Tears In Heaven and My Father’s Eyes retired from Eric Clapton’s concert repertoire

Tears In Heaven and My Father’s Eyes retired from Eric Clapton’s concert repertoire

In March 2004, Eric Clapton announced he was retiring the songs “Tears In Heaven” and “My Father’s Eyes” from his concert repertoire.

While touring Japan in November and December 2003, Clapton discovered he could no longer perform them. Both songs dealt with the loss of his four-year-old son Conor, who died in 1991.

At the time, Eric Clapton said in an interview, “I didn’t feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing those songs. I really have to connect with the feelings that were there when I wrote them. They’re kind of gone and I really don’t want them to come back, particularly. My life is different now.” He said he’d feel conflicted performing them at a time in his life when he’s happy. Clapton continued, “They probably just need a rest and maybe I’ll introduce them from a much more detached point of view.”

As of his 2011 World Tour, "Tears In Heaven" and "My Father’s Eyes" have not yet returned to Eric Clapton’s set list.