April 1, 2025

Clapton: His Life Struggle ｜ Learn Real English

Learn Real English ｜ Clapton: His Life Struggle

Eric Clapton’s life has been one struggle after another. From his dark and difficult childhood to his rocky relationships with his girlfriends and wives. These struggles offer a fascinating peak into what makes this guitar god into who is.

In this English video lesson we explore Clapton’s early year and fractured family life. We’ll hear Eric open up about his relationship with his mother and how it damaged his emotional growth. We’ll learn some of the key phrases and how to use them. A must watch for any Clapton fans.

エリック・クラプトンの大変な暗い幼少期は、このギターの神様がどのようにして今の彼になったのかを知るための面白い着眼点となります。

この英語の動画レッスンでは、クラプトンの幼少期と崩壊した家庭生活をみていきます。エリックが母親との関係について、またそれが彼の情緒的成長にどのようなダメージを与えたかについて赤裸々に語っていますので、そこより重要なフレーズとその使い方を一緒に勉強していきましょう。クラプトンのファン必見の内容です。

Transcript ｜ Clapton: His Life Struggle

English Stripped Bare - B. Bearington & Naomi Culture & Music: Eric Clapton's Dark Childhood — A Young Eric Clapton; Ripley, UK

I’ve often used women for very, very ulterior motives; as a crutch, for sex. A lot of different motives.

You have known so many beautiful women. Why has love not lasted for you?

Because I don’t believe I’ve really known them. Um, I… I’ve often used women for very, very ulterior motives; as a crutch, as a… as a means of kind of securing my identity, as a way of elevating my status, as a way of making I feel good about myself. Um, um, in… or just to be mothered, you know? Just, um… Or for sex.

A lot of different motives.

Were you lonely then?

Oh yeah. I think I’ve had loneliness play a part in my life all the way through.

The roots of that loneliness can be traced back to the small English village of Ripley, where Clapton grew up. His mother was only 16 and unmarried when her son was born.

And at that time a child born out of wedlock was really a scandal in small village like that.

Yeah, it was pretty shameful. Pretty shameful. Yeah.

Clapton would never meet his father. When he was less than a year old his mother left him with his grandparents who he grew up believing were his parents.

I knew that I was different. I knew that other kids at school regarded me as different or maybe inferior. And I did have a massive inferiority complex. And I didn’t know why.

Then I found out that my sister was really my mother. She left when I was very, very young and I was raised by my grandparents.

Clapton wouldn’t learn the truth until he was nine when his mother returned for a visit.

When I was nine, my grandmother said to me; “This lady is coming and she’s your real mom and we’re gonna go a meet her. And she’s gonna stay for a little while.”

I wanted to know the most important thing; you’re my mom, are you gonna be my mom?

And she said, “No. I think it’s best if we leave it the way it is.”

I was so angry with her. I just felt rejection. I didn’t talk to anybody. And I felt hurt. Very, very upset. I was so confused. It seemed to me that my life had been a lie. At that point I mistrusted everybody, including my grandparents. I was more on my own than I had ever been.

I made initially a plea to her to be accepted as her son and then… and she said, I think in a great deal of pain; “Perhaps we ought to leave it as it is.”

And then I got angry and I really didn’t know what the hell was going on. I had no idea of the good intentions in this. It just seemed to that everyone had been lying.

The first disappointing confrontation with my mother was when I was nine. I learned how to recover from that over the next few years; becoming good at art and developing a strong interest in music. By then I’d kind of developed a personal look. And I had my guitar and that was my total companion in its little case.

And then there came this invitation to go to Germany. We were on an army camp and I didn’t fit. It was suggested to me that I should get a haircut. And I said, “I’d rather not.” You know? “I like my hair the way it is.”

My mother put on this face, like; “You dare to defy me?”

And I thought, “I don’t like you. You don’t want me anyway.

And now you really don’t want me the way I am.” It made me cry.

How… how did it impact you?

I was doing well at school and suddenly I… I went to the bottom of the class. What I did was I… I found an alternative system of existence.

What made you then, Eric, survive?

I believe I’ve got some reason to be here. Otherwise I… otherwise it doesn’t make sense. I… I ask myself that question a lot. Why me?

And this is daddy.

And then I met Melia and fell in love. She’s everything I ever wanted. She’s my soul mate. She’s a beautiful woman, she’s a great friend, and she’s a fantastic mother.

It was everything I did and all the mistakes I made and everything that brought me here. And, um… And it couldn’t be much better, really. I finally found the family I always wanted. And always needed. And now here they are, and I’m one of them. My life is completely full.

What more could a man ever want?