It's in the Way That You Use It - 1999 Remaster

"It's In The Way That You Use It" was written for the movie The Color Of Money, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise as pool sharks. The song makes no mention of billiards but has a swagger that suits the stars perfectly.

Clapton wrote this with Robbie Robertson, whose work with The Band in the '60s encouraged Clapton to get away from the long, heavy solos he was playing with Cream. Robertson was in charge of the music for The Color Of Money, but because he was not finished with his first solo album, his record company would not let him sing on any of the songs. He got around it by contributing instrumental songs to the soundtrack.

The song first appeared on the The Color Of Money soundtrack in October 1986, then was included on Clapton's August album a month later. Why August? That was the month Clapton's son Conor was born. Tragedy struck in 1991 when Conor, 4 years old, fell out a window and died. He's the inspiration for Clapton's song "Tears In Heaven." The Color Of Money soundtrack also includes Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" and an original song by Don Henley called "Who Owns This Place?"