Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian film composer. Danna… Read Full Bio ↴Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian film composer. Danna has been scoring films since his 1987 feature debut for Atom Egoyan's Family Viewing, a score which earned Danna the first of his eleven Canadian Film Award nominations. Mychael is recognized as one of the pioneers of combining non-Western sound sources with orchestral and electronic minimalism in the world of film music. This reputation has led him to work with such acclaimed directors as Atom Egoyan, Scott Hicks, Ang Lee, Gillies MacKinnon, James Mangold, Mira Nair, Billy Ray, Joel Schumacher, and Denzel Washington.

He studied music composition at the University of Toronto, winning there the Glenn Gould Composition Scholarship in 1985. Mychael also served for five years as composer-in-residence at the McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto (1987-1992). Works for dance include music for Dead Souls (Carbone Quatorze Dance Company, directed by Gilles Maheu 1996), and a score for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Gita Govinda (2001) based on the 1000-year-old classical Indian erotic poem, with choreographer Nina Menon.

Recent projects include Deepa Mehta's Water, Atom Egoyan's Where the Truth Lies, Terry Gilliam's Tideland, and Bennett Miller's Capote.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Mychael Danna Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They asked me how I knew
My true love was true
I of course replied
Something here inside cannot be denied
They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
When your heart's on fire,
You must realize, smoke gets in your eyes

So I chaffed them and 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
So I smile and say
When a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your eyes

(Smoke gets in your eyes, smoke gets in your eyes)

Smoke gets in your eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mychael Danna's "Smoke gets in your eyes" tell a story of lost love and the realization that even though love may feel real and true, it can still fade away. The song begins with the singer being questioned about how they knew their love was true. The singer responds by saying that there was something inside that they could not deny, something that made them certain of their love.

However, others warn the singer that eventually all who love may become blind to the reality of their relationship. As the song progresses, we learn that the singer's love has indeed flown away, leaving them without the joy and happiness they once felt. The love that once burned so brightly in their heart has now dissipated, and they are left with smoke in their eyes – a metaphor for the lingering pain and memories that remain after a relationship has ended.

Line by Line Meaning

They asked me how I knew
Someone inquired how I had knowledge

My true love was true
That my soulmate was genuinely in love with me

I of course replied
Naturally, I answered back

Something here inside cannot be denied
There is an undeniable feeling inside me

They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
Others believe that love can be blinding

When your heart's on fire,
During passionate moments

You must realize, smoke gets in your eyes
It can be difficult to see clearly

So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed
I joked and laughed to dismiss their skepticism

To think they could doubt my love
It seemed ridiculous for anyone to question my affection

Yet today my love has flown away,
My love has departed me

I am without my love
I am alone without my lover