Eric Clapton Releases New Protest Song, ‘This Has Gotta Stop’

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Eric Clapton (Photo via his Facebook page)

Eric Clapton has released a new song in which he continues to protest the continued British lockdown. Today (August 27, 2021), he released “This Has Gotta Stop,” that includes such lyrics as “Enough is enough, I can’t take this BS any longer.”

“I’ve been around a long, long time,” he sings. “Seen it all and I’m used to being free.”

The song, with a reggae beat, was written by Clapton, produced by his longtime producing partner Simon Climie and is performed by Clapton, Sonny Emery on drums, Nathan East on bass, Sharon White on background vocals along with Nick Ingman as the strings arranger and conductor and Perry Montague-Mason as strings leader.

For months, the classic rock legend has been adamant about his stance. In December 2020, he and Van Morrison released a song, “Stand and Deliver,” to protest the British government’s lockdown.

Watch the video for “This Has Gotta Stop”

In a statement released this past July 21 via lockdown activist Robin Monotti Graziadei, Clapton wrote that he won’t perform on any stage where audiences are required to be vaccinated. The classic rock legend begins a brief U.S. tour on September 13. A U.K. run, originally planned for 2020, has been moved to 2022 due to the continued lockdown there.

In that statement, it appears that Slowhand is referring to the U.K. concerts. On July 19, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that vaccine passes would be required to enter such venues.

Clapton‘s response: “Following the PM’s announcement… I feel honour 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.”

In a letter to the editor published in the May 12 edition of The Telegram, Clapton criticized the “propaganda” associated with the vaccine. (The letter was shared to the paper by Graziadei.) Clapton wrote that after taking “the first jab” in February, he “straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days.”

When he had the second dose, “the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone.”

Later, he wrote, “I continue to tread the path of passive rebellion and try to tow the line in order to be able to actively love my family, but it’s hard to bite my tongue with what I now know.”

Listen to “Stand and Deliver” from Clapton and Van Morrison

Eric Clapton 2021 Tour (Tickets are available here and here)

Sep 13 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
Sep 15 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center
Sep 17 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sep 18 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Sep 21 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sep 23 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Center
Sep 25 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sep 26 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock

2022 European Tour
May 07 – London, U.K. – Royal Albert Hall (was May 14, 2021)
May 08 – London, U.K. – Royal Albert Hall (was May 17, 2021)
May 17 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
May 18 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum
May 20 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena
May 21 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena
May 29 – Berlin, Germany – Berlin Waldbühne
May 31 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
Jun 02 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Jun 04 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle
Jun 05 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2
Jun 07 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Jun 08 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Jun 10 – Dusseldorf, Germany – ISS Dome
Jun 12 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpalais
Jun 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Jun 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Jun 17 – Tampere, Finland – Nokia Arena