Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Bryan Ferry Lyrics

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They asked me how I knew
My true love was true
I, I of course replied
Something here inside
Cannot be denied
Oh no

They said, some day you'll find

All who love are blind
Oh, oh
When your heart's on fire
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes

So I chaffed them then, then I gaily laughed
To think they could doubt my love
Yet today
My love has flown away
I am without my love

Now laughing friends deride
Tears I cannot hide, hide
Ooh-ooh, so I smile and say
When a lovely flame dies

Smoke gets in your eyes

Overall Meaning

The song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by Bryan Ferry is a cover of the 1933 song by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach, and it talks about the effects of love and how it can sometimes leave people in disbelief. In the opening verse, Ferry is asked how he knows his true love is true, and he replied by saying that something inside him cannot be denied. This suggests a deep and personal connection that he feels with his partner.

The chorus then goes on to suggest that when love is passionate and intense, it can blind people to certain realities. The metaphor of smoke in the eyes is used to describe how love can cloud our judgment and make us unable to see clearly. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that his love is real and true, even if others doubt it. However, in the last verse, the tone shifts as he realizes that his love has left him, and he is now without it. The once laughing friends now mock him for his tears, but he puts on a brave face and says that the smoke in his eyes is just a side effect of his once lovely flame dying out.

Line by Line Meaning

They asked me how I knew
I was asked how I was so sure of my true love

My true love was true
That my love for someone was genuine and real

I, I of course replied
I responded without hesitation

Something here inside
A feeling inside of me

Cannot be denied
That I couldn't deny what I was feeling

Oh no
An expression of surprise and disbelief

They said, some day you'll find
People told me that eventually I would realize

All who love are blind
That love can sometimes make people overlook flaws in their significant other

Oh, oh
An expression of realization

When your heart's on fire
When you're in love and passionate about someone

You must realize
You need to recognize