The Core

You might not remember the title of this song, but you won't forget the guitar riff, which kicks in right away and plays for the next 8 minutes and 45 seconds. The song is called "The Core," named for a line in the chorus: Oh, you have a flame, feel it in your heart And down at the core is the hottest part But that repeating riff is the star of the show. When Clapton came up with it, he used it as the basis of the song.

Clapton wrote this song with Marcy Levy, who shares the lead vocal with him. Levy was one of his longtime backup singers and occasional co-writer - they also wrote "Lay Down Sally" together. Levy was one of Bob Seger's backup singers before joining Clapton in 1974. In 1988, using the name Marcella Detroit, she joined former Bananarama singer Siobhan Fahey to form Shakespear's Sister, which had a huge UK hit with "Stay."

The song is about following your passion without fear. That drive is deep inside us, so it's not always easy to access, but it's there, and it's burning hot.