"Layla" was inspired by an ancient Persian love story that profoundly moved Eric Clapton because it mirrored his own intense, unrequited love. The tale tells of a young man driven to madness by his obsessive devotion to a beautiful woman who is married to another. Clapton was deeply in love with Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison, and channeled his feelings into this powerful song with Derek and the Dominos. The song's contrasting movements, composed separately by Clapton and Jim Gordon, capture the tumultuous emotions of longing and despair. At its heart, "Layla" is a raw outpouring of passionate, forbidden love.