Listen to Eric Clapton’s New Song ‘Pompous Fool’
Eric Clapton has released a new song titled “Pompous Fool.”
Upbeat tune bounces along a jovial beat, with Clapton singling lines such as: “Don’t you worry, don’t be blue / Let your woman, take care of you / Live your life, by the golden rule / Pay no mind, to the pompous fool.”
You can listen to "Pompous Fool" below.
The new song arrived unexpectedly, with no accompanying press release or explanation. Considering it was released the same day that U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson retired from office due to ongoing scandals, many fans online have theorized that the tune was inspired by the controversial politician.
Clapton has been critical of Johnson in the past, specifically on the leader’s handling of the COVID pandemic. Roughly a year ago, the prime minister announced that proof of vaccination would be required for patrons attending concerts in U.K. venues, drawing Clapton's ire.
“Following the PM’s announcement,” the guitarist said at the time, “I feel honor bound to make an announcement of my own: I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”
A month later, Clapton released “This Has Gotta Stop,” which further condemned Johnson’s COVID-related rules with lines like, “This has gotta stop / Enough is enough / I can't take this BS any longer / It's gone far enough.”
Clapton, it should be noted, claimed to suffer “severe reactions'' from the AstraZenaca vaccine. “My hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks,” the rocker later detailed. “I feared I would never play again.”
That experience led the rocker to champion anti-lockdown and anti-vax efforts.