"Tears in Heaven" is a song by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings, written about the death of Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor. It appeared on the 1991 Rush film soundtrack. In January 1992, Clapton performed the song in front of an audience at Bray Studios, Berkshire, England for MTV Unplugged, with the recording appearing on his Unplugged album.

In August 1990, Clapton's manager, two of his roadies and his friend and fellow musician Stevie Ray Vaughan were killed in a helicopter accident. On 20 March 1991, Clapton's 4-year-old son Conor died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of a New York City apartment belonging to Conor's mother's friend.

After isolating himself for a period, Clapton began working again, writing music for the film Rush (1991). He dealt with the grief of his son's death by cowriting "Tears in Heaven" for the soundtrack with Will Jennings. In an interview in 1992, Clapton said of the song, "It was in the back of my head but it didn’t really have a reason for being until I was scoring this movie ... then it sort of had a reason to be. And it is a little ambiguous because it could be taken to be about Conor but it also is meant to be part of the film."

In an interview with Daphne Barak, Clapton said: "I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked... I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music." Jennings said:

[Clapton] 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.

Lyrics

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?

Would it be the same

If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong

And carry on.

'Cause I know I don't belong

Here in heaven.

Would you hold my hand

If I saw you in heaven?

Would you help me stand

If I saw you in heaven?

I'll find my way

Through night and day.

'Cause I know I just can't stay

Here in heaven.

Time can bring you down

Time can bend your knees.

Time can break your heart

Have you begging please.

Begging please...

Beyond the door

There's peace, I'm sure.

And I know there'll be no more

Tears in heaven.

Would you know my name

If I saw you in heaven?

Would it be the same

If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong

And carry on.

'Cause I know I don't belong

Here in heaven

'Cause I know I don't belong

Here in heaven

Songwriters: Clapton Eric Patrick

Tears in Heaven lyrics © Blue Sky Rider Songs, E C Music Ltd