He has written songs for Sesame Street and The Weekly Reader, has starred in an Emmy Award-winning television show for children and has been featured regularly on The Learning Channel.
Polisar works with literacy groups, media specialists, reading teachers and Title I programs in the schools and has won a Special Library Recognition Award for his "ability to communicate with and excite children to read."
Polisar's song "All I Want Is You" is featured, re-recorded and with a guitar/harmonica combo, on the soundtrack for the 2007 Motion Picture "JUNO".
The Apple of my Eye
Barry Louis Polisar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I eyed a one eyed cyclops looking straight at me
Her head was green and hairy. She had a dozen toes.
Her one eye looked so scary, She had warts upon her nose
I tried to run away from her, but I was losing ground
She was coming faster and faster at me, making a horrible sound
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
A SHIGGIE BA NAY BA GA NAY BA BE OE DE BA BA BE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
It was hopeless if I ran. We were standing head to head
Then she grabbed me in her hand and turned to me and said,
"I wish you wouldn't run so fast. I think you're kind of cute. "
"Not only that,," she whispered low, "I think that I love you."
"You are the apple of my eye," she said, and then she gave me a wink.
"Sweet as a cherry pie," she said, though maybe she Just blinked
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
A SHIGGIE BA NAY BA GA NAY BA BE OE DE BA BA BE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
It happened oh, so fast. It sounded oh, so weird
And though her mouth had a funny taste, it was nothing as I feared
I see what I was frightened of was what I did not know
And I guess you can love someone with warts upon their nose.
'Cause I live up on the mountain now, bordered by the sea
With a half a dozen cyclops kids who almost look like me
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
A SHIGGIE BA NAY BA GA NAY BA BE OE DE BA BA BE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
"The Apple of my Eye" is a quirky and playful song by Barry Louis Polisar that recounts a surreal encounter with a one-eyed cyclops on a mountain by the sea. The song starts off describing the ugly and terrifying appearance of the cyclops, with green hairy head, a dozen toes, a warty nose, and a single eye that looks ominous. The singer of the story tries to run away from her, but to no avail. She catches up with him, grabs him by the hand and whispers to him that she finds him cute and that she loves him, calling him the apple of her eye.
The song is about overcoming prejudices and fear of the unknown, and learning to open up to love and acceptance. The singer realizes that his initial revulsion towards the cyclops was unfounded, and that even though she looks different and unconventional, she still has the capacity for kindness and affection. In fact, he ends up living on the mountain with her and raising half a dozen cyclops children, who resemble him in some ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Once when I was all alone on a mountain by the sea
The singer was on a mountain near the sea, feeling lonely and isolated.
I eyed a one eyed cyclops looking straight at me
The singer saw a cyclops with one eye staring at him.
Her head was green and hairy. She had a dozen toes.
The cyclops had a green and hairy head and twelve toes.
Her one eye looked so scary, She had warts upon her nose
The cyclops' single eye and warts on her nose made her seem frightening.
I tried to run away from her, but I was losing ground
The singer attempted to escape from the cyclops, but was unable to get away.
She was coming faster and faster at me, making a horrible sound
The cyclops was approaching the singer quickly and making a terrifying noise.
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
This is a nonsense refrain and has no significant meaning.
It was hopeless if I ran. We were standing head to head
The singer realized it was futile to run away and faced the cyclops head-on.
Then she grabbed me in her hand and turned to me and said,
The cyclops picked up the singer and spoke to him.
"I wish you wouldn't run so fast. I think you're kind of cute."
The cyclops told the singer that she found him attractive and wished he wouldn't run away.
"Not only that,," she whispered low, "I think that I love you."
The cyclops whispered to the singer that she loved him.
"You are the apple of my eye," she said, and then she gave me a wink.
The cyclops called the singer the apple of her eye, and gave him a wink.
"Sweet as a cherry pie," she said, though maybe she Just blinked
The cyclops called the singer sweet, but it is unclear whether she actually blinked or not.
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
This is a nonsense refrain and has no significant meaning.
It happened oh, so fast. It sounded oh, so weird
The encounter with the cyclops was sudden and unusual.
And though her mouth had a funny taste, it was nothing as I feared
Although the cyclops had an unusual taste in her mouth, the singer wasn't afraid of it.
I see what I was frightened of was what I did not know
The singer realized that his fear of the cyclops was due to his ignorance about her.
And I guess you can love someone with warts upon their nose.
The singer learned that physical appearance doesn't define someone's worth, and that it is possible to love someone with physical imperfections.
'Cause I live up on the mountain now, bordered by the sea
The singer now lives on the mountain by the sea.
With a half a dozen cyclops kids who almost look like me
The singer has children with the cyclops and they resemble him somewhat.
A SHIGGIE BA GE BA BA BE BE BA A SHE BA BE BA BE BA BAY
This is a nonsense refrain and has no significant meaning.
Contributed by Jason A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.