I’m sure Ms. Boyd could show you, because no groupie, fan, or concert-goer holds a candle to the only woman who was able to win the avid affections of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Harrison, as many of you may know, was part of a little band known as The Beatles and his best friend, Eric Clapton, made a name for himself through his bluesy, energetically creative musical style. I have always been incredibly fascinated with this rock and roll love triangle, and deeply amazed by Ms. Boyd’s ability to capture the hearts of some of the most well-known names in show business. But, most of all, I am completely captivated by her role as an unintentional muse for the world class love ballads, Harrison’s “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.”
It all started when Pattie met George on the set of a “Hard Day’s Night” in 1964. The two fell in love, got married in 1966, and, like any rock ‘n’ roll hook up, had a very tumultuous relationship. Despite this, during their marriage, Harrison produced one of the greatest love songs of all time, “Something,” for which Pattie provided the inspiration. The calming, patterned melody, along with the soothing guitar arrangements and peaceful composition of lyrics evokes a sense of calm over the listener, proving this work as one of the strongest love ballads in rock history. It becomes clear, in the song’s approximate three minutes, of the strong feelings Harrison had for Pattie and his unchanging devotion to her. Unfortunately, this all crashed and burned when Boyd was introduced to Clapton, who fell in love with her, as the story goes, while she was married to George.
Apparently, the marriage between Harrison and Boyd was already dwindling, so who was the only person willing to offer Pattie a shoulder to cry on while her husband was away? Eric Clapton himself. Supposedly, he brought Boyd to his apartment in London to play a song for her, a tune we now know as “Layla.” He was madly, hopelessly, desperately in love with Pattie, and anyone can sense that on a first listen of the song. What I find truly interesting about this entire situation is the fact that Clapton didn’t care about how this would make his good pal George feel, he was just so over-the-top obsessed with Pattie that nothing could get in his way. The song begins with an upbeat guitar tempo, which is fully maintained throughout the work, with the speaker expressing a deep, piercing desire to be with “Layla” one day, even if it can’t be in the near future. Obviously, it is about Clapton’s feelings for Boyd, begging her to “make the best of the situation, before [he] finally goes insane.”
How could George and Pattie stay together after that? They divorced in 1974, giving Eric the chance he so desperately craved for. Needless to say, he jumped all over it and the love songs didn’t stop there. Clapton wrote “Wonderful Tonight” in admiration for her, my favorite of all the songs written in Boyd’s honor. Apparently, this ballad was written while Clapton was watching Pattie get ready before an annual party at the McCartneys’ house (yes, I am referring to that Paul McCartney), displaying his deep love for her through a peacefully soothing melody, enveloping the listener with a full comprehension of his remarkable feelings for Pattie. Seriously, how can you not adore this song? They married in 1979 with George at the wedding showing full support to both of them, even though, as it is said, he was still in love with Pattie.
Unfortunately, Pattie and Eric divorced in 1989, but the legacy of their relationship remains. In each of these works, any listener can grasp the speaker’s sense of passion, admiration, and unwavering devotion toward the respective, particular subject. In this case, it is either George telling Pattie that he needs “no other lover,” or Eric telling Ms. Boyd that she is simply “wonderful.” Pattie Boyd is the only individual on this planet who can honestly say she was the muse for such magnetic pieces of music, confirming herself as the ultimate groupie-bad-ass rocker chick, putting other rock-wives like Jerry Hall to shame (now that’s a different blog post...).
No comments:
Post a Comment