What the Eyeballs Did
Atoms for Peace Lyrics

The song "What the Eyeballs Did" by Atoms for Peace is one of the most enigmatic and mysterious tracks on their debut album, "Amok." The lyrics appear to be surreal and disconnected, but upon closer inspection, they hint at themes of isolation, alienation, and spiritual longing. The song begins with the startling image of a "blunt handcuff" falling from the sky, which reinforces the sense of randomness and unpredictability that pervades the track. The singer observes that they have "picked a year" but no one is calling them, and there is no clear reason for their existence. This sets the tone of the song as a meditation on the purpose and value of human life in a world that seems indifferent to our concerns.

The second verse introduces a new set of symbols and images that suggest a deeper level of meaning. The singer observes that someone is "dancing" behind a screen, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the artificiality and insincerity of modern life. This is contrasted with "an album of stars in the sky," which represents the awe and wonder of the natural world that is often ignored or forgotten. The sense of sadness and detachment continues in the chorus, where the phrase "it happens" is repeated like a mantra. This could be seen as a resignation to the inevitability of suffering and loss, or as a way of acknowledging the transience of all things.

The final verse of the song explores the theme of emotional numbness and the difficulty of connecting with others. The line "Everything usually branding me" suggests that the singer feels trapped by societal expectations and unable to express their true self. The repetition of the song title in the final line, "What the eyeballs did, they ran and they hid," is ambiguous but may imply that the singer has withdrawn from the world and retreated into their own thoughts and feelings.