Video hit Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton - Love In Vain

"Love in Vain" is a 1937 blues song written by Robert Johnson.

The song is noted for its sad lyrics, tone, and style. In the 1991 documentary film The Search for Robert Johnson, John P. Hammond plays Robert's recording of "Love in Vain" for the elderly Willie Mae Powell, the woman for whom it was supposedly written. Johnson moans "Oh, Willie Mae" twice before the last refrain.

Johnson was an admirer of blues singer/pianist Leroy Carr. "Love in Vain" takes its musical structure from Carr's classic "In the Evenin' When the Sun Goes Down". Both songs express a yearning and sorrow for the loss of a lover.

The Shreveport Home Wreckers (a duo of Oscar "Buddy" Woods and Ed Schaffer), recorded their track "Flying Crow Blues" in 1932. Johnson used one set of its lyrics almost verbatim for the final verse of "Love in Vain."

In 2011 the song was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame of the Blues Foundation.

More recently it was covered by Johnson fan Eric Clapton on his 2004 album, Me and Mr. Johnson, along with several other Robert Johnson classics. Clapton paid homage to the song in his lyrics for the Derek and the Dominos song "Layla" ("...please don't say we'll never find a way, and tell me all my love's in vain"). Jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux covered "Love in Vain" on her 2011 album Standing on the Rooftop.

Love in Vain is also the title of an acclaimed screenplay written by Alan Greenberg. It was the first unproduced screenplay ever published by a major house (Doubleday) as literature. According to Keith Richards, "Finally someone has captured the central feel of this master musician and his times, and that man is Alan Greenberg. Take my word for it." Bob Dylan's response to the screenplay was, "It's about time."

Walter Trout covered the song on his 1990 Prisoner of a Dream album and Keb' Mo' recorded it for his 1998 Slow Down album.

The lyrics:

And I followed her to the station, with her suitcase in my hand,

And I followed her to the station, with her suitcase in my hand.

Well, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell, when all your love's in vain,

All my love's in vain.

When the train rolled up to the station, I looked her in the eye,

When the train rolled up to the station, and I looked her in the eye.

Well, I was lonesome, I felt so lonesome, and I could not help but cry.

All my love's in vain.

When the train, it left the station, there was two lights on behind,

When the train, it left the station, there was two lights on behind,

Well, the blue light was my baby, and the red light was my mind.

All my love's in vain.

Uumh, Willie Mae, Uumh, Willie Mae, Uumh uumh,, all my love's in vain.