Emblazoned on the walls of Islington Underground Station in 1965 were the words “Clapton is God”. Rock stars experienced such cult status particularly in the sixties and seventies when London was described, by Clapton himself, as “an extraordinary melting pot of fashion, music, art and intellect”. As the graffiti faded in time so did this cult status of musicians, bowing to consumerism and the slippery concept of celebrity, ultimately creating disillusionment summarised by The Arctic Monkeys’ declaration “There’s only music so that there’s new ring tones”. Whilst quoting the aforementioned group from Sheffield may be considered blasphemous by some, their lyrics do summarise the sentiment from a modern view point. Although the writing on the wall may have faded, Clapton’s music is still relevant and part of British music folklore. Whilst he may be a musician primarily, should we also take the lyrics of his works into account or merely accept them as pop music? His songs have great power vested in them as they have been influential in our culture and therefore would a better understanding of the inspiration behind them offer us anything more?

Let’s take Clapton’s best known song “Layla”. For most of the Western world the mere utterance of the title and the opening chords of Clapton’s song awaken some deep feeling from within. What the majority would not realise, however, is that the title of the song was inspired by the Persian myth Layla and Majnun, written by the twelfth century Persian poet Nizami. There is a certain tragedy that, whilst the song has become a cornerstone of Western popular culture, the influential myth remains lurking in the shadows of Eastern tradition. There is also an undeniable irony that the love song which is so closely associated with the West actually has its roots in Persia, partly now Iran, a source of much political controversy.

Both Clapton and Nizami’s Majnun were moved by love to compose beautiful words in the name of Layla, the latter’s inspiration originating in the Bedouin encampments of Arabia. For Nizami, Layla was a mythological character whose tribe kept her locked away and forced her into marriage when she fell in love with a man from an opposing tribe. For Clapton, however, she was the wife of Beatle George Harrison, Pattie Boyd. Describing the moment when he first saw Pattie at a Cream concert, he recalls being struck by how “unusually beautiful” she was. Similarly Layla is illustrated by Nizami as “a radiant beacon of beauty”.

The name “Layla” allowed Clapton to serenade his object of unrequited love without rousing the suspicion of his best friend and her husband. Clapton’s first line “What’ll you do when you get lonely?” was intended to make Pattie see that she must leave Harrison to be with him. The theme of unrequited love is ubiquitous with references in Petrarch, Shakespeare and even The Lord of the Rings. So why did Clapton choose this obscure Persian myth? Perhaps it was the belief that his lyrics would be accepted, not questioned. The myth which would come to make sense after his lust of Pattie was aired and the derivation of the song was uncovered whilst initially allowing him anonymity. Yet at the time the song was first released, the name was merely accepted in the same way that “Angie” (The Rolling Stones) and “Michelle” (The Beatles) were, as generic female objects of love.

The most authorative recent translation of Nizami’s Layla and Majnun is attributed to Dr. Colin Turner. The translation maintains the tone of the lyrical Persian poetry yet places great emphasis on the fact that Nizami’s words were very modern. Turner’s translation of the text using clichés which are in circulation today draws attention to this fact. For example the phrases “Nothing lasts forever” and “the first cut is always the deepest” are found in his work. This perhaps shows why Clapton identified with the text. Despite it being several centuries old, the words resonated with him in the 1960s and they fit perfectly into a pop song which went on to capture the heart of the nation.

What is particularly interesting about the translation is the blurb for Dr Turner’s book. It quotes, “ERIC CLAPTON was so affected by this tale that it inspired his most spiritually uplifting song, LAYLA”. The capitalisation of artist and track name demonstrate how the publishers have used the reference as a form of advertising. This blatant reference to Western pop culture to market this fairly specialised text demonstrates that, in our commercial world, celebrity endorsements are the most valued form of currency. “Layla” is made up of three four-line verses and is considered a modern masterpiece. Nizami’s epic poem written in a rich literary style is rendered largely unknown. It becomes evident therefore that Eastern tradition cannot be compared to Western pop culture because the former has an inflated value.

Nizami’s hyperbolic language and sensual imagery, therefore, stands in stark contrast to Clapton’s song whose beauty lies in its intoxicating simplicity. There is a definite sense that the song condenses and simplifies the message and the language of the myth. This could be seen as a symbol for the relationship between Western pop culture and Eastern tradition. We are given a simplified version and distracted by other elements, in Clapton’s case the memorable guitar riffs. However, after reading the myth of Layla and Majnun, whether because of the Clapton brand or not, we are consequently reminded of the full literary heritage of Persian literature every time the song is played. We can conclude that the song “Layla” gives the myth a renewed relevance in twenty first century society. In Clapton’s words, taken from “Layla” of course, “Let’s make the best of the situation” as surely the connection between the song and the myth can only lead more people to the original text and give greater significance to new translations such as that of Dr. Colin Turner.