Naked Eyes is a British new wave band that rose to prominence in the early … Read Full Bio ↴Naked Eyes is a British new wave band that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The band had four US top 40 singles, but had little commercial success in their homeland. Their first hit, "Always Something There to Remind Me," was a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard. The band had subsequent hits with their own compositions, "Promises, Promises," "When the Lights Go Out," and "(What) In the Name of Love" in the United States.

History.
Naked Eyes was formed by two college friends from Bath, England. The band features Pete Byrne on vocals and Rob Fisher on keyboards. The two had formerly played in a band called Neon, which also featured future members of Tears for Fears. Naked Eyes was one of the first bands to make significant use of the Fairlight CMI sampling synthesizer on a recording.

The debut album Burning Bridges was produced by Tony Mansfield, along with the follow-up album Fuel for the Fire, which also featured two titles produced by Arthur Baker. Their second and third singles, "Promises, Promises" (the 12" mix of which features vocals from Madonna) and "When the Lights Go Out," were also hit singles in the United States.

Following the release of the band's second album, Byrne moved to California and performed session work. He performed on Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover," sang backgrounds with Rita Coolidge and Princess Stephanie, and wrote and produced for the Olsen twins. Fisher also explored other projects, doing sessions in London and forming Climie Fisher with Simon Climie.

The group never toured due to the technical difficulties of recreating their studio sound in concert. Rob Fisher died on 25 August 1999, aged 42, following surgery for bowel cancer. Byrne released a solo album The Real Illusion in 2001, which featured some of the last tracks he wrote with Fisher for a proposed third Naked Eyes album. In 2005, Byrne put a band together to play some Naked Eyes shows and has been touring regularly since. In 2007, Naked Eyes released Fumbling with the Covers, an acoustic album which consisted of covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Elvis Costello, among others, along with the Naked Eyes hits.

In the summer of 2008, Naked Eyes completed a US tour along with Belinda Carlisle, ABC and The Human League. In the summer of 2014, Naked Eyes did a US tour with The Go-Go's, Scandal and The Motels.

Flying Solo
Naked Eyes Lyrics

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Flying low
When a voice on the radio
Says do you know
You were flying much to low
There's danger in the air
But I don't care
Oh no.

No one there
To hold your hand
Nobody
To change your plans

Flying solo
Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

All alone
Not a friend in sight up here
I'm lost in a cloud
I am flying much too low
I've got a head for heights but I fear
Coming down slow

No one there
To hold your hand
Nobody
To change your plans

Flying solo
Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

Flying solo
Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

No one there
To hold your hand
Nobody
To change your plans

Flying solo
Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

Flying solo
Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

Flying solo

Your life is in your hands
Flying solo

Overall Meaning

The song "Flying Solo" by Naked Eyes is about taking risks, facing challenges all alone and the supremacy of holding one's life in his or her hands especially in dealing with tough situations. The song starts with the voice on the radio warning the pilot that he was “flying much too low", but despite the warning sign, the pilot is ready to take the risk and not care about the danger ahead. The lyrics suggest that there is no one around to guide the pilot or to change the course of his plans, and he is all alone in the sky, making it a metaphor for life.

In the chorus, the singer emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for oneself and accepting the lonesome path of being independent. The line, "Flying solo, your life is in your hands" asserts the importance of taking ownership of one’s own life and making decisions for oneself. The second verse suggests that even when the situation becomes difficult and clouds obscure one’s vision, one must continue to take responsibility and not give up. The lyrics repeatedly remind the listener that they are “flying solo” and need to be independent in dealing with their problems.

Line by Line Meaning

Flying low
I am flying at a low altitude.

When a voice on the radio
I hear a voice speaking to me through the radio.

Says do you know
The voice asks me if I am aware.

You were flying much too low
The voice informs me that I am flying too low.

There's danger in the air
The voice warns me that the circumstances are dangerous.

But I don't care
Despite the danger, I am not concerned.

Oh no.
The situation is not good.

No one there
There is no one by my side.

To hold your hand
No one is here to offer me support.

Nobody
There isn't anyone available.

To change your plans
No one is present to alter my course of action.