Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – Octob… Read Full Bio ↴Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. He performed with his backing band, the Blue Caps.

After Be-Bop-A-Lula had become a huge hit in 1956 (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (often mis-named as 'the' Blue Caps) were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like Race With The Devil (#96 in Billboard) and Bluejean Bop (#49).

Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg which he had injured in a motorcycle accident in 1955 and refused to have amputated, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.

Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.

I've Got My Eyes on You
Gene Vincent Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got my eyes on you
And I like what I see
And it won't be long
'Till you belong to me

I've got my eyes on you
I'm gonna do my part
To make you fall in love

I'm gonna win your heart

There's no use for you to try to resist
My minds made up and you know you're gonna be kissed

I've got my eyes on you
And your lovin' charms
I won't be satisfied
'Till you're in my arms
There's no use for you to try to resist
My minds made up and you know you're gonna be kissed

I've got my eyes on you
And your lovin' charms
I won't be satisfied
'Till you're in my arms

I've got my eyes on you
And your lovin' charms
I won't be satisfied
'Till you're in my arms

I won't be satisfied
'Till you're in my arms

Overall Meaning

The song "I've Got My Eyes on You" by Gene Vincent is a romantic tune about a man who has his sights set on a woman and is determined to win her over. The singer of the song is confident in his pursuit of the woman, stating "I like what I see" and "my mind's made up and you know you're gonna be kissed." He plans on doing everything in his power to make her fall in love with him and win her heart. The song is passionate, brimming with desire and longing, and the singer makes it clear that he won't rest until this woman is in his arms.

Although the sentiments expressed in the song are straightforward and uncomplicated, the lyrics were groundbreaking in the context of the time when the song was released. In the 1950s, rock and roll was still a relatively new genre, and it was not yet socially acceptable for young men and women to express their sexual desires so openly. The song's message of aggressive pursuit could be seen as controversial for the time, making it one of the first popular songs to focus so explicitly on the subject of romantic desire.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got my eyes on you
I am intently focusing on you

And I like what I see
I find you attractive and appealing

And it won't be long
I believe our time together is imminent

'Till you belong to me
I hope to make you mine in the near future

I'm gonna do my part
I am committed to making an effort to win your heart

To make you fall in love
I desire to make you develop romantic feelings towards me

I'm gonna win your heart
I aspire to gain your affections and devotion

There's no use for you to try to resist
I feel confident that any attempt to reject me is futile

My mind's made up and you know you're gonna be kissed
I am certain of my intentions and I plan to kiss you

And your lovin' charms
I am drawn to your attractive qualities

I won't be satisfied
I will not settle for less than being with you