Eyes
Jherek Bischoff & David Byrne Lyrics
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To make the face, my dear
Perhaps I'm wrong
I'm fascinated how your eyes
Go north and south
Beyond the temperate zone
In the cool night air.
Some place to wear my eyes inside out
Sing suburban town
How i can pick you out before you're gone
The rapid motion of your eyes
So sleepy now
How once in life they drop
Going round and round
And every look you give
Becomes the truth
How many eyes we have is up to you.
The opening lines of Jherek Bischoff and David Byrne's song "Eyes" begins with the literal anatomy of the face, as well suggested observance of someone special. Byrne admits that he may be incorrect in his assessment of what he is seeing, but he is still captivated by their eyes, noting how they go "north and south beyond the temperate zone in the cool night air." The imagery here is potent, evoking a sense of curiosity and wonder at this person's gaze, which extends far beyond what Byrne believes is normal.
Byrne then introduces an "imagined scene," one that is perhaps created by the person he is captivated by, that inspires him to "wear [his] eyes inside out." This lyric is somewhat ambiguous, but it seems to suggest that this person is so enthralling, that Byrne wants to completely immerse himself in their presence, to see them from the inside out, and to explore every aspect of who they are.
The song concludes with a series of contradictions. Byrne sings about "suburban town" and how he can "pick [them] out before [they're] gone." He then notes how "every look you give becomes the truth," implying that this person is incapable of deception. Finally, he concludes by saying "How many eyes we have is up to you," which is both a playful and somewhat cryptic way to end the song. These lyrics suggest that our perspective on the world is subjective, and that what we see and how we see it is ultimately up to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Eyes, a nose, a mouth
In order to create a face, we need these three features
To make the face, my dear
These features are essential for creating a human face
Perhaps I'm wrong
The singer acknowledges the possibility that they could be mistaken
I'm fascinated how your eyes
The artist is intrigued by the eyes of the person they are addressing
Go north and south
The eyes have a wide range of motion, from up to down
Beyond the temperate zone
The eyes can move beyond what is considered the 'normal' range of motion
In the cool night air.
The eyes are doing this in a nighttime setting
In this [imagined scene] that you've announced
The artist is describing a hypothetical situation that someone has told them about
Some place to wear my eyes inside out
The artist is excited to experience the scene they were told about in a very intimate way
Sing suburban town
The singer is addressing a specific location, a town or city
How i can pick you out before you're gone
They can identify the person they are addressing even when they are leaving or moving quickly
The rapid motion of your eyes
The person's eyes move quickly
So sleepy now
The person's eyes are becoming tired and heavy
How once in life they drop
The singer is describing how eyelids droop when someone is tired
Going round and round
The eyes can move continuously
And every look you give
The artist is fascinated with every gaze the person gives
Becomes the truth
The artist believes that the person's gaze represents their true feelings and intentions
How many eyes we have is up to you.
The number of eyes one has is determined by the person singing this line, likely implying that how we choose to see the world is up to us
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rivkah Bryk
Spinning, soaring, sliding, yet driving, staccato and stopping on a dime. What a beautiful journey...
I just saw Jherek Bischoff perform this song with the National Symphony Orchestra, this past weekend, at the Kennedy Center. It was inspiring and full of emotion.
The loveliest of friends forwarded this link to me and I am spending my morning listening to this song on repeat, soaking in it's richness and charm.
Teona
Wonderful! I love this album, "Composed" and Jherek Bischoff is great!
Alan Ranta
Amazing! What a pairing! I'd love to see these guys make an album together.
Debora Petrina
Amazing. Great music, great video, great Jherek!!!
Chris R.
Absolutely brilliant, I love David Byrne 💕
Shelita
When I hear this song, I feel like this is when creativity and paint brushes meet! :)
Saint Babylon
When I hear this song, I just want to play my viola and record till dawn.
carlostothe
Lovely! Deserves more views.
Hari Anand
los mejores 4:45 minutos de mi día... <3
submoronicbomb
This is so beautiful.