Billy Butterfield was a trumpet sideman with all the great big bands at one… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Butterfield was a trumpet sideman with all the great big bands at one time or another. His smooth, clear tones were employed by Columbia Records in their session bands, in concert with the likes of Ray Conniff. His greatest fame came from a couple of albums he did as the featured performer with Ray Conniff (Conniff Meets Butterfield was one).

I met him one night while I lived in the West Palm Beach, Florida area. I was at the bar at a popular night spot in old Palm Beach called Chuck and Harold's. They featured a sidewalk-side eating area and a black and white checkered terrazzo floor that went past an elegant bar that led to an open-air dancing floor. Booths were arranged around the dancefloor and the richest of the rich drank their martinis and swooned to the music of a full orchestra. And there he was, Billy Butterfield, at the end of his career but still playing a number or two as the featured entertainer with the house orchestra. He thanked me for his drink, played "Rosalie", from the Conniff album and then sort of disappeared, as though he only a few of these songs left in him. But he was as great as Al Hirt, Bobby Hackett and Doc Severenson, all rolled into one. Catch him on Conniff Meets Butterfield, you won't be sorry.

I Only Have Eyes For You
Billy Butterfield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My love must be a kind of blind love
I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop

Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear

The moon may be high
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you

I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue

You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by

But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you

Overall Meaning

In Billy Butterfield's song "I Only Have Eyes For You", the singer declares an all-consuming love for their significant other. They are unable to see anyone but their lover, implying that their love is so intense that they are almost blinded to the world around them. The whimsical "sha bop sha bop" adds a playful tone to the song.

The singer then ponders if the stars are out that night, but realizes that they are not aware of the weather or the sky because they only have eyes for their lover. The moon may be high, but they cannot see anything else. They may be in a garden or on a crowded avenue, but these surroundings do not matter because they are completely focused on their lover. The millions of people who pass by fade away into the background, but the singer only has eyes for their beloved.

Overall, Billy Butterfield's "I Only Have Eyes For You" is a heartfelt declaration of love that shows the depth of the singer's devotion to their significant other. It is a romantic and timeless song that has resonated with listeners for decades.

Line by Line Meaning

My love must be a kind of blind love
My affection for you is so intense that it obscures everyone else; a kind of love that is blind to anyone else's presence.

I can't see anyone but you
I am so focused on you that I can't see anyone else; you are the sole focus of my attention.

Sha bop sha bop
A nonsensical phrase expressing enthusiasm or excitement, adding to the playful tone of the song.

Are the stars out tonight
A rhetorical question used to convey the sense of awe and wonder that the singer feels when they think about the object of their affection.

I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
The singer is so focused on the person they love that they are oblivious to the weather around them; it doesn't matter to them whether it is cloudy or bright outside.

I only have eyes for you dear
The singer's obsession with the person they love is so intense that they are blind to anything else that might be happening around them; they can only see their beloved.

The moon may be high
The moon may be visible in the sky, but the singer is so wrapped up in their love for this person that they don't even notice it.

But I can't see a thing in the sky
The singer's eyes are fixed on the person they love, so they don't notice anything else in the night sky.

I don't know if we're in a garden
The singer is so absorbed in their feelings for this person that they don't really care where they are; they could be in a beautiful garden or a crowded street and it wouldn't matter to them.

Or on a crowded avenue
The singer is so focused on the person they love that they are oblivious to the people around them; they could be in a crowded street and it wouldn't matter to them.

You are here and so am I
The singer is overjoyed that the person they love is with them; their presence makes everything else fade away.

Maybe millions of people go by
The singer is so absorbed in their love for this person that they don't notice the many people around them; they're practically invisible to the singer.

But they all disappear from view
The person the singer loves is the only thing that matters to them; everyone else fades away into the background.

And I only have eyes for you
The singer's focus is entirely on the person they love; they can't see anything or anyone else no matter what is happening around them.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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