#SLS — Bell Bottom Blues by Derek & The Dominos

Jim Adams is the instructional host of Song Lyric Sunday.  Jim says:
I feel relatively confident that everyone will be able to find a song for Bottom/End/Middle/Side/Top being used as this week’s prompt.

Here are the “rules”:
• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not. If it does not fit, then please explain why you chose this song.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
• Ping back to this post or place your link in the comments section below.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.
• Have fun and enjoy the music.

image link

From wikipedia:
“Bell Bottom Blues” is a song written by Eric Clapton and Bobby Whitlock and performed by the band Derek and the Dominos. It deals with Clapton’s unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison, and appears on the 1970 double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Issued as a single, backed with “Keep on Growing”, the song reached number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.

“Bell Bottom Blues” was recorded before Duane Allman joined the recording sessions for the Layla album, so Clapton is the only guitarist on the song. Clapton compensates for this by playing multiple guitar parts, including a sensitive, George Harrison-style guitar solo and chime-like harmonics. The other musicians on the recording are Bobby Whitlock on Hammond organ, Carl Radle on bass and percussion, and Jim Gordon on drums, including tabla and backwards snare. Whitlock also sings occasional harmony vocals.

Bell-bottoms are a style of trousers that were popular at the time. According to Clapton, the song was written for Pattie Boyd after she asked him to get her a pair of bell-bottom blue jeans from the United States. Clapton wrote the song for her, along with many others on the album such as “I Looked Away” and “Layla”. The lyrics describe a lovers’ quarrel.

The writing of the song was originally credited to Eric Clapton alone, but is now jointly credited to Clapton and Bobby Whitlock. Whitlock stated in an interview in 2011 that “Eric started the song … He played me the first two verses at his house and I helped with the last verse“, and that it was credited to Clapton alone by a “clerical error“. In 2015, in an interview by Mike Rossi for Fabio Create, Whitlock stated that Clapton had now formally accepted that Whitlock had contributed, and in future the song would be jointly credited.

However, Whitlock says the song is not about Pattie! Per songfacts:
Derek and the Dominos formed after Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon worked on George Harrison’s solo album, All Things Must Pass. They went to England and played a bunch of small clubs all over Europe, with Clapton and Whitlock writing songs along the way. The band was in France when the inspiration for this song hit. Whitlock told [songfacts?]: “Eric met this girl, she was like a Persian princess or something, and she wore bell bottoms. She was all hung up on him – he gave her a slide that Duane (Allman) had given him and he wrapped it in leather and she wore it around her neck. She didn’t speak a word of English and they had to date through an interpreter. That relationship did not last but a week. He started the song over there, then when we got back to England, we finished it up in his TV room in Hurtwood Edge.”

 

 

 

Bell bottom blues, you made me cry.
I don’t want to lose this feeling.
And if I could choose a place to die
It would be in your arms.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

It’s all wrong, but it’s all right.
The way that you treat me baby.
Once I was strong but I lost the fight.
You won’t find a better loser.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I’d gladly do it because
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

Bell bottom blues, don’t say goodbye.
I’m sure we’re gonna meet again,
And if we do, don’t you be surprised
If you find me with another lover.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?
I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day, please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay.

I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I long to stay.

I don’t want to fade away.
Give me one more day please.
I don’t want to fade away.
In your heart I long to stay.

Songwriters: Eric Patrick Clapton / Bobby Whitlock