Layla - guitar chords and comments

Lyrics without distraction HERE

This song, mainly written by Eric Clapton, is from Derek and the Dominos' one and only album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" (1970). The original recording consisted of two parts; the second was composed by drummer Jim Gordon, who also played piano, and added after the first one. Guest artist Duane Allman is told to have had certain influence on the famous guitar riff. But the song exceeded 7 minutes, and was unsuccessful as a single until truncated versions were released. In 1982, Clapton appeared in MTV "Unplugged", and brought the song back to it's origin: a ballad.
That ballad was inspired by an old persian story "Layla and Majnun" by Nizami Ganjaviby, about tragic and hopeless love. Clapton wrote it to Pattie Boyd, his friend George Harrison's wife at that time. He also wrote "Wonderful Tonight" with Pattie in his mind. Finally he managed to steal her away, but George and Eric remained friends until the end.
Incredibly enough, not many artists have recorded "Layla". But both London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have made instrumental versions. Sounds like it's composed by Ennio Morricone ...

C#m                          G#7
what'll you do when you get lonely
C#m           C       D       G   ...E7
and nobody's waiting by your side
F#m          B7          E               C#m
you've been running and hiding much too long
A              B7                 E
you know it's just your foolish pride

A   Dm ...Bb
Layla
        C             Dm      Bb  ...C
you've got me on my knees Layla
                      Dm      Bb  ...C
I'm begging darling please Layla
                   Dm              C   (A ... C ... C#m to next)
darling won't you ease my worried mind