turn if Layla's parents had challenged him. We're left with the knowledge that unlike Eric, Majnun was still a madman and hadn't begun on a Road to Redemption. Perhaps the real story of the poems about Layla and the song about Layla is about their authors' fate and not the unrequited love that drove them to despair. Majnun perished in the lifeless desert. Eric found his way Back Home.
I'm Persian and I performed this song in Iran in 2002. We probably did the first public performance of it after the 79 revolution. It was my first time on stage and things were beginning to open up then. But, still they stopped our performance after this song, because the crowd was going wild. Years later, politics became bad again and I realized they wouldn't let me do PhD there because of the rock bands I had been in. So, I ended up moving to the US and it was here that I read that this song was inspired by the famous story. I had noticed the name, but always thought it was a coincidence. This song decided my destiny and is part of me forever.
Do you have a recording of your version? I have listened to so many versions over the years. It never get old. My youngest was named after this awesome song. It's cool to know there is something even deeper than what I already knew about the song's history.
@Bonifacio Salinas I've actually done a fair share of research on this, and hate to say it but the coda's origin belongs to Jim Gordon; not Rita Coolidge. She added a few parts to it, but Jim wrote the piece. Also, if you consider Jim to be a thief for not crediting Rita, then Rita is also a thief. She gave the song to Booker T. in 1973, and the song doesn't credit Gordon. Here's an in-depth look at the situation: The two people who back Rita's story are Bobby Whitlock (whose well known for twisting the truth and he certainly twists the truth in this situation) and Graham Nash (a man whose band-CSN-is extremely famous for having petty quarrels) don’t have credible stories to back up her claim. Just a side note, the second track on David Crosby’s 1971 album, If Only I Could Remember My Name, is a song that is a warning to the others in the group about Rita Coolidge, as there had been a lot of drama concerning her, Nash and Stills. Crosby even blames Coolidge for being one of the reasons why CSN broke up (although there were plenty of rifts in the group before, but Coolidge certainly didn’t help). Nash also is never mentioned in pieces on The Dominos and isn’t known for being around when the group first was originating back in the days with Delaney and Bonnie. So he really isn’t a reliable source. He most likely is someone who is just backing up Coolidge only because Coolidge told him. I highly doubt he was present when the song was being composed. CSN&Y were busy touring and playing festivals in the summer to late ’69, while the song was first being composed. Also take note that Graham Nash was heavily involved with Joni Mitchell in 1969 and 1970, not with Rita Coolidge. Coolidge and Nash weren’t together until late 1970 and early 1971. So Nash isn’t a reliable source. So onto Bobby Whitlock claims that Gordon stole the whole melody from Coolidge, which obviously isn’t true. Coolidge even doesn’t go this far in her claim. She recognizes that the tune has its origin with Gordon and without him the song/coda wouldn’t have existed. However, Whitlock twisted the truth about it (most likely out of jealousy). If one does enough research on Whitlock, they will find that he enjoys to diminish the roles of Gordon and Radle in the Dominos in order to make himself appear more important than he was. Furthermore, in discussing the famous piano coda to “Layla,” Whitlock is quoted as saying, “I hated it. I hated it. I couldn’t stand it.” Whitlock’s hatred of the coda only further evidences his jealousy. So it’s safe to say he isn’t a credible source, and I haven’t even gone into other lies he spewed. Coolidge also has gone back and forth with details, specifically concerning Jim Gordon’s ability on piano and organ. In an interview with Dean Budnick for Relix (published on October 26, 2016), she is quoted as saying, “He [Gordon] was not a great piano player, barely even competent.” However, then in her 2016 memoir, she writes, “he was… a capable pianist, and because he was exposed to so many styles of music, he had a well-developed sense of melody and structure” (Coolidge). So Coolidge, within the same year (2016), goes from saying Gordon was “barely even competent” on the piano to being “a capable pianist.” Clearly she isn’t staying consistent with the details. Also, one should factor in that Jim Gordon actually did session work as an organ/piano player for artists, such as Jackson Browne (on his ’72 debut), Delaney and Bonnie, and Renee Armand (The Rain Book). So if he’s clearly competent enough to be called in by a producer or an artist to play keys, he certainly is a capable piano and organ player. Another detail that Coolidge screwed up is when she said her and Gordon showed Clapton the piece “Time.” Coolidge claims that they first showed Clapton at a session for Delaney and Bonnie in 1970 at Olympic Studios in London. The two left a cassette of the piece “hoping… that he [Clapton] might cover it.” The idea that Coolidge was hoping that Clapton would cover the piece is in reference to Clapton mustering up material for his first solo LP. The first sessions for Clapton’s debut were at Olympic, but took place in November of 1969, not in 1970. These first session were in the midst of touring with Delaney and Bonnie, which produced the album, On Tour with Eric Clapton (recorded December 7, 1969). Coolidge wasn’t a participant for Delaney and Bonnie in 1970, mainly due to the fact that the majority of D&B’s backing band left to participate for Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. They were recruited by Leon Russel on March 13, 1970. Some of the Mad Dog backing band consisted of D&B veterans: Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price. Before venturing onto the Mad Dogs tour, these D&B musicians were busy recording for Clapton’s debut and Dave Mason’s debut LP (Alone Together). Coolidge not being a participant for Delaney and Bonnie is evidenced by her absence on their 1970 LP, To Bonnie from Delaney, which only features Bobby Whitlock from the ’69 touring act. This displays that their 1970 LP was recorded during the Mad Dogs album, since it was released in September 1970. However, the biggest fact from the last paragraph is that Clapton wasn’t interested in the piece when Coolidge played it for Clapton. But Clapton was interested when he heard Gordon play the piece during the recording sessions for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in August/September 1970. Clapton’s disinterest in “Time” helps to display that Coolidge’s contribution (her largest contribution to the piece were the lyrics) weren’t satisfactory. So the piece is better without a prominent presence by Coolidge and there obviously is a big difference between Coolidge’s vision for the piece and the piece that ended up on “Layla.” Also, let’s not act like she’s an innocent girl who’s done nothing wrong. Because in 1973, with the release of this album, Chronicles, Coolidge took the Law of Retaliation approach (also known as “an eye for an eye”), since she took the tune that she helped to write with Gordon (“Time”) and didn’t give Gordon credit. The Law of Retaliation is about getting even and that’s exactly what Coolidge did. So if it's true Coolidge did write that part, then she got even by letting "Time" be published without giving credit to Gordon. However, she clearly is mad because “Time” didn’t make nearly as much as “Layla.” I wonder if she mentioned she also ripped off Gordon in her memoir. Probably not. One shouldn’t pick and choose which facts to incorporate when telling a story, because “Time” also has a father, which is Jim Gordon. Link to the album Chronicles, which Coolidge didn't credit Gordon: www.discogs.com/Booker-T-Priscilla-Jones-Chronicles/release/4959914 Coolidge not crediting Gordon for the song on Booker T.'s record is just the cherry on top of a bunch of hazy and questionable details. All the information in my comment can be backed by articles written by journalists, linear notes of albums, autobiographies, and interviews of the musicians. You just need to take the time to investigate them.
Mark Turner Read the pdf, he did not kill his mother, he is/was not incarcerated, all a rich kid ruse. mileswmathis.com/gordon.pdf mileswmathis.com/clap.pdf
This. I want a film adaption of this. Eric’s heartache, his departure from blind faith and forming the dominoes, meet Duane Allman, Allmans death, etc. this is hands down one of the, if not the best rock n roll story!
As an aspiring filmmaker, i doubt there'll ever be a half decent movie about it. I myself could probably make a decent one, but i will just never have the interest to do it. This is what almost nobody gets, and why there are no actually good videogame movies for example. You gotta take in count why would a good artist want to make something based on what you're talking about.
Being a Middle Eastern, I've always loved the fact that Clapton chose the name "Layla" because the name resembles true love even more than Juliet in the Middle East's culture.. I just never knew that Clapton knew the poem or even this fact! This gives me tons of satisfaction. Thanks a lot Polyphonic, totally subscribed and please keep it up!
George Harrison: "hey Eric, i made this song called "Savoy Truffle" to poke around your love of sweet food" Eric: "your wife is pretty sweet too" *Proceeds to make Layla*
Actually when in quotes, and you need to use another set of quotes, use this icon " ' " Example: "Paul was always nice to his subordinates. He once said and I quote 'I like my friends.' What a nice guy...."
Layla and her majnun were in fact real. They were Layla Al Ameriya & Qays ibn Al Mulawah. Qays was a famous poet snd his poetry still survives until this day. Being mentioned in Persian literature does not make them Persian. That being said, now I can continue enjoying the rest of the video. P.S. Polyphonic, keep doing what you’re doing. You rock!
I'm not being chauvinistic or something, but the folk tale is actually arab : Layla lived in the modern day Saudi Arabia in the 7th century CE (see Wikipedia). The persian poet is one of many that did a retelling of the story and this version stuck the most with the western world for reasons I guess...
That is really interesting! I am originally from Layla, Saudi Arabia, a small town where Qays and Layla lived. Did not know that Eric Clapton wrote a song about my hometown lol
Yousef Ghaneemah Nizami Ganjavi, Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī, was a 12th-century Persian Sunni Muslim poet. Nezāmi is considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, who brought a colloquial and realistic style to the Persian epic. Wikipedia
My Goodness, coincidentally, this has been the most relevant song in my life right now. I have been listening to it endlessly recently. Such awesome timing!
Nick Drake would be a great topic for a vid, 3 albums that sold about 15,000 total before his death at 26 years old. 45 years on his albums have sold over 2 million, possibly one of the greatest acoustic guitarists.
I met an older guy many many years ago that had all 3 of his albums. This would have been in the early 80’s and I’m sure he has long past away or is to old to even know he is sitting on a gold mine.
As a persian I must tell you that the name of the poet at 0:18 is written horribly wrong! This is the right form👇 "نظامی گنجوی" BTW Keep up the good work!
Armin Mobarak Abadi thats one of the slight struggles that we have as persians and arabs (pakistan too) when using those letters. cus non lingual speakers end up just copy pasting the letters onto a software that doesnt support it
BTW the origin of the story is about an Arabian poet who fell in love with Layla and wrote a lot of poems about her and later it reached Persia and nthami adapted this famous story into a poem . Magnun مجنون is not a name its an adjective meaning the crazy , meaning he went crazy for her and also similar to the word jin
An interesting note is that the story of Layla & Majnun is a classic Sufi tale/poem. Thus it has mostly been viewed throughout history as (like basically all Sufi poetry) a metaphor for passionate love of God. Layla is the divine Beloved and Majnun is the crazed lover, drunk on the love of God. Most of this is obviously lost in the song, but the poetry and metaphors of the Islamic mystical tradition usually has double meaning, so it can mean both divine love AND worldly love because, at the end of the day, it is the same love. In this tradition, God is sometimes best experienced through a woman (or man, depending on your gender). Great story, and a wonderful song! Nice video!
Actually, Harrison loved the music, and he knew his one song, “Something”, was forgotten, after an entire album dedicated to Patty. She did end up going back to Harrison, and Clapton nearly killed himself with cocaine and heroin. Then Harrison realized she wasn’t worth all that drama anymore, and ended up with his true partner, Olivia.
@@pallasathena1555 he just talks about the outro to Layla and how the last few seconds have that high pitched slide guitar sound that one of the members called the "Crying Bird". You can just go find the song and listen to those last few seconds yourself.
In the early 70’s, did all roads lead to Rita Coolidge? She is connected to Kris Kristofferson, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Leon Russell, Joe Cocker ..... now the origin story of Layla.... amazing. Great video 👍
Whilst I totally acknowledge the classic nature of Layla, I've always had a love/hate relationship with that song. The opening riff is awesome, but I've never really dug the piano part at the back end. It just doesn't resonate with me like other ballads do from time to time. Duane Allman was a magnificent player though and his contribution was stellar.
Qauis and Layla isn't a fictional story, He was an Arab poet who lived in the Arabian peninsula around mid 600 AD. He was a pioneer in what was called Alghazal Alothry (Platonic Love Poems). He went on to inspire many love stories including the one was mentioned.
I remember hearing Layla getting a lot of airplay on our local AM station here in Southern Ontario in 1970-71. We loved it! It may have been because DJ's put their own playlists together back then, and it was one of his favourites, but we could count on hearing it every Friday or Saturday night for about a year. Definitely one of Eric's best!
It’s probably the greatest riff ever, the greatest solo ever, and the greatest rock song ever. I’ve listened to this song like 800 times and every time I hear it, it’s still like the song is alive. Like it’s a living organism coming out of the speakers. Just an absolute masterpiece in every sense. I think people under appropriate how great the vocals and lyrics are too. And let’s not forget the artwork for the album cover...
I am an arab, I studied the story of leyla and her "majnun" for a whole year in high shcool . I've known this song since I was a child. But only now I understood. Thank you.
Yeah, it couldn't have just been her beauty. There were many beautiful women for them to have. She must've been hella charismatic and just overall nice.
Omg it's like you read my mind? I've been obsessed with this song!! It's my favourite love rock song along with "Lover, you should've come over".. that lick always gets me soo hyped.
My daughter is named Layla! I always loved this song. When she got up to graduate the newer version had recently came out and her entire class began singing. I will never forget I had tears in my eyes. I did know about the original story a man from India told me it was famous in his country as he wrote her name on her birthday cake.
What a beautiful, insightful piece: Effortlessly spans a thousand years; a nuanced tapestry about musicians we knew in our younger days and an enduring story of humanity. Your work herein is purely lyrical, like some kind of a visual documentary of "As Time Goes By", You left me breathless. Thank you!
The quintessential hard rock love song. It has a beautiful piano outro. Legendary riff. Powerful guitar solo. The song structure is incredible! What an amazing piece of art
Finally someone put the real story out there, especially Duane Allman’s work, great work. There is a great video of the engineer/producer on RUclips talking about this and playing of the masters with track isolations.
Love it! This was, in my opinion, Clapton's most creative and interesting period. The entire musical scene he was a part of at the time is truly fascinating. I'd love to see you do a video about Van Morrison and his first few albums, and maybe include your take on his relationship with his first wife and original muse, Janet Planet. Another example of a very creative artist channeling his love into some seriously amazing music.
I KNEW YOU DID A VIDEO ABOUT LAYLA! I tried searching for it and I could never find it for a while there; I thought I was hallucinating there for a minute. Glad I can watch this video again!
I love Rob Sheffield's quote about Layla. Clapton exposing the love triangle: ' "In public” doesn't cover it - there's public and then there's “Layla.” '
I always had the theory that the first half of the song was of how Eric Clapton felt about her and the second half about how he saw her. The image of her he had in his mind
The poem was actually about an Arabic man called "Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah" And it was he who was called "Majnun Layla" which means "layla's Madman." That is the whole point of the poem! he isnt just a "madman", he is "Layla's Madman." The Persians and many other cultures then adopted the story and told it in their own languages and in their poetry. Nice video though.. here's a link if anyone's interested Because Layla and the madman were both Real historical people. : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_and_Majnun_(Nizami_Ganjavi_poem)
actually, it is an old Arabic story and not a Persian myth. Majnun's name is Qais, and he was a poet. his poems are written and preserved to this day, you can read them.
George Harrison accepted it. And you can't "steal someone's wife" since a wife is not a possession. She had a will of her own. You should never attempt to keep those with you who are not willing.
YES!!!!! As a huge Allman Bros fan, thank you so much for giving Duane the proper credit on this, especially the iconic opening riff! Love your videos, peace and love.
Every video I watch I end up immediately going and listening to the song you talk about. Even though many of them I've heard before, it is with a new lens and intention that grows the appreciation I already had for the song. Thank you. Keep up the great work!
I named my daughter after this song. It was my fathers favorite song, and he passed away a couple years ago. Whenever I hear that riff, all of the hair on my body stands on end, and I’m entranced by the simple beauty of it. My daughter now also becomes transfixed, at 6 years old. This song made me a musician, this song brings three generations together even though one is gone.
I don't even like Eric Clapton's music all that much (I acknowledge his importance and talent, absolutely - just never blew up my skirt) but this song is special. It's got a verve to it that's unique, and that there's this intense love-triangle story to it gives it gravitas in addition to its sheer excellence as a song. I've learned some of the song on guitar and my favorite thing about it is having Duane's lead guitar from the intro and choruses continue on *through the key change* into the verses. It's a blast to play that bit.
I've always wondered why the song was called Layla when it was about Pattie Boyd, now I know, thank you polyphonic. What are your opinions on the album as a whole?
Thanks for sharing - I had no idea what the song was about and never really engaged with the lyrics. This went above and beyond what I expected! How incredible.
“Layla” is without a doubt a masterpiece and one of the most iconic rock songs in all of history. The powerful opening guitar riff and the smooth piano piece that dominates the instrumental outro, which plays a major role in “Goodfellas”, as well as the persuasive lyrics are all brilliantly composed. Clapton is definitely one of the best musicians of all time! The song is also what makes Patti Boyd famous, as well as that she was married to both Eric Clapton and George Harrison.
Layla is my favorite song ever. I feel the passion inhis voice and I even feel like the guitar is crying even. Maybe since I listened to it through a bad break up but I feel like it's so emotional
You should do a video on King Crimson. They are considered one of the major founders of prog rock, and I think it'd be fascinating, despite knowing some of it already, you always seem to spin it in a fascinating direction
The Persian poem is actually based on real events, the Majnun is a welknown Arabic poet and has marvellous poems that rank him as one of the most critically acclaimed poets in Arabic literature. In every Arab school, you have to study at least one of his poems.
Layla was Patti Boyd. I loved how Clapton and Harrison got over it and remained good friends. Also....George met Patti while filming A Hard Day's Night....she's one of the girls on the train in the beginning.
With regards to how viral a song is, one reason it has remained popular is its use in pop culture; most notably the montage scene in Goodfellas showing the aftermath of Jimmy's killing spree.
Absolutely all respect to Parisians , but the origin of the story is Arabic , you can search it for further details, The story happened in Saudi Arabia in نجد ( naajid ) , majnun real name is قيس بن الملوح Qais bin almoullouh , he was called by Arabs majnun ( which means crazy in Arabic ) cuz he was crazy for layla , he wrote alot of poems about her which we arabs still study in schools till nowdays. I will quote some lines from one of his poems that i remember أَلَسْتَ وَعَدْتَنِي يَا قَلْب إِذَا مَا تُبْتُ عَنْ لَيْلَى تَتُوبُ فَهَا أَنَا تَائِبٌ عَنْ حُبِ لَيْلَى فَمَا لَكَ كُلْمَا ذُكِرَتْ تَذُوبُ The story then traveled to Persia and became famous when nizami wrote about it , so that's why many people thought that it's a Persian legend , but it's an Arabian real story that was famous in Persian and many Persian poets wrote about it
Good job. Layla was one of the first albums I ever bought back in the seventies. I think the first was a John Mayal album. Wish I still had that one, PS: get the Duane Allman Anthology I and II albums and you won't be disappointed.
Layla and almajnun , is from an Arabic origin , the famous poignant love story , which incidentally was not fictional, dates to the omayyad period in the seventh Century .To have it attributed to Persia is most inaccurate and untrue. The story and the poetry of Qais are well documented in Arabic literature . We grew up with it , and we learned to recite the poem from childhood.
You had the right word for what was going on with Boyd and Clapton...infatuation. Love had nothing to do with it. True love is a lasting thing and does not begin with lusting after ones friend's wife, or anyone's wife, really. The initial "falling in love" feeling is very brief and misleading. No matter how intense it is, it only lasts for something like 18 months at the most. After that, it burns out and is either replaced by the real thing, that involves total giving of self and putting the other's needs ahead of ones own, and *always* treating the other with respect and consideration, OR, it is replaced by nothing at all, allowed to decay entirely and become an odious and burdensome thing. Just a reminder of one's intial folly.
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saying "all 3 remained friends" is kinda an understatement; george was the best man at their wedding lol
@Belle George was a chill guy, he almost never got mad, especially in the post beatle days
@Belle 1. Yeah fair enough but george was a super chill guy
2. She didnt divorce george cuz of this song
@Belle yeah
Belle lmao George was kinda had an affair with Ringo’s wife so he couldn’t say much
simp
So what you're telling me is Clapton took a story from an ancient Persian myth, then took a guitarist from another band, who in turn took a riff from another song; he then took a piano piece from his own drummer, all so he could take the wife of a Beatle?
That's a paddlin'
"Should'na took more than you gave" - Traffic.
@@morganfisherart i don't need to run over you - crosstown traffic
there was so much more collaboration in the past
That's inspiration for you
Masterpieces arnt made on creating new forms of art but perfecting well respected ones.
Actually it's not a meth the poet qais lived and we learned his poems in high school(i'm an arab) and yes eric clapton took this story because a friend told him about it and he saw how he is similar with qais(the poet) so he wrote it to george harrison wife
Pattie Boyd, the Helen of Rock N Roll, launched a thousands riffs
A true muse
Yep Layla, Something and You look wonderful tonight and probably more
This leads to one of my favorite nerd jokes:
Q: What is a "millihelen"?
A: The amount of beauty required to launch exactly one ship
Courtney Love: ROOKIE NUMBERS!!
Didn't George write 'Something' about Patti as well
Now Meghan may have scored a Prince, but ain't no one gonna write her 2 or 3 influential songs
Pattie Boyd's got to be the luckiest girl in the world. She has two amazing classic rock/love songs written for her; George Harrison's "Something" and Eric Clapton's "Layla"
I think, Harrison wrote some more songs about her: Love you to for example
Wonderful tonight.
Something is not about Pattie
@@firmanchristiansianturi4794 Are you actually dumb
@@ReubenHillier George said it himself. The song is about love, not especifically her.
Clapton admitted after his divorce from Patti that "the quest fulfilled sated the desire." Once obtained, the reality of their love and life didn't match up with his incensed longing for her. EC said that he thought himself to be "edgy" and "cheeky" to desire the wife of a Beatle, especially his very best friend.
EC put Freddie King's song "Have you ever loved a woman" into his show for years. At first it was an anthem of unrequited love, of passion unrealized that introduced and set up Layla as the concert finale. For those of you who are not familar with Freddie King's song, the lyrics go like this:
Have you ever loved a woman?
So much you tremble in pain?
Yee-es!
Have you ever loved a woman?
So much you tremble in pain?
Yee-es!
All the time you know
She bears another man's name
You just love that woman
So much it's a shame and a sin
Yee-es!
You just love that woman
So much it's a shame and a sin
Yes, you know, yes you know
She belongs to your very best friend
And yee-es!
Have you ever loved a woman?
One that you know you can't leave her alone?
And yee-es!
Have you ever loved a woman (sing!)
Only you know you can't leave her alone?
A- yee-es!
But there's something deep inside a-you
Won't let you wreck yo very best friend's home.
Fans knew of Eric's pursuit of Pattie after she and George called it quits. She didn't immediately relent to his overtures but she eventually went on the road with him.
Pattie and Eric married March 27, 1979 in Tucson Arizona.
Three of the Beatles attended, George, Paul and Ringo. John would have come but the staff had not sent him an invitation. After the ceremony the 3 Beatles jammed with EC marking the last time a possible reunion of the Beatles could have taken place. Lennon was disappointed that he missed it and it’s safe to say all the Beatles would have jammed at the reception of Eric and Pattie's wedding had he been there.
Eric was married but it didn't change his rockstar ways. It was drugs and alcohol and groupies all around. It soon became apparent that Pattie could not conceive children. Over the years they sought medical advice and help but she remained childless.
Meanwhile, Eric took up with Yvonne Kelly, a studio assistant that he had an affair with in Montserrat. From that union produced Eric's first daughter, Ruth. He hid Ruth's existence all through his divorce from Pattie five years later.
Still married to Pattie, Eric was also dealing with his strange and strained relationship with his birth mother Pat, who was in and out of his life leaving him confused. They had alcohol in common and Eric had drugs to go along with it.
Whatever passion exuded through the vibrations of "Layla" withered away as reality set in to Pattie as she watched the grotesque dance between a mother and an unwanted son.
Fans are all too familar with the story of the tragically short life and death of Conor Clapton and of Eric's relationship with Conor's mother Lory Del Santo. Originally Eric approached Pattie with the hairball idea that they could stay married and they both could parent Conor during Eric's annual custody period. That was the last straw for Pattie, frustrated by her own inability to conceive and asked to be a part time mom to another woman's son. She moved to end the marriage.
Knowing the backstory of events that occurred after the song's recording, "Layla" can be seen as a plea for love in the first section, and a mix of romance and ennui in the piano coda, of love's great potential and the inability for two flawed people to realize it fully. It is a very human song, stripped away from spiritual overtones and barren of the happiness that both good souls desperately desired.
After the success of "Unplugged" Eric played Layla only in his acoustic arrangement, going back to the simpler time of when he first wrote it, when it had the clearer message of love in it. An observer could guess that the singer was pouring salve into some old wounds to smooth out and soothe areas formerly tormented by his demons that had since been vanquished and vanished by years of sobriety.
The acoustic arrangement jettisoned the piano coda; its promise of romance and its reminder of a love's potential not realized. The song became what it started out to be; a plain song of love painted in the imagery of an ancient story of unrequited love.
This should be in the script for the video
@@kianyt5804 Thank you for the comment. It is the highest compliment I can receive. Eric's struggles unfolded publicly after Conor's death. He opened his soul to us during the taping of the "Unplugged" video in 1992. From that, we learned of his fractured childhood, his dysfunctional relationship with his mother, and his abuse and excess of many vices.
Had he not opened up to show us his identity, his story would have ended there and we could have packed it away as "just another wasted rockstar." But for Eric, the story continued and had a happy turn. He had cleaned up, acknowledged a Higher Power, and began on his Road to Redemption.
He had a child with Melia McEnery but thought he could fit them into his life as he had Ruth and Conor. Fortunately for him Melia's parents had a functional and loving family. Baby Boomers like Eric, they weren't impressed with his fame or his fortune. They were concerned about their daughter and the young baby girl that Eric had helped conceive into this world. They questioned Eric like prosecutors in court about his responsibilities to the child and to the emotional hurt to Melia caused by Eric's hands off behavior.
Challenged by the questions of what it took to be a father, Eric examined his life and decided that, with the help of the clarity of sobriety, maybe the untold promise of a loving family might be within his grasp. He cleared his calendar and spent a month in Melia's parents home in Columbus, Ohio with the task of convincing them that he would meet his responsibilities as a father.
Eric "stepped up" and embraced domesticity. He dropped his lifestyle for his girlfriend and infant daughter. They married Jan 1, 2002 at the St. Mary Magdalen Church in Eric's hometown of Ripley, England, where he has lived all his life. It was a surprise ceremony, as the small group of good friends thought they were there for the christening of both the new daughter Julie Rose and Eric's older daughter Ruth. After the christening rituals, Eric and Melia stepped up for the priest to perform the marriage ceremony.
After the ceremony, Eric and Melia went outside the churchyard and paid an emotional visit to the gravesite where Conor is buried.
Eric Clapton had come to the Crossroads, personally and professionally. Instead of meeting Robert Johnson's Devil who bought Johnson's soul, Eric met a God of Mercy and Compassion for a wandering troubadour who had no lasting family roots. As we know, Eric and Melia were blessed with two more daughters and the family unit lives intact today as the Claptons approach their 18th Anniversary.
Eric Clapton's long pilgrimage, a hell raising and guitar screeching blaze through the universe, from the tormented loneliness and loss of unrequited love and passion of 'Layla', found his way to a place of love, acceptance, care and respect that never entered his mind as a young man. The change of heart, the change of mind, and the reason why are found in the lyrics of a song he wrote that many fans may never have heard:
BACK HOME
I've been on the road too long
Moving in the wrong direction
I don't know where I belong
I don't know what I will do
If I can't get back home
Troubles I got on my own
They don't fit no other person
The memories keep rollin' on
And I don't know what I will do
If I can't get back home
I don't fit but I don't give a damn
I won't quit 'cause I know who I am
And I'll admit and I've been on the lam
Bit by bit, I'll review my plan
This is it, do the best I can
Trust and understand
'Cause I know that I am loved
'Cause I'll be on my way
Got no need to stay 'round here
'Cause I been on this road too long
Going in the wrong direction
And I don't know where I come from
All I know is I will die
If I don't get back home
The story of Eric Clapton is not of his origins but of his destination, a journey of Hope and a thirst for Love that found a place of Refuge. It is his singular story yet it touches many aspects of human life that don't often appear in such a pronounced way.
We can wonder if Majnun's life would have taken a similar turn if Layla's parents had challenged him. We're left with the knowledge that unlike Eric, Majnun was still a madman and hadn't begun on a Road to Redemption.
Perhaps the real story of the poems about Layla and the song about Layla is about their authors' fate and not the unrequited love that drove them to despair. Majnun perished in the lifeless desert. Eric found his way Back Home.
You can write.
@@gmb858 you should put this in a blog post or article ! I want to share your writing so bad
This is very well written! Thank you for posting
"Jim Gordon had his own project"
Catching the joker of course
Brilliant!!!!!
Jim Gordon is quite a tragic figure.
Jose Del Carmen This is such a great comment.
he oughta be watching his daughter better
Been looking for this comment on all the Layla vids. Finally someone says it! lol!
I'm Persian and I performed this song in Iran in 2002.
We probably did the first public performance of it after the 79 revolution. It was my first time on stage and things were beginning to open up then. But, still they stopped our performance after this song, because the crowd was going wild. Years later, politics became bad again and I realized they wouldn't let me do PhD there because of the rock bands I had been in. So, I ended up moving to the US and it was here that I read that this song was inspired by the famous story. I had noticed the name, but always thought it was a coincidence. This song decided my destiny and is part of me forever.
Do you have a recording of your version? I have listened to so many versions over the years. It never get old. My youngest was named after this awesome song. It's cool to know there is something even deeper than what I already knew about the song's history.
Nice.
The piano coda on Layla is one of the most beautiful, calming pieces of music I've ever heard.
Yeah, it's amazing. I always forget about it till I hear it again and it leaves me SHOOK every time.
Drummer Jim Gordon wrote it.
mileswmathis.com/gordon.pdf
@@IAm-qf2xb actually I think I read he stole it from his girlfriend lol
@Bonifacio Salinas I've actually done a fair share of research on this, and hate to say it but the coda's origin belongs to Jim Gordon; not Rita Coolidge. She added a few parts to it, but Jim wrote the piece. Also, if you consider Jim to be a thief for not crediting Rita, then Rita is also a thief. She gave the song to Booker T. in 1973, and the song doesn't credit Gordon.
Here's an in-depth look at the situation:
The two people who back Rita's story are Bobby Whitlock (whose well known for twisting the truth and he certainly twists the truth in this situation) and Graham Nash (a man whose band-CSN-is extremely famous for having petty quarrels) don’t have credible stories to back up her claim. Just a side note, the second track on David Crosby’s 1971 album, If Only I Could Remember My Name, is a song that is a warning to the others in the group about Rita Coolidge, as there had been a lot of drama concerning her, Nash and Stills. Crosby even blames Coolidge for being one of the reasons why CSN broke up (although there were plenty of rifts in the group before, but Coolidge certainly didn’t help). Nash also is never mentioned in pieces on The Dominos and isn’t known for being around when the group first was originating back in the days with Delaney and Bonnie. So he really isn’t a reliable source. He most likely is someone who is just backing up Coolidge only because Coolidge told him. I highly doubt he was present when the song was being composed. CSN&Y were busy touring and playing festivals in the summer to late ’69, while the song was first being composed. Also take note that Graham Nash was heavily involved with Joni Mitchell in 1969 and 1970, not with Rita Coolidge. Coolidge and Nash weren’t together until late 1970 and early 1971. So Nash isn’t a reliable source.
So onto Bobby Whitlock claims that Gordon stole the whole melody from Coolidge, which obviously isn’t true. Coolidge even doesn’t go this far in her claim. She recognizes that the tune has its origin with Gordon and without him the song/coda wouldn’t have existed. However, Whitlock twisted the truth about it (most likely out of jealousy). If one does enough research on Whitlock, they will find that he enjoys to diminish the roles of Gordon and Radle in the Dominos in order to make himself appear more important than he was. Furthermore, in discussing the famous piano coda to “Layla,” Whitlock is quoted as saying, “I hated it. I hated it. I couldn’t stand it.” Whitlock’s hatred of the coda only further evidences his jealousy. So it’s safe to say he isn’t a credible source, and I haven’t even gone into other lies he spewed.
Coolidge also has gone back and forth with details, specifically concerning Jim Gordon’s ability on piano and organ. In an interview with Dean Budnick for Relix (published on October 26, 2016), she is quoted as saying, “He [Gordon] was not a great piano player, barely even competent.” However, then in her 2016 memoir, she writes, “he was… a capable pianist, and because he was exposed to so many styles of music, he had a well-developed sense of melody and structure” (Coolidge). So Coolidge, within the same year (2016), goes from saying Gordon was “barely even competent” on the piano to being “a capable pianist.” Clearly she isn’t staying consistent with the details. Also, one should factor in that Jim Gordon actually did session work as an organ/piano player for artists, such as Jackson Browne (on his ’72 debut), Delaney and Bonnie, and Renee Armand (The Rain Book). So if he’s clearly competent enough to be called in by a producer or an artist to play keys, he certainly is a capable piano and organ player.
Another detail that Coolidge screwed up is when she said her and Gordon showed Clapton the piece “Time.” Coolidge claims that they first showed Clapton at a session for Delaney and Bonnie in 1970 at Olympic Studios in London. The two left a cassette of the piece “hoping… that he [Clapton] might cover it.” The idea that Coolidge was hoping that Clapton would cover the piece is in reference to Clapton mustering up material for his first solo LP. The first sessions for Clapton’s debut were at Olympic, but took place in November of 1969, not in 1970. These first session were in the midst of touring with Delaney and Bonnie, which produced the album, On Tour with Eric Clapton (recorded December 7, 1969). Coolidge wasn’t a participant for Delaney and Bonnie in 1970, mainly due to the fact that the majority of D&B’s backing band left to participate for Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. They were recruited by Leon Russel on March 13, 1970. Some of the Mad Dog backing band consisted of D&B veterans: Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price. Before venturing onto the Mad Dogs tour, these D&B musicians were busy recording for Clapton’s debut and Dave Mason’s debut LP (Alone Together). Coolidge not being a participant for Delaney and Bonnie is evidenced by her absence on their 1970 LP, To Bonnie from Delaney, which only features Bobby Whitlock from the ’69 touring act. This displays that their 1970 LP was recorded during the Mad Dogs album, since it was released in September 1970.
However, the biggest fact from the last paragraph is that Clapton wasn’t interested in the piece when Coolidge played it for Clapton. But Clapton was interested when he heard Gordon play the piece during the recording sessions for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in August/September 1970. Clapton’s disinterest in “Time” helps to display that Coolidge’s contribution (her largest contribution to the piece were the lyrics) weren’t satisfactory. So the piece is better without a prominent presence by Coolidge and there obviously is a big difference between Coolidge’s vision for the piece and the piece that ended up on “Layla.”
Also, let’s not act like she’s an innocent girl who’s done nothing wrong. Because in 1973, with the release of this album, Chronicles, Coolidge took the Law of Retaliation approach (also known as “an eye for an eye”), since she took the tune that she helped to write with Gordon (“Time”) and didn’t give Gordon credit. The Law of Retaliation is about getting even and that’s exactly what Coolidge did. So if it's true Coolidge did write that part, then she got even by letting "Time" be published without giving credit to Gordon. However, she clearly is mad because “Time” didn’t make nearly as much as “Layla.” I wonder if she mentioned she also ripped off Gordon in her memoir. Probably not.
One shouldn’t pick and choose which facts to incorporate when telling a story, because “Time” also has a father, which is Jim Gordon.
Link to the album Chronicles, which Coolidge didn't credit Gordon:
www.discogs.com/Booker-T-Priscilla-Jones-Chronicles/release/4959914
Coolidge not crediting Gordon for the song on Booker T.'s record is just the cherry on top of a bunch of hazy and questionable details. All the information in my comment can be backed by articles written by journalists, linear notes of albums, autobiographies, and interviews of the musicians. You just need to take the time to investigate them.
Mark Turner Read the pdf, he did not kill his mother, he is/was not incarcerated, all a rich kid ruse.
mileswmathis.com/gordon.pdf
mileswmathis.com/clap.pdf
This. I want a film adaption of this. Eric’s heartache, his departure from blind faith and forming the dominoes, meet Duane Allman, Allmans death, etc. this is hands down one of the, if not the best rock n roll story!
Clapton has gone through heartbreaks throughout his life. Him coming out of all those is truly magnificent.
As an aspiring filmmaker, i doubt there'll ever be a half decent movie about it. I myself could probably make a decent one, but i will just never have the interest to do it. This is what almost nobody gets, and why there are no actually good videogame movies for example. You gotta take in count why would a good artist want to make something based on what you're talking about.
Being a Middle Eastern, I've always loved the fact that Clapton chose the name "Layla" because the name resembles true love even more than Juliet in the Middle East's culture.. I just never knew that Clapton knew the poem or even this fact! This gives me tons of satisfaction.
Thanks a lot Polyphonic, totally subscribed and please keep it up!
But like, the irony is, Clapton is a white supremacist and probably hates us middle easterners lol.
George Harrison: "hey Eric, i made this song called "Savoy Truffle" to poke around your love of sweet food"
Eric: "your wife is pretty sweet too"
*Proceeds to make Layla*
Geez. The internet is rough.
You must have forgotten that Harrison wrote Something about his wife, and released All Things Must Pass less than a month after Layla came out.
Actually when in quotes, and you need to use another set of quotes, use this icon " ' " Example: "Paul was always nice to his subordinates. He once said and I quote 'I like my friends.' What a nice guy...."
wow, I would've told Clapton to get out of my face.
The way he wails out “Layla” is so powerful
Oh, hey. A new Polyphonic video! Time to get the popcorn...
garge7676 this comment made me make popcorn
Your comment to that comment made me make popcorn
Your comment to his comment to the comment made me get popcorn
IDIOT , think of something new you fckign moron
@@aksekhiddelll8900 ..you need some popcorn to go with your cheese balls.
I've always thought that this song was the ultimate rock and roll cry for love.
Layla and her majnun were in fact real. They were Layla Al Ameriya & Qays ibn Al Mulawah. Qays was a famous poet snd his poetry still survives until this day.
Being mentioned in Persian literature does not make them Persian.
That being said, now I can continue enjoying the rest of the video.
P.S. Polyphonic, keep doing what you’re doing. You rock!
I've always known that Layla was about Clapton's love for Patti Boyd but had no idea it was a Persian folk tale. Thanks great video.
I'm not being chauvinistic or something, but the folk tale is actually arab : Layla lived in the modern day Saudi Arabia in the 7th century CE (see Wikipedia).
The persian poet is one of many that did a retelling of the story and this version stuck the most with the western world for reasons I guess...
@@aliifliss114 that’s what I’ve been trying to say
That is really interesting! I am originally from Layla, Saudi Arabia, a small town where Qays and Layla lived. Did not know that Eric Clapton wrote a song about my hometown lol
It struck a "chord" with Clapton, eh?
I see you Polyphonic. I see everything.
I'm not a religious person but that outro is like being ascended into heaven.
Mike N
Exit.
Not outro
No such thing
@ the ending of a song is called outro
@ Would "coda" be a more accurate term?
Pucci?
yeah didn't know that was still the same song. i always hated that piece of music. sounds like old people
I just started to read about this love triangle.
BagOfNickels Well it’s bs.
mileswmathis.com/clap.pdf
Jimmy Johnston what is bs, the received fairy tale, or the pdf?
Yousef Ghaneemah
Nizami Ganjavi, Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī, was a 12th-century Persian Sunni Muslim poet. Nezāmi is considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, who brought a colloquial and realistic style to the Persian epic. Wikipedia
Layla is one of my favorite songs ever! Thank you for telling it’s story. I can’t believe some people didn’t like it when it first came out
Nancy Smoke true love this song since 8 yrs now both versions of it the rock & acoustic version
*_Somewhere in Springfield, the band finally played the forbidden music._*
@Jorrun And you could hear it all the way to Maine. It wasn't half bad, either.
What are you referencing?
I thought that was "for he's a jolly good fellow"?
My Goodness, coincidentally, this has been the most relevant song in my life right now. I have been listening to it endlessly recently. Such awesome timing!
The Blues had a baby and called it rock n roll. Thank you Albert king.
Nick Drake would be a great topic for a vid, 3 albums that sold about 15,000 total before his death at 26 years old. 45 years on his albums have sold over 2 million, possibly one of the greatest acoustic guitarists.
Never heard of the dude til a VW ad featuring "Pink Moon" caught my ear. What a loss! I'd love to know more!!
He absolutely would. Great idea.
I met an older guy many many years ago that had all 3 of his albums. This would have been in the early 80’s and I’m sure he has long past away or is to old to even know he is sitting on a gold mine.
Read the book: White Bicycle.
He was a reclusive guy who made lowkey acoustic folk songs with very poetic lyrics. This guy would've thrived today on youtube.
As a persian I must tell you that the name of the poet at 0:18 is written horribly wrong!
This is the right form👇
"نظامی گنجوی"
BTW Keep up the good work!
Armin Mobarak Abadi He also pronounces Majnun wrong. It's Majnün not Majnen.
But the video is great anyways.
I know I was like that doesn’t look like Arabic
Meh must have been just a typo lol
Armin Mobarak Abadi thats one of the slight struggles that we have as persians and arabs (pakistan too) when using those letters. cus non lingual speakers end up just copy pasting the letters onto a software that doesnt support it
BTW the origin of the story is about an Arabian poet who fell in love with Layla and wrote a lot of poems about her and later it reached Persia and nthami adapted this famous story into a poem . Magnun مجنون is not a name its an adjective meaning the crazy , meaning he went crazy for her and also similar to the word jin
Pattie Boyd: "I had 2 songs written about me."
Courtney Love: ROOKIE NUMBERS!!
An interesting note is that the story of Layla & Majnun is a classic Sufi tale/poem. Thus it has mostly been viewed throughout history as (like basically all Sufi poetry) a metaphor for passionate love of God. Layla is the divine Beloved and Majnun is the crazed lover, drunk on the love of God. Most of this is obviously lost in the song, but the poetry and metaphors of the Islamic mystical tradition usually has double meaning, so it can mean both divine love AND worldly love because, at the end of the day, it is the same love. In this tradition, God is sometimes best experienced through a woman (or man, depending on your gender). Great story, and a wonderful song!
Nice video!
The piano outro will forever bring me the memories about "Goodfellas", the greatest film of all time (in my opinion).
If I'm not mistaken, the dude that did the piano solo, Jim Gordon, killed his mother with a hammer.
@@drgwhatsthetruth3783 yep, hit her a hammer and stabbed her to death. Too bad he was schizophrenic and delusional, he was a great musician
Definitely one of the best. Also the best gangster movie ever. Imo, better the. The Godfather 1 or 2.
Johnny Roast beef never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
My step sister was named Layla after this song and my step brother was named Duane after Duane Allman :)
Duane Dibley?
Blue Nidalee my father wanted to name me layla after the song but my mom said it was like a dog name hahaha :( i rlly want to be named layla
@@ayami3067 you have the power to change your name if you'd really be more comfortable with it! I did and it's been one of my best decisions.
Blue Nidalee
Try "Dwayne Stomp public service announcement" for something hysterical, a rock station back my way used to play it all the time.
That explains a lot, Cocaine.
Attending Clapton's Crossroads Festival in September, can't wait, the guy is a legend.
George Harrison gonna come back from the dead to dislike this
If he could bring lennon..
@@timverdickt280 Lennon would beat his wife from the dead
@@DonkeyBoyVids too soon? I guess not
Lol nah he cool
Actually, Harrison loved the music, and he knew his one song, “Something”, was forgotten, after an entire album dedicated to Patty.
She did end up going back to Harrison, and Clapton nearly killed himself with cocaine and heroin.
Then Harrison realized she wasn’t worth all that drama anymore, and ended up with his true partner, Olivia.
Seriously speaking, Layla gives me goosebumps each time. And those guitars ain't being played. They are crying too.
The audio cuts out for a bit around 4:38.
He had to cuz of the copyright. This video was taken down for months and just got reuploaded thankfully.
Have you got a link to the missing audio?
@@pallasathena1555 he just talks about the outro to Layla and how the last few seconds have that high pitched slide guitar sound that one of the members called the "Crying Bird". You can just go find the song and listen to those last few seconds yourself.
I thought my headset broke lmao
In the early 70’s, did all roads lead to Rita Coolidge? She is connected to Kris Kristofferson, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Leon Russell, Joe Cocker ..... now the origin story of Layla.... amazing. Great video 👍
Whilst I totally acknowledge the classic nature of Layla, I've always had a love/hate relationship with that song. The opening riff is awesome, but I've never really dug the piano part at the back end. It just doesn't resonate with me like other ballads do from time to time. Duane Allman was a magnificent player though and his contribution was stellar.
Qauis and Layla isn't a fictional story, He was an Arab poet who lived in the Arabian peninsula around mid 600 AD.
He was a pioneer in what was called Alghazal Alothry (Platonic Love Poems).
He went on to inspire many love stories including the one was mentioned.
That gutair riff will be an eternal earworm for me.
I remember hearing Layla getting a lot of airplay on our local AM station here in Southern Ontario in 1970-71. We loved it!
It may have been because DJ's put their own playlists together back then, and it was one of his favourites, but we could count on hearing it every Friday or Saturday night for about a year.
Definitely one of Eric's best!
"Struck a chord" with Clapton...
I SeE wHAt yOu DiD ThERe...
It’s probably the greatest riff ever, the greatest solo ever, and the greatest rock song ever. I’ve listened to this song like 800 times and every time I hear it, it’s still like the song is alive. Like it’s a living organism coming out of the speakers.
Just an absolute masterpiece in every sense. I think people under appropriate how great the vocals and lyrics are too. And let’s not forget the artwork for the album cover...
You’re telling me that Pattie Boyd believed that “Layla” was a more powerful and moving song than “Something”... oof
I am an arab, I studied the story of leyla and her "majnun" for a whole year in high shcool . I've known this song since I was a child. But only now I understood. Thank you.
This happens to be my favorite song of all times. Glad u did a video
I just want to know what Patty Boyd was doing so right that made all these legends fall to their knees for her lol
Does make one wonder...
Yeah, it couldn't have just been her beauty. There were many beautiful women for them to have. She must've been hella charismatic and just overall nice.
That's epic...🤣
Couldn't have kids is a start, beautiful, smart.
Omg it's like you read my mind? I've been obsessed with this song!! It's my favourite love rock song along with "Lover, you should've come over".. that lick always gets me soo hyped.
One of my favorite songs of all time. The first time I heard it, I loved it.
My daughter is named Layla! I always loved this song. When she got up to graduate the newer version had recently came out and her entire class began singing. I will never forget I had tears in my eyes. I did know about the original story a man from India told me it was famous in his country as he wrote her name on her birthday cake.
I suppose every Majnun has their Layla.
What a beautiful, insightful piece: Effortlessly spans a thousand years; a nuanced tapestry about musicians we knew in our younger days and an enduring story of humanity. Your work herein is purely lyrical, like some kind of a visual documentary of "As Time Goes By", You left me breathless. Thank you!
So much appreciate knowing the story behind one of those songs that I have loved for longer than I can remember (since 1970, apparently).
The quintessential hard rock love song. It has a beautiful piano outro. Legendary riff. Powerful guitar solo. The song structure is incredible! What an amazing piece of art
Heard this story a hundred times but still love your take on it!
The whole album is fantastic and with one of the best album covers of all time!
Finally someone put the real story out there, especially Duane Allman’s work, great work. There is a great video of the engineer/producer on RUclips talking about this and playing of the masters with track isolations.
Love it! This was, in my opinion, Clapton's most creative and interesting period. The entire musical scene he was a part of at the time is truly fascinating. I'd love to see you do a video about Van Morrison and his first few albums, and maybe include your take on his relationship with his first wife and original muse, Janet Planet. Another example of a very creative artist channeling his love into some seriously amazing music.
This song is such a masterpiece
Seriously, the transitions into the sponsors are so on point. Good job, man.
I KNEW YOU DID A VIDEO ABOUT LAYLA! I tried searching for it and I could never find it for a while there; I thought I was hallucinating there for a minute. Glad I can watch this video again!
I love Rob Sheffield's quote about Layla. Clapton exposing the love triangle: ' "In public” doesn't cover it - there's public and then there's “Layla.” '
I absolutely love this song, the second half with the piano solo kills me every time, great work, great channel
I always had the theory that the first half of the song was of how Eric Clapton felt about her and the second half about how he saw her. The image of her he had in his mind
I was not named after the band and I love the second half of “Layla”.
ive been waiting for this song!!
Not even going to mention the unplugged (and best) version of layla?
mr. smash96 Definitely agree with you.
i think the live aid version with phil collins is the best
Yesss
My personal favourite is this one from hyde park 96
ruclips.net/video/O7J8SqZMD0g/видео.html
Debatable. I enjoy the slide guitar parts of that song the most, so the Duane Allman's collaboration is essential for me.
The poem was actually about an Arabic man called "Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah" And it was he who was called "Majnun Layla" which means "layla's Madman." That is the whole point of the poem! he isnt just a "madman", he is "Layla's Madman." The Persians and many other cultures then adopted the story and told it in their own languages and in their poetry. Nice video though.. here's a link if anyone's interested Because Layla and the madman were both Real historical people. : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_and_Majnun_(Nizami_Ganjavi_poem)
actually, it is an old Arabic story and not a Persian myth. Majnun's name is Qais, and he was a poet. his poems are written and preserved to this day, you can read them.
So... Clapton stole his friend's wife and stole the piano ending. Got it.
Full circle adultery.
And the riff wasn't his either lmao.
Oh well, I guess the lyrics were original.
wait...
George Harrison accepted it. And you can't "steal someone's wife" since a wife is not a possession. She had a will of her own. You should never attempt to keep those with you who are not willing.
Right and neither were that good 😂
Eaty McEatison harrison ex wife actually admitted that she missed being with George while dating clapton
YES!!!!! As a huge Allman Bros fan, thank you so much for giving Duane the proper credit on this, especially the iconic opening riff! Love your videos, peace and love.
Every video I watch I end up immediately going and listening to the song you talk about. Even though many of them I've heard before, it is with a new lens and intention that grows the appreciation I already had for the song. Thank you. Keep up the great work!
I named my daughter after this song. It was my fathers favorite song, and he passed away a couple years ago. Whenever I hear that riff, all of the hair on my body stands on end, and I’m entranced by the simple beauty of it.
My daughter now also becomes transfixed, at 6 years old. This song made me a musician, this song brings three generations together even though one is gone.
I don't even like Eric Clapton's music all that much (I acknowledge his importance and talent, absolutely - just never blew up my skirt) but this song is special. It's got a verve to it that's unique, and that there's this intense love-triangle story to it gives it gravitas in addition to its sheer excellence as a song. I've learned some of the song on guitar and my favorite thing about it is having Duane's lead guitar from the intro and choruses continue on *through the key change* into the verses. It's a blast to play that bit.
I've always wondered why the song was called Layla when it was about Pattie Boyd, now I know, thank you polyphonic.
What are your opinions on the album as a whole?
Thanks for sharing - I had no idea what the song was about and never really engaged with the lyrics. This went above and beyond what I expected! How incredible.
“Layla” is without a doubt a masterpiece and one of the most iconic rock songs in all of history. The powerful opening guitar riff and the smooth piano piece that dominates the instrumental outro, which plays a major role in “Goodfellas”, as well as the persuasive lyrics are all brilliantly composed. Clapton is definitely one of the best musicians of all time! The song is also what makes Patti Boyd famous, as well as that she was married to both Eric Clapton and George Harrison.
Layla is my favorite song ever. I feel the passion inhis voice and I even feel like the guitar is crying even. Maybe since I listened to it through a bad break up but I feel like it's so emotional
I always loved this song,it is amazing to now know the story behind it.Makes it even more awesome
Thank you for everything you post
You should do a video on King Crimson. They are considered one of the major founders of prog rock, and I think it'd be fascinating, despite knowing some of it already, you always seem to spin it in a fascinating direction
4:13 it sounds slightly like the piano intro of Mellon Collie and the infinite sadness album.
Polyphonic is my favorite RUclips channel. Keep doing the AMAZING work
Did the audio cut out for everyone else at 4:40?
It got copyright striked. This video was down for a while. Clapton is such a dick.
The Persian poem is actually based on real events, the Majnun is a welknown Arabic poet and has marvellous poems that rank him as one of the most critically acclaimed poets in Arabic literature. In every Arab school, you have to study at least one of his poems.
I just found my new favorite youtube channel. THANK YOU!!!!
I was named after this song, it’s really cool to see the history behind my name and song ❤️ much love
Great job as always I LOVE THIS SONG!!! and now I know the back story. I LOVE THIS SONG EVEN MORE!!!!
Layla was Patti Boyd.
I loved how Clapton and Harrison got over it and remained good friends.
Also....George met Patti while filming A Hard Day's Night....she's one of the girls on the train in the beginning.
I loved this song, now I can appreciate it so much more.
With regards to how viral a song is, one reason it has remained popular is its use in pop culture; most notably the montage scene in Goodfellas showing the aftermath of Jimmy's killing spree.
People always credit the riff to clapton, glad you addressed this
Absolutely all respect to Parisians , but the origin of the story is Arabic , you can search it for further details,
The story happened in Saudi Arabia in نجد ( naajid ) , majnun real name is قيس بن الملوح Qais bin almoullouh , he was called by Arabs majnun ( which means crazy in Arabic ) cuz he was crazy for layla , he wrote alot of poems about her which we arabs still study in schools till nowdays.
I will quote some lines from one of his poems that i remember
أَلَسْتَ وَعَدْتَنِي يَا قَلْب
إِذَا مَا تُبْتُ عَنْ لَيْلَى تَتُوبُ
فَهَا أَنَا تَائِبٌ عَنْ حُبِ لَيْلَى
فَمَا لَكَ كُلْمَا ذُكِرَتْ تَذُوبُ
The story then traveled to Persia and became famous when nizami wrote about it , so that's why many people thought that it's a Persian legend , but it's an Arabian real story that was famous in Persian and many Persian poets wrote about it
This really is one of if not the best pieces of rock music of all time. there are other songs that are would be close, on this level but not many.
Good job. Layla was one of the first albums I ever bought back in the seventies. I think the first was a John Mayal album. Wish I still had that one, PS: get the Duane Allman Anthology I and II albums and you won't be disappointed.
Layla and almajnun , is from an Arabic origin , the famous poignant love story , which incidentally was not fictional, dates to the omayyad period in the seventh Century .To have it attributed to Persia is most inaccurate and untrue. The story and the poetry of Qais are well documented in Arabic literature . We grew up with it , and we learned to recite the poem from childhood.
Yes! Yes! I am so excited for this! Thank you Polyphonic!
Let's take a closer look!
Thank you for this.😊 I was remembering my daughter today, and ran into this video....
Would I sound like too much of a fanboy if I said I LOVE this channel? Cause I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!
Every single one of your videos just keep getting better and better, keep doing what you're doing!
I think the true skill is how Polyphonic can fit in his intro with that background music going. What timing!
You had the right word for what was going on with Boyd and Clapton...infatuation. Love had nothing to do with it. True love is a lasting thing and does not begin with lusting after ones friend's wife, or anyone's wife, really. The initial "falling in love" feeling is very brief and misleading. No matter how intense it is, it only lasts for something like 18 months at the most. After that, it burns out and is either replaced by the real thing, that involves total giving of self and putting the other's needs ahead of ones own, and *always* treating the other with respect and consideration, OR, it is replaced by nothing at all, allowed to decay entirely and become an odious and burdensome thing. Just a reminder of one's intial folly.