Angel Eyes
New Grass Revival Lyrics


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Girl, You're lookin' mighty fine tonight,
Every fellow's got You in his sight.
And what You're doing, with a man like me,
Is surely one of life's little, mysteries.

'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
How did I ever win Your love?
What did I do? (What did I do?)
What did I say? (What did I say?)
To make You turn Your Angel Eyes my way?

Well, I'm the guy who never learned to dance,
Never even got one second glance,
Across a crowded room was close enough,
Yes, I could look but I could never touch.

'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
How did I ever win Your love?
What did I do? (What did I do?)
What did I say? (What did I say?)
To make You turn Your Angel Eyes my way?

Don't anybody wake me,
If this is a dream,
Cause this is the best thing,
Thats ever happened to me.
Hey all You fellows,
Now You can look all You like,
But this girl You see,
She's leavin' here with me tonight.

There's just one more thing I'd need to know,
If this is love why does it scare me so?
There must be somethin' only You can see,
Yes I can feel it when You look at me.

'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
How did I ever win Your love?
What did I do? (What did I do?)




What did I say? (What did I say?)
To make You turn Your Angel Eyes my way?

Overall Meaning

In New Grass Revival's song "Angel Eyes," the singer is surprised and overwhelmed by the attention and affection he is receiving from his love interest. He acknowledges that she is sought after by many other men, making it a mystery to him how he was able to win her love. Despite his past shortcomings, such as his inability to dance and lack of attention from others, he is grateful and confident in her choice to be with him.


The singer is deeply in love with his partner but is also scared by the intensity of his emotions. He is curious about what his partner sees in him that makes her love him. His self-reflection and curiosity about the source and nature of his partner's love make this song feel personal, as if the singer is sharing his own experience of falling in love.


The song is a blend of bluegrass, country, and rock, which reflects the band's versatility and innovation in their music. It was written by John Hiatt and was released in 1989 as part of New Grass Revival's album "Friday Night in America." The song was a hit, reaching #39 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and has since become a classic of the genre.


Line by Line Meaning

Girl, You're lookin' mighty fine tonight,
The girl looks very attractive tonight.


Every fellow's got You in his sight.
All the guys are eyeing her.


And what You're doing, with a man like me,
The singer is surprised that she chose to be with him.


Is surely one of life's little, mysteries.
He is puzzled by this decision.


'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
The singer is going to ask the stars how he got her love.


How did I ever win Your love?
He is questioning how he was able to win her love.


What did I do? (What did I do?)
He is asking what he did to win her over.


What did I say? (What did I say?)
He is asking what he said to win her over.


To make You turn Your Angel Eyes my way?
He is surprised that his actions made her give him her attention.


Well, I'm the guy who never learned to dance,
The singer is not adept at dancing.


Never even got one second glance,
He was ignored by women in the past.


Across a crowded room was close enough,
He could only look at women from afar.


Yes, I could look but I could never touch.
He is saying that he was not able to make any contact with women.


'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
The singer is going to ask the stars how he got her love.


Don't anybody wake me,
The singer doesn't want to be disturbed.


If this is a dream,
He is unsure if this is real or not.


Cause this is the best thing,
Being with her is the best thing to ever happen to him.


Thats ever happened to me.
This is the best thing that has ever happened to him.


Hey all You fellows,
He is addressing all the other guys.


Now You can look all You like,
They can look but she is leaving with him.


But this girl You see,
He is talking about the girl he is with.


She's leavin' here with me tonight.
He is taking her with him tonight.


There's just one more thing I'd need to know,
He has one more question.


If this is love why does it scare me so?
He is confused why he feels scared when he is in love.


There must be somethin' only You can see,
He thinks that she sees something in him that he doesn't see.


Yes I can feel it when You look at me.
He can sense something when she looks at him.


'Cause tonight I'll ask, the stars above,
The singer is going to ask the stars how he got her love.


How did I ever win Your love?
He is questioning how he was able to win her love.


What did I do? (What did I do?)
He is asking what he did to win her over.


What did I say? (What did I say?)
He is asking what he said to win her over.


To make You turn Your Angel Eyes my way?
He is surprised that his actions made her give him her attention.




Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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