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In my opinion, Claptons Tears in Heaven is the most tragically beautiful song ever written. Clapton was not shy in his songs and in their meanings: he was straightforward on their meanings when asked. Yet, not many people in Clapton's day had to wonder what this song was about. At only four years old, Clatpon's son Conor crawled out on top of an AC unit in New York City. He fell fifty stories to his death from the apartment. A year later, Clapton released the song after lyrical assistance from Will Jennings. Today, even those not knowledgable on the meaning behind the song are extremely affected by its lyrics. I, admittedly, found the song heartbreaking before my mother told me what it was about. Now, knowing its meaning, the song is far more powerful. I cannot think of a song as striking as this one in modern music. Even the songs with such deep meanings do not take hold of me the way Clapton's does. Below is a modern mashup of the song, combined with a variety of others: songs about loss, songs about dance, and everything in between. Somehow, I find this song still quite beautiful--even though nothing can match Clapton's original.

When I first heard this version, I almost laughed at the first minute or so. The choice of combinations was actually hysterical to me. Yet, I actually enjoy the choice of rhythm, beat, and combination to make an old song new. I repeat, this does not have the same emotional impact as Clapton's original, but keeping in mind the theme of "Keeping the Oldies Young", I could not picture a better fit. The addition of Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" actually pleasantly surprised me. The song is about the late actor, Paul Walker, who died in a car accident during the filming of Fast and Furious 7. This song became a special one for a nation very impacted by Walker's death and legacy, and became an impactful song for anyone suffering loss, just as Clapton's did.

A Song Powerful Enough to Steal Your Best Friend's Wife.

Here is a twist to Clapton's soft and gentle storytelling, as seen in Tears in Heaven. Another imfamous song by Clapton is Layla, a song seemingly written out of love for a woman who has taken hold of Clapton's heart. Fifteen years after being released, the meaning behind it was confirmed in a biography about Clapton. Around the time the song was written, Clapton fell madly iin love with Pattie Boyd. But here is the twist: Boyd was the wife of one of his closest friends, George Harrison of the Beatles. Ironically around this time, a friend gave Clapton a copy of the epic poem "The Story of Layla and Majnun" by classical poet Nizami. It is the story of a young woman named Layla and a man named Majnun who are in love since their childhood. They are never allowed to marry, and soon Layla is married off to another man. Majnun is driven to madness by his love for Layla, and spends his days doing nothing but writing poems about his unattainable love, Layla. Clapton read this and immediately saw its application to his own life, writing the song Layla about Boyd. Clapton declared his love for Boyd and gave her a copy of the song and the book. They had a brief affair but she broke it off and refused to leave her husband. Clapton persisted, and the two eventually married in 1979. To this day, I think this is one of the craziest stories behind a song to ever exist and cannot help but tell people it everytime I hear the song. I have never found a version that touches me the way Clapton's live version does, which is why I included it rather than a remix or mashup!