There are few artists that transcend categories; Marisa is such an artist,… Read Full Bio ↴There are few artists that transcend categories; Marisa is such an artist, she embodies the essence of the human spirit, that part of us that has a relationship to the cosmos. This song "Pale Blue Eyes" provides the opportunity for an out of body experience, and should be merged with "Pale Blue Dot", narrated by Carl Segan.

Pale Blue Eyes
Marisa Monte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes I feel so happy
Sometimes I feel so sad
Sometimes I feel so happy
But mostly you just make me mad
Baby, you just make me mad

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

Thought of you as my mountain top
Thought of you as my peak
A thought of you as everything
I've had, but couldn't keep
I've had, but couldn't keep

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

Skip a life completely
Stuff it in a cup
They said, money is like us in time
It lies, but can't stand up
Down for you is up

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

It was good what we did yesterday
And I'd do it once again
The fact that you are married
Only proves you're my best friend
But it's truly, truly a sin

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

If I could make the world as pure
And strange as what I see
I'd put you in a mirror
I'd put in front of me
I'd put in front of me

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes

Overall Meaning

Marisa Monte's cover of the Velvet Underground's song "Pale Blue Eyes" is a somber ballad about the bittersweetness of love and longing. The song's narrator oscillates between happiness and sadness, with their emotions mainly dominated by their frustrating love interest. The lyrics "Sometimes I feel so happy / But mostly you just make me mad" exemplify this. The singer then proceeds to describe their lover's pale blue eyes, which they cannot seem to get out of their head. They once saw their lover as everything they wanted, but, for one reason or the other, couldn't keep.

The song continues in anguished reflections, with the singer describing the ups and downs of their relationship. The lines "It was good what we did yesterday / And I'd do it once again / The fact that you are married / Only proves you're my best friend / But it's truly, truly a sin" reveal that the relationship is complicated and guilt-ridden. The singer, driven by longing and obsession, wishes they could find a way to be with their lover despite the obstacles in their way. The song closes with the lines "If I could make the world as pure / And strange as what I see / I'd put you in a mirror / I'd put in front of me," emphasizing the singer's strong desire to be with their lover, even if it's only in their reflections.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I feel so happy
Occasionally I feel content

Sometimes I feel so sad
Occasionally I feel melancholic

Sometimes I feel so happy
Occasionally I feel content

But mostly you just make me mad
However, you predominantly cause me anger

Baby, you just make me mad
My dear, you are the source of much of my frustration

Linger on your pale blue eyes
I can't seem to forget your pale blue eyes

Thought of you as my mountain top
I viewed you as my pinnacle

Thought of you as my peak
I considered you as my zenith

A thought of you as everything
You were my everything in my mind

I've had, but couldn't keep
Despite this, I couldn't retain you in my grasp

Skip a life completely
Avoid a life altogether