Clapton, Eric - May You Never Lyrics






[Chorus:]
May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
May you never make your bed out in the cold.
May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.

Well, you're just like a great, strong sister to me,
And I know that your love is true,
And you hold no blade for to stab me in my back;
I know that there's some that do.

So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.

[Chorus]

Well, you're just like a great, strong brother to me,
And I know that your love is true,
And you never talk dirty behind my back;
I know that there's some that do.

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

May you never lose your woman overnight.
May you never lose your woman overnight.





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Clapton, Eric May You Never Comments
  1. L.... M....

    Definitely a weak cut of a great song, but this is pretty characteristic of this period of Clapton's studio work. If you listen to some of the live cuts from the Crossroads 2 box set, Clapton was capable of slaying onstage, maybe better than any other period of his career except for his Cream years. His 10-minute coke-fueled blues solos are something from another planet. But the flip side of that coin is the anemic, burned-out Clapton who came off the road and sleepwalked his way through album after album of so-so covers that didn't have much to do with his guitar prowess or what musical soul he had. People who really dislike Clapton tend to think that "Slowhand" or "Backless" are indicative of what he can do: dull half-mumbled tracks with lifeless solos at a time when his voice was at its weakest.

    I'd love to hear Clapton do this song, or any of John Martyn's stuff, on live recordings from the late '90s or early 2000s, when he was still young enough to let it rip but old enough to be living clean. At his best, he was capable of so much more than this rendition, and it's a shame that this is what we have as a crossover between these two artists who both grappled with unevenness at times, but were both capable of real greatness.

  2. t.... t....

    the dog said, "four-four snare/bass folk-rocker john martyn composition as good as the original." ~ tenderbastard

  3. G.... P....

    great version, clapton's way
    anyway the best one is this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOi_wxypeGc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0TW2pk2UWI5Z-c0nvXIZyZTswRvFo9LQyAaU-8JONI3ZvG3RWyZC4KU3M

  4. O.... ....

    Part of the specialness of the original is in the voicings - which you only can play in dropped d. The all-too-very-usual chords on the standard tuning guitar will not get you the feel. Like you can hear. (Apart from this the cover is not too bad)

  5. G.... v....

    Don’t get the hate on covers, you can not like a song or how someone does a song but look at Aretha covering ‘Respect’ or Joe Cocker ‘Help from my friends’ I like this BETTER than the original AND love the orig as well, so what.

  6. M.... M....

    "Do make your bed out in the cold",,, Record breaker, temperatures weatherwise,,, 4 above nationally and -20 below wind chill. 2019

  7. C.... V....

    Ik hou van Thomass Menson.

    C.... V....

    Cathy Van Netten warom?

  8. A.... H....

    When I was 7 my parents gave me this album for Christmas. I still love this album up to this day :)

  9. A.... M....

    Don’t question A song, just listen. Humor exits in many forms.

  10. C.... W....

    I would not have heard it were it not covered by Clapton so I'm glad he did it

  11. G.... M....

    Lyrics:

    May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
    May you never make your bed out in the cold.
    May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
    May you never lose your woman overnight.

    Well, you're just like a great, strong sister to me,
    And I know that your love is true,
    And you hold no blade for to stab me in my back;
    I know that there's some that do.

    So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
    Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
    Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.

    May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
    May you never make your bed out in the cold.
    May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
    May you never lose your woman overnight.

    Well, you're just like a great, strong brother to me,
    And I know that your love is true,
    And you never talk dirty behind my back;
    I know that there's some that do.

    So please, won't you please, won't you bear it in mind:
    Love is a lesson to learn in our time.
    Please, won't you please, bear it in mind for me.

    May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold.
    May you never make your bed out in the cold.
    May you never lose your temper if you get hit in a barroom fight.
    May you never lose your woman overnight.

    May you never lose your woman overnight.
    May you never lose your woman overnight.

  12. m.... d....

    who cares...these people knew and respected each other..beautiful to hear acknowledgement of craft..

  13. I.... A....

    Nice version,but Martyn's rules, obviously.

  14. C.... H....

    John Martyn was a guitarists guitarist, this is such a hard song to play and sing, not Eric's sort of thing, nice try , but the original is so much better. Not many can take apart Martyns songs and the strange and haunting way he used to sing them with his odd guitar tunings and the use of delays etc. A one off original, a bit like Eric.

  15. H.... 4....

    rubbish cover; the drums ruin it.

  16. C.... S....

    It's only a song..he didn't re-write a bible verse..I don't get the hate

  17. L.... B....

    A disappointing performance from Clapton. He's a lot more talented than this. I feel like he dialed it in. John Martyn's version wins for me, hands down.

  18. J.... H....

    Clapton can cover Freddie King like no one else but he sounds anemic and amateurish on this cover compared to John Martyn. It's hard to believe he included it on a record. John Martyns version destroys this one.

    J.... H....

    Nah...goes w the vibe

    J.... H....

    It ain't that bad, man! It's a great cover. Sure it sounds different than original, but I don't see how this sounds amateurish really. Music doesn't need comparison all the time!!!

  19. J.... ....

    I love Clapton for lots of his songs but sometimes he should refrain from destroying other peoples songs. That is a massacre !  That drummer should be executed !

  20. L.... o....

    Buen tema <3 diferente de John Martyn con Katy. de igual forma buen tema

  21. e.... m....

    The upbeat, lively, vamp of this delightful little tune underscores the positive message and good vibes that the lyrics offer to this song.............

  22. J.... D....

    clapton...damn boy.....love you...

  23. p.... ....

    I've never heard the original version and I think this version sounds fucking great. The Clapton haters can fuck off.

    p.... ....

    Please, I am respectfully asking you to search for "John Martyn Transatlantic Sessions May you Never". This version by Clapton is a great version by one of my favorite artists (Eric Clapton), but John Martyn was a unique genius. Even Eric Clapton himself is quoted as saying John Martyn was "so far ahead of everything, it's almost inconceivable." If you have any doubts about the "genius" moniker, go down the John Martyn rabbit hole; you won't come out the same. Both are great!

    p.... ....

    I second that George.. John Martyn was out on his own .. there was nobody like him.

  24. R.... R....

    Speaking as a Clapton fan, he has recorded a lot of covers really well, but he walks through this amazing classic song, he can and could have done it so much better but the worse bit is that he has rearranged the lyrics!! that's not respectful, it does hint that he, or the producer, thinks that their way is better than the original. Yes, I know everyone can get a bit up their backside about this, I'm still a Clapton fan, but this is a mistake, I can still criticize and not cast him in the same light as a 1970's D.J.

    R.... R....

    Robert Robotham, do you mean the part where Claption sings "get hit in a barroom fight" as opposed to "get into a barroom fight"?

    R.... R....

    No, that whole verse you mention is the third line in the Clapton song but is much later in the John Martyn original.
    After a year I thought I'll listen to this again see if I'll change my opinion a bit, no, still awful! I guess I'm a disappointed Clapton fan as I've heard John Martyn sing this in several different styles and I thought, well, lets hear another great guitarist and vocalist put his spin on it.
    Thank you for your question be
    cause it made me go listen to some Clapton brilliance on a couple of albums, and put the original song on my playlist again.

    R.... R....

    O.k. but I still think there is quite a difference between "getting into a bar room fight" as Martyn sings, and "getting hit in a bar room fight" as Clapton sings. But perhaps the last bit is what miffs me - habitual women slapper Clapton singing that he got hit. (O.k., already puts on coat and beetles off, me)

  25. d.... ....

    I don't understand all of the criticism. Covers are rarely as good as originals. Clapton obviously had respect for Martyn and loved this song enough to want to record his own version. Martyn probably made a sh!t ton of money off of Claptons version as well. Slowhand sold millions of copies.

    d.... ....

    thank you. i looked up JM version, expecting brilliance. it's not worth listening to twice.

    d.... ....

    Excuse me please?

    d.... ....

    @policefan1982 Have a listen to the original John Martyn version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQs6MvsPCXA

  26. R.... R....

    I'm a big Eric Clapton fan, not so much a John Martyn one, but have to say this is an awful version!

  27. D.... S....

    The original is by John Martyn and his is a million times better, see live 1974!!

    D.... S....

    Fuck off. Art doesn't need comparison all the time...give Clapton some space

    D.... S....

    Clapton covered a lot of songs 'cause he fell in love with the original song at the first place! And if I don't listen to the Slowhand album then I will never know John Martyn. Music is not a competition, but an expression of feelings, creativity, stories and go on! Just enjoy the music!

    D.... S....

    @Aad van der Sluijs Amen!

    D.... S....

    :) And Amen to my Knorpel too ;)

    D.... S....

    Many artists cover songs from other artists. Eric Clapton is one of the few artists who really know how to cover songs well and add his own ingredients to the stew with perfection.

  28. M.... Z....

    I still think the original by John Martyn stands on its own - both for the emotion of his vocals and the strength and dynamism of his guitar-playing. Eric's covered other songs a lot better.

  29. M.... G....

    first time I've heard this version, and last.

  30. G.... C....

    The excess of instruments, especially the drums, really water down the feeling in the song for me. I can appreciate it, but it just doesn't beat the style of the original.

  31. B.... S....

    Beautiful

  32. A.... S....

    Slowhand! Don't get all the hate everywhere. If one appreciate a version more of the other then you don't have to listen to the one you don't like. I never heard this on the radio so the only way hearing it is basically by searching it up. You are not supporting the other artist by saying someone is crap.. Just my million cents. 

  33. J.... M....

    Great album. Wore the grooves out of this one.

  34. S.... B....

    I LOVE this song and version! I don't care about everybody's hate ;)

    S.... B....

    Me too, Haters gonna hate, no matter what.

    S.... B....

    I'm with ya buddy.....100%

    S.... B....

    Original one is wayyyyyyy better, but this one is good too

  35. D.... D....

    What's with the polarization, people?   Why can't someone like BOTH Martyn's version(s) and Clapton's?   I do.   Obviously, Martyn's version is more virtuosic, but I love Dick Sims's keyboards in this one, as I generally love this particular band that backed Clapton throughout the '70s.   Apples and oranges, folks.

    D.... D....

    Thanks for clearing up things and rightly so. But I don't understand what you mean by virtuosic.

    D.... D....

    that they are both virtuosos in their own way - using the adjective rather than the noun

    D.... D....

    Thank you!!!

    D.... D....

    @Coco Chanelleke With a guitar, a capo on the fourth fret and a pick you could strum along to the Eric Clapton version after a couple of weeks of learning guitar. The John Martyn version would take much longer to learning and practice to be able to play.

    D.... D....

    you are so right this band had such a strong groove ...Jamie Oldaker is amazing !! Carl Radle the most groovingist bassist ever !!

  36. B.... S....

    They're should be a law against this ............. Eric how dare you massacre a beautiful song written by a man who (and you know fuckin' well) could play and write rings around you. Go ahead and count you money ...... I'm sure it keeps you warm at night !

    B.... S....

    I for one love it when a great performer covers another. All the more great music. And BTW Clapton is second to very few as a guitar player. And Martyn wasn't one of them.

    B.... S....

    +Jake Miller There are thousands of guitar players who were better than Eric Clapton. And John Martyn very certainly WAS — IS — one of them.

    B.... S....

    @Mickey McDonnell LOL You actually made me laugh.

    B.... S....

    Mickey McDonnell what the hell are you talking go back in the hole you crawled out of.

    B.... S....

    LMAO, very nice folk song, and we'll written and performed by the original performer, but to think that this guy c ould carry Claptons case is an insult to EC. Tune his guitar , maybe! I'm sure he wished EC covered some more of his songs so he could have increased his bank account. Ask the late greast JJ Cale what EC covers did for him, it started a business for him just based on his writing and publishing. I love all you EC haters who are jealous of one the greatest guitar players of all time who has set the standard for blues playing and is a once in a generation talent. So what he became extremely wealthy and famous, he is entitled to enjoy it, HE EARNED IT!

  37. a.... ....

    people, I kinda hate clapton, but in this case its OBVIOUS that he liked the "simplicity" of j. martyn song and he tried to do a very relaxed version of it -why not, he could even try to do a tribute to j. martyn?-.
    the song was one of the last tracks of a very quiet, stilly album. I think it makes sense in its context...
    still, clapton sucks

  38. O.... P....

    Love Clapton, however Martyn's original version especially LIVE, puts this to shame...

  39. h.... ....

    is there any of this lp live on youtube

  40. P.... ....

    Don't worry about George Clark's comments; he's just an ignoramus who don't know nuffin', really.

    Sure, listen to John Martyn's originals of this rather than this actually fairly soul-less and unemotional version of Clapton's.

  41. T.... E....

    The biggest irony that Eric Clapton has the skills to play it like John Martyn but I think hes gone to make it his own and just lost the essence a bit it sounds like a country version.

  42. d.... ....

    bear it in mind for me....

  43. J.... ....

    I think this album is a classic, I don't know if its because we couldn't skip songs but it seems like albums were much better back then. Now you are lucky if there is one good song on it. I still hear some songs change on the eight track everytime I hear them. (giving away my age)

  44. l.... ....

    such wonderfull words

  45. A.... ....

    wait roxanne , you dont know who john martyn is???

  46. P.... S....

    whos this eric clapton chap? hes no john martyn, is he? not bad. bit poppy.

  47. i.... ....

    ...sorry, I don't speak "twat"

  48. A.... ....

    ok fair enough i'm a twat and you're na cap e cazz, mo fo cess ca ce cacat o cazz.

  49. A.... ....

    Oh well we have an internet badass here..

  50. i.... ....

    ...I shall, thanks, fuck you.

  51. r.... ....

    then we shall agree to disagree.

  52. H.... M....

    Exactly - his voice is phenomenal in that version, I'm not much of a fan of Kathy but it's a great collaboration.

  53. R.... G....

    Quite right, and if you want to be specific - on the right you will find John Martyn and Kathy Mattea performing it on The Transatlantic Sessions, with Danny Thompson and Jerry Douglas.

  54. H.... M....

    I dont know how anyone can say this is better than JM! If you think this is better maybe you should actually go and listen to john martyn properly.....

  55. g.... ....

    Rubbish

  56. A.... ....

    say what the hell you want, i prefer this one to the original, with all the due respect to martyns

  57. r.... u....

    dont know who this jonh m guy is but eric s slow hand album is classic and if your from the 70s and i was prety youg,eric rocked..and the album slowhand still does in my 50s!!!!!!!!!

  58. T.... W....

    It feels wrong to dislike a Clapton tune. Nevertheless I have to say that this cover adds nothing to the original, I'm not really sure what the point was?

  59. m.... d....

    YUP!!! SMH :)

  60. l.... s....

    that shows how ignorant and how unrefined your taste is

  61. l.... s....

    eric clapton - may you never
    eric clapton - cocaine
    eric clapton - dont think twice its alright
    well john martyn may have not written two of those but john martyn definitely performed them with a passion that ran far deeper than eric claptons insult

  62. p.... ....

    When Clapton sings, you can understand the lyrics. Beautiful rendition of beautiful song.

  63. Z.... T....

    @keesvangulik127 - That is so true. Makes it sound kinda like an America song. (As in the guys who did "Horse With No Name", "Sister Golden Hair", etc.) Somethin' ain't right about that....

  64. y.... ....

    i really dont know my opinion about this cover

  65. r.... ....

    @dejavu00strat well i did not say everyone would like it, just that it was better than claptons bland version.

    r.... ....

    8855t65

  66. m.... d....

    @rooduck Just wasted 5 minutes finding the original. It's not that great

  67. M.... ....

    For the definitive version, search for "John Martyn with Kathy Mattea"
    Much as I admire Eric, that blows his version out of the water.

  68. k.... ....

    Excellent oppurtunity to hear drums aren't always the thing to do.

  69. S.... C....

    Love EC, but this is a poor cover...

  70. k.... ....

    Amazing.....no attempted(as far as I can see..just one) : ) snappy little zingers about the dis-i-likes? LOL Please forgive me, not many 1sts I get to see on here......& actually notice. : ) Definitely a compliment to John Martyn, no doubt about that.

  71. R.... B....

    buena eric! deja la merca!! o mejor no y segui haciendo esta musica . y escuchen a pappo. aguante argentina

  72. V.... ....

    best cover I've ever seen

  73. p.... ....

    Clapton is much better looking.

  74. r.... ....

    clapton covering this was probably john martyns biggest payday, makes no sense when you listen to johns original version against this thin lifeless cover,

  75. b.... ....

    sorry boys i disagree with your comments on clapton, durin his mayall, cream and derek years he was the greatest guitarist known to man..........but then he fuked up on herion and 3 bottles of brandy a day and signed to warner bros.but i do agree that john marytn he is not..peace to u all

  76. H.... ....

    its not that its bad... its just not john martyn... and it never will be :\

  77. j.... w....

    rubbish coulnt be bothered to put any feeling into it your overrated son!!

  78. s.... ....

    This is the opposite of a cool song.

  79. e.... ....

    still think john martyns verson is better

  80. P.... H....

    Sorry Eric Tears in Heaven was your feeling song which I rather like.However this version of May You Never is flaccid, unshaped and soulless. A pale imitation of the original.Dear listener this is a a great song For a beautiful sensitive version hear the master John Martyn and Kathy Mattea on youtube

  81. e.... ....

    john martyn is the best his version is amazing

  82. M.... M....

    I used to listen to this song / album in the 70s, can somebody please give us youngsters a link to the original song, then we can also hear the perfect version? Or shall you keep it for yourself?
    Stop yelling, start playing, or shut the F*UCK up, old hags!!!

  83. K.... M....

    Why are people complainig about it not being as goog as the orgional? Can't you just say Eric made a good attempt, but John's is better? Or I like John's version more? I can't hear anything wrong with this.

  84. g.... ....

    What a load of rubbish!

  85. g.... ....

    @THESpoonyLegs Listen to it!

  86. 5.... ....

    wow. clapton just ruined this song. nice..

  87. t.... f....

    @fistle explain why this is crap, you must be deaf

  88. M.... ....

    I love EC but he should never have attempted this song. John's version will never be bettered.

  89. B.... F....

    Absolute crap....Clapton should be truly ashamed.

  90. k.... ....

    No soul man!!
    Sum's up Clapton , in my opinion!
    Agree with the "pop song" analogy.

  91. j.... g....

    clapton kicked ass!

  92. r.... ....

    lovely song, eric doing a tribute to his friend and giving him royalties for the rest of his life

    r.... ....

    Thank you for pointing this out ...Clapton has done a lot of this for folks ask Danny Flowers !!

  93. C.... ....

    @masterlowsferatu Well that's bollocks. From the hundreds of bootlegs I've collected it's clear all his best work was during the 90's (particularly 94/95). I'd put 90's, Bluesbreakers & Dominos above the Cream years. I actually felt Cream 2005 were better than the original.

  94. t.... ....

    @irvpav Amen

  95. p.... ....

    This is great!

  96. P.... ....

    Can't beat John singing this!

  97. B.... ....

    Once again Eric does a good job of turning a classic song into a watered down peice of wishy washy soft rock trash. Any TRUE Eric Clapton fan knows he was only good in Cream.