Song 1

Eric Clapton is an extremely famous and talented blues rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer.
He is known as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Clapton has been inducted three separate times
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, not only as a member of the bands The Yardbirds and Cream, but
also as a solo artist. Clapton’s interest in music led to him joining a band at the age of seventeen, called
“The Roosters”. His early influences were Buddy Guy, Freddy King and B. B. King, who are mostly blues
singers, but he was passionate about his music and started mixing the blues with rock. After, he began
his solo career and he had to endure stints with drugs, alcohol, infidelity and divorce. He has suffered
many losses in his life which included the death of his half brother, the death of some of his crew
members and most importantly, and the death that affected Clapton the most, the death of his four
year old son Connor. Clapton expresses his despair and grief about the death of his son with his song
“Tears in Heaven.” In Eric Clapton’s song “Tears in Heaven” he shows despair and sadness through the
poetic devices and through the loss of his son.

Eric Clapton’s song “Tears in Heaven” is about the grief and pain he suffered after the loss of his 4-year
old son Connor. In the verses, Clapton says “Will it be the same.” This heartbreaking verse lets the
listener feel the pain of losing a loved one. The listener, along with Clapton, experiences the feeling of
not knowing what type of relationship would be shared if they were together again in heaven and it is
left as an unanswered question giving it all the more meaning and sentiment. This song relates to my
theme and genre because my theme is anger and despair in rock and alternative music. Even though the
songwriter is blues influenced, it is still considered a classical blues rock song. The despair is definitely
shown in the lyrics and the mood of Clapton is a somber one, all the while allowing the listener to feel
the despair throughout the song.

In the song Eric Clapton uses poetic devices to show despair. The theme of the song is tragedy and grief.
Clearly the loss of a child brings a parent an unimaginable pain and this pain is what Clapton used to
express himself throughout the song. This song is also a narrative song as Clapton is telling the story of
how the loss of his son affected him. The sadness he felt when his son died left him with unanswered
questions. This song is also a lyric poem because it expresses the feeling of grief, despair, and pain. In
the lyric’s Clapton uses couplets such as “I’ll find my way, through night and day /Cause I know I just
can’t stay” and also “I must be strong, and carry on /Cause I know I don’t belong”. These couplets help
pull the lyrics together with a rhyming sequence to help the flow of the music. When a loved one dies
most people use phrases such as “give it time”, in Clapton bridge he says “Time can bring you
down/Time can bend your knee/Time can break your heart”. This shows the feeling of how time passing
can also be heartbreaking to a grieving person.
Thus, in Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” the theme of despair is evident throughout the song. Clapton’s
very well written song uses the elements of lyric poem, and couplets that allow the listener not only
hear the despair and sadness that Clapton feels, but allows the listeners to feel it too. The loss of a child
is devastating and in Clapton’s song, that heartbreak is conveyed to the listener. This song is portrayed
like Clapton is telling a story. The song is one that many people can relate to. Most people have lost
someone they have loved, and this song can help a person relate to their feelings of despair and
knowing others have experienced the same pain.

Song 2

RHYME SCHEME – The last words in the first two lines of each verse rhyme: it is a simple rhyming
pattern that adds a cheerful tone to the song and makes it easier to remember

REPETITION – The phrase “And I think to myself what a wonderful world.” is repeated at the end of
every verse (except one) to keep the song lighthearted and emphasize its message: the fact that even
though there is much hatred and violence within the world, it is still beautiful. The title repeated
throughout the song helps people remember it a lot easier.

IMAGERY – The imagery used to describe nature and friends. creates a vivid image of happiness and joy.

MESSAGE – The timeless message states that the wonders of nature and friendship are important. Even
when everything seems lost and despairing, there is always hope for the future. The song was written
during a time of terrible turmoil, and the singer himself, being a black American, had faced prejudice and
bitterness.

Armstrong (nicknamed Satchmo or Pops) loved this song and performed it everywhere. At one
performance, he introduced it with this explanation:

“Some of you young folks been saying to me: ‘Hey, Pops – what do you mean, what a wonderful world?
How about all them wars all over the place, you call them wonderful?’ …But how about listening to old
Pops for a minute? Seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m
saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love, baby, love. That’s
the secret…”
ANALYSIS:

“I See Trees of Green, Red Roses too”

The first line tells us that there is always a chance for improvement and growth. It immediately shows
that the song will be focusing on the happier side of life instead of its pain and turmoil.

“The Bright Blessed Day, the Dark Sacred Night”

The choice of these words is careful: blessed and sacred add holiness to this world that becomes a safe
surrounding, where people are comforted and looked after.

“The Colours of the Rainbow, so Pretty in the Sky”

A rainbow shows that the storm is over and that clearer, easier times are ahead. It is a sign of hope. In
religious views, the rainbow is the promise from God to his people that he will never drown them all
again

“I see friends shakin’ hands, sayin’ “How do you do?”/They’re really saying “I love you”
When people meet and greet each other with happy hearts, they may mean they love each other. The
world really underlines the fact that what the singer sees should not be only a dream.

“I hear babies cryin’, I watch them grow They’ll learn much more, than I’ll ever know”.

Babies are symbols for the next generation, for hope. Over time, more knowledge is acquired and
passed down to younger generations and by the time children reach Satchmo‘s age, they will have had
the opportunity to learn much more than us Armstrong himself stated in the late 1960s that he recalled
“three generations” of children he watched growing up in his own Corona/Queens, NY neighbourhood,
part of his own “life reservoir” that he brought to the song. In addition, as a black man, he had suffered
over decades during segregation and the civil rights struggle

The final tense is changed into future to underline these high hopes for the next generation.

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shakin’ hands, sayin’ “How do you do?”

They’re really saying “I love you”

I hear babies cryin’, I watch them grow

They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah