"Yeah, I wanted to know where they got it from, what it was all about, you know, and it seemed to strike something in me that was you know rearing it's head and I still don't know what that is"

Eric Clapton’s words capture a vulnerable, searching quality as he describes his response to something, most likely music or an influential person, that deeply resonated with him. He expresses curiosity about the origins and meaning behind what he encountered, signaling a desire to understand the essence of what affected him so strongly. His phrase “where they got it from, what it was all about” reflects a fascination with authenticity and roots, common among musicians who seek to trace inspiration to its purest source.

As Clapton continues, he acknowledges that whatever he witnessed or heard did more than pique his intellectual interest; it awakened something internal and personal. The phrase “it seemed to strike something in me” suggests an emotional or even spiritual stirring, a sense that this external experience connected with a part of himself that perhaps lay dormant or unexplored. When he says “rearing its head,” he implies the emergence of a powerful, possibly unfamiliar aspect of his identity or creativity, brought to the surface by this encounter. There’s both excitement and uncertainty in his words, he feels the impulse or longing, but cannot yet define or harness it.

Clapton’s admission, “I still don’t know what that is,” adds a layer of humility and openness. Despite years of musical exploration and acclaim, he confesses that there remain aspects of his passion and drive that are mysterious even to him. The search for meaning and the roots of creative inspiration is ongoing. His words speak to the universal experience of being moved by art or beauty in ways that are profound but not easily explained. It honors the notion that sometimes, the things that shape us most exist beyond rational understanding, urging us to seek, feel, and create, even before we can articulate why.