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.
Promises Promises
Naked Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the beginning
Never a doubt
Trusted too true
In the beginning
I loved you right through
Arm in arm we laughed like kids
At all the silly things we did
You made me promises promises
Knowing I'd believe
Promises promises
You knew you'd never keep
Second time around
I'm still believing words that you said
You said you'd always be here
"In love forever"
Still repeats in my head
You can't finish what you start
If this is love it breaks my heart
You made me promises promises
You knew you'd never keep
Promises promises
Why do I believe
Arm in arm we laughed like kids
At all the silly things we did
You can't finish what you start
If this is love it breaks my heart
You made me promises promises
You knew you'd never keep
Promises promises
Why do I believe
All of your promises
You knew you'd never keep
Promises promises
Why do I believe
Promises
Promises
Promises
Promises
Promises
The song "Promises Promises" by Naked Eyes is all about broken promises in a relationship, and the feelings of disappointment and disillusionment that come along with them. The lyrics describe the singer's experience of being in love, feeling secure and happy with their partner, and being convinced that their promises of lasting love were true. However, as time passes, the promises begin to ring hollow and the singer starts to question their validity. By the end of the song, it becomes clear that the promises were empty, and the singer is left feeling hurt and confused.
The opening lines of the song set the scene for the rest of the story. The singer expresses their initial confidence in their partner and their promises, stating that they "never had a doubt/In the beginning." However, as the song progresses, we see that the promises were not fulfilled, and that the singer's trust was misplaced. They continue to believe, even after being let down, and the refrain of "promises promises" highlights the repetition of this cycle, the singer hoping but ultimately never receiving the promises of love they were made.
The song's lyrics are poignant and heartfelt, and they speak to the universal experience of putting faith in someone and being let down. The song's melody is catchy and upbeat, in contrast to its somber lyrics, which adds to the complexity and emotional depth of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Never had a doubt
I never doubted our relationship in the beginning.
In the beginning
At the start of our relationship.
Never a doubt
I always trusted and believed in our relationship in the beginning.
Trusted too true
I had complete faith in you in the beginning.
In the beginning
At the start of our relationship.
I loved you right through
I loved you unconditionally throughout our relationship.
Arm in arm we laughed like kids
We had a carefree and happy time together as if we were children.
At all the silly things we did
We found joy in even the silliest of things.
You made me promises promises
You made me assurances and vows.
Knowing I'd believe
You knew I would trust and have faith in your promises.
Promises promises
Assurances and vows that you made but did not keep.
You knew you'd never keep
You were aware that you wouldn't fulfill the promises you made.
Second time around
After we reconciled and started again.
I'm still believing words that you said
I still have faith in the things that you promised me.
You said you'd always be here
You vowed that you would always be present for me.
"In love forever"
The assurance that you will love me forever.
Still repeats in my head
I am still reminded of these promises.
You can't finish what you start
You are unable to complete the things that you promise.
If this is love it breaks my heart
It is disheartening to think that this is what love is.
All of your promises
Every vow and assurance that you have made.
Promises
Assurances and vows.
Promises
Assurances and vows.
Promises
Assurances and vows.
Promises
Assurances and vows.
Promises
Assurances and vows.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ROB FISHER, PETER JAMES BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind