This article is about the song written by Eric Clapton. For the Saudi Arabian town of Layla, see Layla, Saudi Arabia

"Layla" is the title track on the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It is one of rock music's definitive love songs, featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Clapton and Duane Allman, as lead-in.

The song was inspired by a Persian love story, The Story of Layla/Leily and Majnoun, by Nezami. When he wrote "Layla", Derek and the Dominos leader Eric Clapton had recently been given a copy by a friend, Ian Dallas, who was in the process of becoming a Muslim.

At the time, Clapton was desperately in love with Pattie Boyd, then the wife of his good friend, Beatle George Harrison. Nezami's tale, about a moon-princess who was married off by her father to someone other than the man who was desperately in love with her, resulting in his madness (in Arabic, Majnoun means "madman"), struck a deep chord with Clapton.

"Layla" was the result - a powerful and moving statement of unrequited love for Boyd-Harrison, with an immediately recognisable guitar riff, which always remains a vivid memory for anyone who has heard it.

Another song from that album, "I Am Yours", actually sets some of Nezami's words to music.

Structure

The song opens with a guitar riff composed of a quick series of hammer-ons and pull-offs. It is repeated, then repeated several octaves higher as other guitars, bass, and drums join in.

The verse sections use left-hand muted chords in combination with a memorable melody piece. The chorus uses the main lick.

After three verses and four choruses (the chorus is repeated twice after the final verse section, Duane Allman's memorable "crying" slide guitar solo begins. This section as well as the rest of the first part of the song make heavy use of overdubs from Clapton and Allman to thicken and enrich the sound.

Eventually, after reaching an emotional peak, the solo tapers off and Jim Gordon's famous piano coda begins. Slide guitar from both Clapton and Allman is contributed. Finally, the guitars come to a climax and the piano finishes. Birds are heard chirping.

Reception

The Layla album opened to poor sales and mixed critical reviews. The sales were largely due to Clapton's attempt at semi-anonymity. Still, the album slowly garnered acclaim and popularity to the point where it now regularly places on rock album countdowns, with similar results for the song.

Further reading

• Ray Coleman, Clapton! (Warner Books, 1985) pp. 179-192