Peak
3
Weeks
23
Score
4,429
Chart Year
1978
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This jaunty tune is one of Clapton's biggest American hits. He wrote it in the style of one of his favorite songwriters, the Oklahoma musician J.J. Cale (Clapton said the song was "as close as an Englishman could get to being J.J. Cale). The B-side of the single was Clapton's cover of Cale's song "Cocaine." In this song, Clapton tries to convince a girl to hang out with him in bed instead of leaving. The song is not typical of Clapton's work, which is often based on the blues. Marcy Levy, one of Clapton's backup singers, wrote this with him and sang on it. She toured with Bob Seger before joining Clapton's band in 1973. In 1988, Levy, using the name Marcella Detroit, joined former Bananarama singer Siobhan Fahey to form Shakespears Sister; their song "Stay" was #1 in the UK for eight weeks in 1992. Also getting a songwriting credit on this track is George Terry, who also played guitar on the track. Terry was a member of Clapton's band. "Lay Down Sally" is grammatically incorrect, as it would mean taking Sally and actually placing her horizontally. When asking Sally to join him in bed, Clapton's correct grammar would be "Lie Down Sally." He's in good company: Bob Dylan also ignored this rule of grammar in "Lay Lady Lay." >> Marcy Levy told Q magazine how this song came together: "We were in the studio one day and he [Clapton] said, 'I want to write this song called 'Lay Down Sally.'' So I went into the corner and came up with the melody. At first it had more of a Little Feat groove. But we worked at it all day and eventually Eric hit on the rhythm and I played keyboards, and we recorded the track. Then Eric said, 'Can you write some lyrics at home tonight?' So I did, and we recorded the vocals the next day." Eric Clapton once had his hand slammed in a car door by a member of the band The Blues Project. As told in Al Kooper's Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, during the landmark 1967 concert "Murray the K's Easter Rock Extravaganza," Clapton, Steve Katz, and Kooper headed out to a local music store between sets and were a little late getting back. Hurrying out of the cab, "Steve was right behind me and as he left the cab he accidentally slammed the door right on Clapton's hand! Eric began to scream in pain, and Steve turned around, ran back, and opened the door. Miraculously, Eric hadn't broken any bones or even punctured his skin for that matter. Steve felt like a jerk, however. Can you imagine that kind of guilt?" This is the first track on the album. Depending on who you ask, "Slowhand" was either a nickname given to Clapton by the group's manager when he was with The Yardbirds (because of his laid-back guitar style), or derived from what would happen when Clapton would break a string on stage: the audience would do a "slow hand clap" while he fixed it.
There is nothing that is wrong In wanting you to stay here with me. I know you've got somewhere to go, But won't you make yourself at home and stay with me? And don't you ever leave. Lay down, Sally, and rest you in my arms. Don't you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon. I've been trying all night long just to talk to you. The sun ain't nearly on the rise And we still got the moon and stars above. Underneath the velvet skies, Love is all that matters. Won't you stay with me? And don't you ever leave. Lay down, Sally, and rest you in my arms. Don't you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon. I've been trying all night long just to talk to you. I long to see the morning light Coloring your face so dreamily. So don't you go and say goodbye, You can lay your worries down and stay with me. And don't you ever leave. Lay down, Sally, and rest you in my arms. Don't you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon. I've been trying all night long just to talk to you. Lay down, Sally, and rest you in my arms. Don't you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon. I've been trying all night long just to talk to you.
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 7, 1978 | 75 | 51 |
| 2 | Jan 14, 1978 | 61 | 65 |
| 3 | Jan 21, 1978 | 51 | 75 |
| 4 | Jan 28, 1978 | 45 | 81 |
| 5 | Feb 4, 1978 | 28 | 98 |
| 6 | Feb 11, 1978 | 18 | 108 |
| 7 | Feb 18, 1978 | 11 | 115 |
| 8 | Feb 25, 1978 | 9 | 117 |
| 9 | Mar 4, 1978 | 7 | 119 |
| 10 | Mar 11, 1978 | 5 | 121 |
| 11 | Mar 18, 1978 | 4 | 122 |
| 12 | Mar 25, 1978 | 4 | 122 |
| 13 | Apr 1, 1978 | 3 | 123 |
| 14 | Apr 8, 1978 | 3 | 123 |
| 15 | Apr 15, 1978 | 3 | 123 |
| 16 | Apr 22, 1978 | 4 | 122 |
| 17 | Apr 29, 1978 | 6 | 120 |
| 18 | May 6, 1978 | 8 | 118 |
| 19 | May 13, 1978 | 15 | 111 |
| 20 | May 20, 1978 | 24 | 102 |