Songfacts®:

• In this song, Eric Clapton pledges commitment, telling his girl he'll be her "forever man" if she'll be his forever woman. It belies what was going on in his personal life, but Clapton didn't write the song. It was composed by the songwriter Jerry Williams, who wrote two other cuts on the album as well: "See What Love Can Do" and "Something's Happening" (Williams later wrote Clapton's "Pretending").
  
  At the time, Clapton was married to Pattie Boyd, his muse for songs like "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight." They wed in 1979 after a passionate courtship (she was previously married to Clapton's good friend George Harrison) but their union was entering the end stages; songs Clapton wrote for the album like "She's Waiting (For Another Lover)," "Tangled In Love," and "Just Like A Prisoner" express his doubts about the marriage. In 1986, Clapton had his first child, a son named Conor, with an Italian woman named Lory Del Santo. He and Pattie got divorced in 1989.
• This was one of the last songs added to the Behind The Sun album, Clapton's ninth as a solo artist. His legend had long since secured, but his popularity was on the wane and his previous album, Money And Cigarettes, sold poorly. His label, Warner Bros., was hot and heavy for a hit - an upbeat song that would get Clapton back on the radio - so they asked Jerry Williams to write something that fit the description, and he delivered "Forever Man." Clapton recorded it, and it was added to the album and released as the first single. The song did its job, getting Clapton back on the air and giving him his first Platinum studio album since Backless in 1978.
• The album title comes from the song "Louisiana Blues" by Muddy Waters, which contains the line, "I'm going to New Orleans, baby, behind the sun."
• Some established hitmakers played on this song, including two members of Toto: Steve Lukather (rhythm guitar) and Jeff Porcaro (drums). It was produced by Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman, who both had impressive CVs, Waronker having worked with Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, and James Taylor; Templeman known for producing The Doobie Brothers and Van Halen. Other performers on the song include Nathan East on bass, Lenny Castro on congas, and Michael Omartian on synthesizer. The female backing vocals are by Marcy Levy, who has a longtime connection with Clapton and co-wrote his 1977 hit "Lay Down Sally."
• Surprisingly, Clapton's didn't make a music video until "Forever Man." Many big British acts (Queen, David Bowie...) had been making videos since the '70s, but Clapton had no interest. But by 1985 videos were crucial for promotion, and MTV was happy to have him on their airwaves. Directed by Godley & Creme, it set the template for Clapton videos, showing him performing the song with his band in preparation for a show. No acting or concept, which was kind of a waste of Godley & Creme, who made very innovative videos for other artists, like "When We Was Fab" for George Harrison and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" for The Police.