Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed Generation X. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three studio albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album, Billy Idol (1982), was a commercial success. With music videos for singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding" Idol soon became a staple of then newly-established MTV.
Idol's second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face". The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of two million copies in the US. In 1986, he released Whiplash Smile. Having accumulated three UK top 10 singles ("Rebel Yell", "White Wedding" and "Mony Mony"), Idol released a 1988 greatest hits album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best; the album went platinum in the United Kingdom. Idol then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993).
Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014).
Eyes Without A Face
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One more bad break
Could bring a fall
When I'm far from home
Don't call me on the phone
To tell me you're alone
It's easy to tease
But hard to get release
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
I spend so much time
Believing all the lies
Keep the dream alive
Now it makes me sad
It makes me mad at truth
For loving what was you
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face (face, face, face)
When you hear the music, you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip
Steal a car and go to Las Vegas
Ooh, the gigolo pool
Hanging out by the state line
Turning holy water into wine
Drinkin' it down, oh, oh-oh, ow
I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip
Reading murder books, tryin' to stay hip
I'm thinkin' of you, you're out there, so
Say your prayers
Say your prayers
Say your prayers (ooh)
Now I close my eyes
And I wonder why
I don't despise
Now all I can do
Love what was once
So alive in you
But it's gone from your eyes
I better realize
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
Such a human waste
You're eyes without a face (face, face, face)
And now it's getting worse
The first verse of the song speaks to a sense of hopelessness and desperation in the face of repeated failures. The singer feels as though they are running out of hope and that even one more setback could be enough to bring them down completely. The following lines suggest that distance is necessary to maintain a sense of emotional equilibrium, as receiving news of someone else's loneliness only exacerbates the singer's own feelings of isolation.
The chorus introduces the iconic and enigmatic symbol of the song: "eyes without a face". This image is repeated three times in succession, emphasizing its importance. Billy Idol uses these lyrics as a metaphor for the idea that someone can lack human qualities despite having physical attributes that suggest otherwise. The next two verses speak to a sense of disillusionment and betrayal in a romantic relationship. The singer describes feeling deceived by their partner, and expresses anger and sadness about realizing that love has clouded their judgment.
The bridge introduces a rapid and surreal scene change, with seemingly disconnected images of car theft, poolside lounging, and holy water that has been turned into wine. These lyrics suggest a sense of recklessness and disregard for consequences, perhaps as a coping mechanism for the feelings of despair and frustration present throughout the rest of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm all out of hope
I have lost all hope
One more bad break
Any more bad event may cause my fall
Could bring a fall
May lead to my defeat
When I'm far from home
When I am away from my comfort zone
Don't call me on the phone
Don't try to contact me
To tell me you're alone
To say that you are lonely
It's easy to deceive
It's simple to trick and manipulate
It's easy to tease
It's enjoyable to taunt someone
But hard to get release
But difficult to cope and recover from the pain caused by it
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
Your blank, lifeless eyes lack emotion and humanity
I spend so much time
I devote a lot of my time
Believing all the lies
Trusting and believing all the falsehoods
Keep the dream alive
Keep the hope alive
Now it makes me sad
It now brings me sorrow
It makes me mad at truth
I am angry or frustrated with the reality
For loving what was you
For affection for the person you used to be
When you hear the music, you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip
Steal a car and go to Las Vegas
Ooh, the gigolo pool
When music beckons, you steal and gamble someone else's money and drive to pleasure, seeking short-term joy
Hanging out by the state line
Turning holy water into wine
Drinkin' it down, oh, oh-oh, ow
Partying and drinking, drinking to get drunk
I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip
Reading murder books, tryin' to stay hip
I'm thinkin' of you, you're out there, so
Say your prayers
Say your prayers
Say your prayers (ooh)
Engaging in psychedelic experience while reading mystery books and trying to keep myself trendy, thinking about you in the process, and hoping you are safe
Now I close my eyes
Now I shut my eyes
And I wonder why
And ponder the reason
I don't despise
I don't detest
Now all I can do
Love what was once
So alive in you
But it's gone from your eyes
I better realize
All I can do now is to remember what you used to be, full of life and energy, but I need to accept that it's gone from your eyes and reconcile with reality
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
Your blank, lifeless eyes lack emotion and humanity
Such a human waste
Such a waste of humanity
You're eyes without a face (face, face, face)
You lack emotion and humanity
And now it's getting worse
And now the situation is deteriorating
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Idol, Steve Stevens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ssayonei
I’m leaving my comment here so when someone likes it, I can listen to this masterpiece again.🤩
@cleech74
You’re welcome.😀 Also, that’s a brilliant idea. Gonna do the same thing.
@grimmvalentine6558
🤘🏾
@fatboyrowing
You better start listening…. Hopefully you got the notice of this comment.
@ironmikesinto7942
🙂❤️
@SkateBox900
👀
@miguelmendoza5403
There are certain 80's songs that give me an overwhelmingly painful and bittersweet sense of nostalgia. This is definitely one of them.
@andreaceccarini7499
Miguel Mendoza you are so right!!!! You admirably described what I usually feels whenever I listen to many 80's masterpieces such as this one !! 👏👏😢😕🤗🙋
@igorjcpinho
Exactly what I feel, good to know that people usually feels the same, now I am pretty sure that this is a common feeling among good hearted people 🙌🏻
@duanewilson9816
I feel u