A handwritten love letter from Eric Clapton to Pattie Boyd, n.d. but January 1971, in black ballpoint pen on the title page torn from a copy of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, addressed Dear Layla, Clapton passionately despairs for nothing more than the pleasures past i would sacrifice my family, my god, and my own existence, and still you will not move. i am at the end of my mind, i cannot go back and there is nothing in tomorrow (save you) that can attract me beyond today, and questions why do you hesitate, am i a poor lover, am i ugly, am i too weak, too strong, do you know why?, entreating her if you want me, take me, i am yours.... if you don't want me, please break the spell that binds me. to cage a wild animal is a sin, to tame him is divine, and concludes my love is yours with a love heart doodle
7¹⁄₈ x 4³⁄₈ in. (18 x 11 cm.)

Boyd, P. My Life in Pictures, London, 2022, p. 161 (illus.)
Boyd, P. Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me, New York, 2007, pp. 171-172

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Lot Essay

In her 2007 autobiography Wonderful Today, Pattie Boyd recounted the arrival of this note:

The next time I heard from Eric was in January [1971] when he wrote to me from a cottage at Llanddewi Brefi in Wales; it had been two months since he had walked out, vowing to take the heroin. On the title page from a pocket-sized copy of the novel 'Of Mice and Men', he’d written:

"dear Layla, for nothing more than the pleasures past i would sacrifice my family, my god, and my own existence, and still you will not move, i am at the end of my mind, i cannot go back and there is nothing in tomorrow (save you) that can attract me beyond today, i have listened to the wind, i have watched the dark brooding clouds, i have felt the earth beneath me for a sign, a gesture, but there is only silence, why do you hesitate, am i a poor lover, am i ugly, am i too weak, too strong, do you know why? if you want me, take me, i am yours... if you don’t want me, please break the spell that binds me. to cage a wild animal is a sin, to tame him is divine, my love is yours."

It was signed with a heart. It was the same distinctive handwriting with no capital letters. That one short note stirred up feelings I had spent two months suppressing. I wrote and told him what he wanted to hear.

"How are you? I hope the Welsh air has been soothing your mind and warming your heart. Oh, I so long to spend some time with you there... it would be beautiful to be together, just for a while. If the stars should suddenly change their course and I can come to Wales I’ll send a telegram. Please write to me and let me know how long you will be there and at Glyn [Lord Harlech’s house]. Please take care of yourself. Moons full of love, L"

As soon as I had posted the letter I had terrible doubts and immediately wrote a postcard. It simply said, "Hullo, Please forgive and forget my bold suggestion. Love L"...

Nothing came of our fantasies and I didn’t see or speak to him again until August 1971. George had persuaded him to come out of Hurtwood Edge briefly to perform in the concert for Bangladesh that he had organised in Madison Square Garden, New York.