Tune In, Get Shocked: Iconic Songs With Surprising Backstories

8. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton

These songs aren't completely enigmatic, then, but did you realize the melancholy tune's inspiration? Tragically, Eric Clapton lost his son Conor when the lad was just four years old. Conor was rushing about his 53rd floor apartment in New York City, excitedly before an outing with his father. Usually he would press his nose against the window to gaze down at the street, but on this day one of the windows was left open. The poor infant dropped out the window and perished before anyone could see or stop him. Then Eric Clapton penned this moving song on the worst thing a parent can go through. Knowing the particular tragedy that motivated the song makes its sensitive questions regarding identification in the hereafter all the more heart-wrenching. This sad background gives the already emotive lyrics of "Tears in Heaven great weight." Clapton's ability to transform his loss into such a lovely and universally moving work of music highlights the therapeutic value of art and the human capacity to produce beauty from suffering. Apart from honoring Conor personally, the song provides solace for others who have gone through tragedy—especially the loss of a child. Testaments to Clapton's skill and the song's capacity to touch listeners on a very human level are its ongoing appeal and the emotional reaction it generates. Rising above its beginnings as a personal sorrow to become a worldwide song of grief and hope, "Tears in Heaven" is a potent reminder of the frailty of existence and the enduring nature of a parent's love.