Sons of American fathers and British mothers, their fathers being military personnel stationed at the West Ruislip USAF base in London, all three attended London Central High in Bushey, Hertfordshire in the mid-60s where they met while playing in two different bands.
They eventually got together and formed the rock band America, honoring the name of the homeland they had hardly even seen during their several travels around the world. They played their first gigs in pubs and clubs in the London area, including some highlights at the Roundhouse, where Pink Floyd had been playing at the beginning of their own career.
Their first LP was recorded at Trident and Morgan studios in London and produced by Ian "Sammy" Samwell, who was known for the hits he had written for Cliff Richard, with the assistance of Jeff Dexter.
The album was initially released in Europe with only moderate success and without the breakout hit "A Horse With No Name." Samwell helped the group to record and persuaded the Warner Brothers label to release the new song on an EP which was highly popular in the United States as well as in Europe.
America the album was re-released with "Horse", and quickly went platinum with the other favorites "I Need You," "Sandman," and "Riverside." Their second album, appropriately named Homecoming, saw the band moving back to the United States to record. The most notable song was "Ventura Highway."
The group's fourth album Holiday had them with George Martin (former producer for The Beatles), who worked with them through Silent Letter in 1979 with much success. The next album, Hearts, featured "Sister Golden Hair" and "Daisy Jane."
Peek left the group after recording Harbor in 1977. The remaining duo produced many more albums and had one more significant radio hit, "You Can Do Magic," reaching #8 on the pop charts in 1982. Their last top-40 hit was "The Border," which went to #33 on the pop charts (and #4 on the adult contemporary charts) the next year.
America continued with consistent live work and sporadic recordings following their departure from Capitol Records in the mid-80s.
In 1982 America provided the soundtrack for the magical anime film The Last Unicorn. Although officially produced by an American company, the film is an important transitional work in the development of Japanese anime, since most of its animation was subcontracted to the Japanese company Topcraft. The music was composed by Jimmy Webb, though performed by America, and the title song was covered many times later on. The tone is wistful and the themes are of loss.
Beckley released a solo set - "Van Go Gan" - in 1999.
Later, in his post-America career, Peek became a born-again Christian and released some highly-successful Contemporary Christian albums. His autobiography "An American Band" chronicles America's most successful period and his own spiritual journey.
Members include:
Gerry Beckley (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, harmonica
Dewey Bunnell (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, guitars
Dan Peek (1970-1977) - lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica
These Brown Eyes
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've been doin' some powerful cryin'
Thinkin' 'bout all those years
That always bring back the tears
Winter's come and gone
And I've been left alone
Now I'm here home with you (I'm here home with you)
Then I stop and I look around
I never know if my feet touch the ground
But oh, baby, I know you're right
Seems like a long, long time
Since I've held you in these arms of mine
Thinkin' 'bout all those years (Thinkin' 'bout all those years)
That always bring back the tears
The winter's come and gone
And I've been left all alone
But, oh, baby, I know you're right
And now that you're far away
I think of your love
And I'm praying that you're still mine
These brown eyes of mine
They've been doin' some powerful cryin'
Thinkin' 'bout all those years (Thinkin' 'bout all those years)
That always bring back the tears
Then I stop and I look around
I never know if my feet touch the ground
But oh, baby, I know you're right
Baby, I know you're right
Baby, I know you're right
The lyrics of America's song These Brown Eyes speak about the power of love and the memories it can bring back. The singer talks about how their brown eyes have been crying, and they think about all the years they've spent alone, which bring back tears. The singer has been left alone during winter, but now they are home with their loved one, and they do all the things the loved one does. They also say that they never know if their feet touch the ground when they stop and look around, but they know that their loved one is right.
The lyrics may symbolize the hardships and struggles in a relationship, and how the memories of those difficult times can still bring back tears even when things have gotten better. The repetition of the phrase "these brown eyes of mine" may show the vulnerability and emotion of the singer, and how they are deeply affected by their love for the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
These brown eyes of mine
The singer is referring to their own eyes, which have a brown color.
They've been doin' some powerful cryin'
The singer has been crying a lot recently.
Thinkin' 'bout all those years
The singer has been thinking about past years.
That always bring back the tears
Thinking about the past always makes the artist cry.
Winter's come and gone
Winter has passed.
And I've been left alone
The singer has been left without companionship.
Now I'm here home with you (I'm here home with you)
The singer is currently at home with someone else.
I do all the things that you do
The artist imitates the actions of the person they are with.
Then I stop and I look around
The artist pauses and takes in their surroundings.
I never know if my feet touch the ground
The artist feels like they are not fully present in the moment.
But oh, baby, I know you're right
The singer believes that the person they are with is correct.
Seems like a long, long time
Feels like a significant amount of time has passed.
Since I've held you in these arms of mine
The singer has not held the person they are with in a long time.
And now that you're far away
The person the singer is thinking of is not currently with them.
I think of your love
The singer is thinking about the love they share with the person who is far away.
And I'm praying that you're still mine
The artist is hoping that the person they are thinking of still loves them.
Baby, I know you're right
The artist is again affirming that the person they are with is correct.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN PEEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind