Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

One day during my Form Five school holidays, I was at a youth camp when i heard this guy from Kuantan play this fantastic riff on the acoustic guitar. When he saw me watching, he just smiled and said, “Clapton”.

The only Eric Clapton fan i knew back then was my own brother. He was a HUGE fan, had all his tapes and posters. So when i got home from the youth camp, I dug out my brother’s Clapton greatest hits cassette (he was on holiday in KL at the time) and played it until I found that riff again.

Didn’t take me long – I found out that it was the opening riff of a song Wonderful Tonight, which I later my brother told me was a ‘very famous song’. Later I learnt the story about the song, Clapton wrote for his then wife Pattie Boyd, while waiting for her to get ready for a dinner appointment.

Clapton has always been known as a guitar virtuoso, especially during his time with Cream and Derek and the Dominoes, but for me this song really personifies Clapton’s gift for songwriting. Listening to his sublime lyrics about Clapton’s love for his woman never fails to amaze me.

Wonderful Tonight
Its late in the evening
Shes wondering what clothes to wear
She puts on her make up
And brushes her long blonde hair
And then she asks me
Do I look alright
And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight

Its time to go home now
And Ive got an aching head
So I give her the car keys
She helps me to bed
And then I tell her
As I turn out the light
I say my darling, you were wonderful tonight
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight