Tears in Heaven Part I

"Tears in Heaven" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings about the pain Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Connor, who fell from a window of the 53rd-floor New York apartment of his mother's friend, on March 20, 1991. This song is one of Clapton's most successful, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S. The song also spent three weeks at number 1 on the American adult contemporary chart in 1992.

Will Jennings, who worked with Clapton on the song, was reluctant at first to help him with such a personal song. The song was initially featured on the soundtrack to the film Rush, followed by Unplugged, and it won three Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards. It also won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1992.

Clapton stopped playing it in 2004, saying that he could feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing this song. 

Lyrics and Chords 

Intro: A E/G# | F#m F#m/E | D/F# E₇sus₄ E | A

A         E/G#    F#m  F#m/E

Would you know my name

D/F# A/E        E       A/E E7

if I saw you in heaven?

A        E/G#   F#m  F#m/E

Would it be the same

D/F# A/E        E       A/E E7

if I saw you in heaven?

 F#m       C#/F  A7/E       F#7

 I must be strong and carry on,

 F#sus4 F#/C# Bm         E7sus4       A

 'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.

Instrumental = Intro

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.  

Instrumental = Intro     

C        G/B        Am7   

Time can bring you down,             

D/F#      G      D/F# Em D/F# G    

Time can bend your knees.   

 C        G/B        Am7    

Time can break your heart,             

D/F#    G      D/F#     E      D/F# E/G# 

A   Have you begging please, begging please.  

Instrumental: A E/G# | F#m F#m/E | D/F# A/E | E | A/E E7     

Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure      

And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.  

Instrumental = Intro  

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,      

F#sus4 F#/C# Bm         E7sus4       A      E/G# F#m    

'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.    

F#sus4 F#/C# Bm         E7sus4       A     

'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.  

Instrumental = Intro