"Wonderful Tonight" is a song written by Eric Clapton about his then-love, Pattie Boyd. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album Slowhand and released as a single the following year.
While generally regarded as a romantic song, "Wonderful Tonight"'s genesis was less than starry-eyed lyricism. Clapton's inspiration came as he grew impatient for Boyd to finish dressing for a party . In that regard, the lyric "You look wonderful tonight" could be interpreted less as a heartfelt compliment and more as a prod to be finished getting dressed. Nevertheless, the subsequent lyrics grow more patient and loving.
The song is a narrative, dealing with a party the pair attended. Each of the three verses is a scene from a part of the night: preparing for the party, going to the party, and coming home from the party. In each scene, he mentions how wonderful she is: how beautiful she looks while preparing for the party, how happy he is to be at the party with her, and how grateful he is that she puts up with him after he drinks a bit too much.
In 1988, Clapton appeared in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert as a guest guitarist for Dire Straits. The group became his backing musicians for a surprise performance of "Wonderful Tonight" during their set.
