Sailing down behind the sun
Waiting for my prince to come
Praying for the healing rain
To restore my soul again

Just a toe rag on the run
How did I get here?
What have I done?
When will all my hopes arise?
How will I know him?
When I look in my father's eyes

(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
When I look in my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes

Then the light begins to shine
And I hear those ancient lullabies
And as I watch this seedling grow
Feel my heart start to overflow

Where do I find the words to say?
How do I teach him?
What do we play?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That's when I need them
That's when I need my father's eyes

(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
That's when I need my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes (yeah)

Then the jagged edge appears
Through the distant clouds of tears
I'm like a bridge that was washed away
My foundations were made of clay

As my soul slides down to die
How could I lose him?
What did I try?
Bit by bit, I've realized
That he was here with me
And I looked into my father's eyes

(Look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
I looked into my father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes

My father's eyes (look into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
I looked into my father's eyes (looked into my father's eyes)
My father's eyes
(Look into my father's eyes)
(Look into my father's eyes, yeah, yeah)


Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

My Father's Eyes Lyrics as written by Eric Patrick Clapton

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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My Father's Eyes song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    my dad's a prick.

    Compuwiz19on March 12, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Beautiful song, that's it. Hands Down

    therealjulieton March 23, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Clapton wrote this song (along with "Tears in Heaven") in memory of his son, who died after falling out of their apartment's window.

    "I never met my father," Mr. Clapton told his biographer in 1985. "And I realized that the closest I ever came to looking into my father's eyes was when I looked into my son's eyes." -- from an interview in The Ottawa Citizen

    Layla76on May 09, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The song is inspired by the fact that Clapton never met his father, who died in 1985. It also refers to the brief life of Clapton's son Conor, who died at age four after falling from an apartment window. "In it I tried to describe the parallel between looking the eyes of my son, and the eyes of the father that I never met, through the chain of our blood", said Clapton in his autobiography. He retired the song in 2004, along with Tears in Heaven. It describes how Clapton wishes he knew his father.

    kskmomon October 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm gonna guess its about god. But as much as i hate this crap music this song makes me cry almost becuz it was my moms favorite song and she died. i still listen to this song when i'm sad or mad or just thinkin about my mom!

    PepsiCanon May 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's a spiritual song. It's really deep. About healing and renewal and like a cosmic support from his dad.. IT hits home and makes me sad becasue it reminds me of my step-dad, and he has a terminal disease.

    music_goddess2005on May 14, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I always think of my father when I hear this song.. Would always play it when I was living with him... Eric Clapton is someone that I could never get old of... Truly an artist and this song is truly beautiful !

    JNAVY86on October 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this is about losing a child, and feeling like you forgot so much about parenting, but it all comes back to you when you look into your father's eyes, because you feel that love and connection and you begin to understand, to remember how it was like. And that's what saves you.

    mel_azevedoon December 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song maked Eric Clapton first new song off an album aince 1989's Journeyman album (excluding Change The World EP and Tears In Heaven)

    kfe2on January 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is obviously talking about Clapton's father in most parts of the song- he never knew his father. I think I read his mom was 17 when she had him. Until he was 9 years old he was told his mother was his sister and his grandparents were his parents. His father was already married to someone else when Clapton was concieved. Clapton's father was a Canadian pilot I believe.

    razorback1400on March 25, 2006   Link

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