In Your Eyes
Peter Gabriel_(p) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
All my instincts, they return
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes
Love, I don't like to see so much pain
So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive
And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
The heat I see in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
"Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel featuring Youssou N'Dour talks about the journey of one's life, the pain and emptiness that we feel, and how love fills in the void. The first stanza describes how the persona tries to avoid the reality of life by driving away in his car but ultimately ends up coming back to the same place where he started. The second stanza goes into how the grand facade or the pretense we put up in front of others will eventually burn, and we'll be left with our true selves. The persona then extends his hand from the inside, meaning he is reaching out to the core of his true self, without any noise or pretense.
The chorus then starts with "In your eyes," which refers to the eyes of the lover, symbolizing the depth of the relationship. The light and heat in the lover's eyes complete the persona, making him feel like he's standing in the doorway to a thousand churches, an allusion to a spiritual connection. This connection is the resolution of all the fruitless searches, signifying that he has finally found the ultimate meaning of his life in the bond he shares with the lover.
The third stanza returns to the reality of life, where the persona sees so much pain and waste. He gets tired of working hard just to survive and looks to their love to keep him alive. The final chorus repeats the same sentiments as the previous one, reinforcing the idea that the light and heat in the lover's eyes complete him, and he yearns to touch and be a part of it.
Overall, "Mercy Street" is about the ups and downs, the pain and joy, and the search for something deeper in life, which can be found in the love and connection shared with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Love I get so lost, sometimes
I feel confused and misguided in my love life
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
I feel lonely and unfulfilled as time goes by
When I want to run away
When I feel overwhelmed and want to escape from my problems
I drive off in my car
I use my car as a means of temporary escape
But whichever way I go
No matter where I try to run to
I come back to the place you are
I end up returning to the person I love
All my instincts, they return
My natural impulses towards love and connection resurface
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
I realize that my pretense of being strong and independent will soon crumble
Without a noise, without my pride
I am willing to put aside my ego and self-righteousness
I reach out from the inside
I try to connect with my true self and emotions
In your eyes
When I see you
The light the heat
I feel your presence and passion
I am complete
I feel whole and satisfied
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
I see the potential for spiritual growth and enlightenment
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
I find the solution to my endless quest for answers and meaning
Oh, I want to be that complete
I desire to feel that sense of wholeness and fulfillment always
I want to touch the light
I want to experience the passion and vitality I see in you
Love, I don't like to see so much pain
I am empathetic towards the suffering of others
So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I am aware of the preciousness of time and feel it slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I am exhausted from trying to secure our future
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive
I rely on our time together to keep me energized and inspired
In your eyes, in your eyes
Your gaze, your presence
In your eyes, in your eyes
Your focus, your energy
In your eyes, in your eyes
Your essence, your spirit
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Gabriel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Grim Ware
I graduated in 86' I so wanted this song/album to be played when we walked............ Some damn Madonna song was chosen instead.
This album was my anthem in the 12th grade and I kept a copy (cassette later CD) all the way through my stint in the Marines (6yrs), to this day I still have and listen to this cd.
One of the GREATEST ALBUMS EVER RECORDED!!!
my listening order:
In Your Eyes
Mercy ST
Red Rain
Don't give up
Big Picture
Sledge Hammer and
BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!
Darkand Lovely
RAW:
Mr. McMahon vs Shawn Michaels - No Holds Barred Match
Kane and Big Show vs Carlito and Chris Masters - World Tag Team Championship
Mick Foley vs Edge - Hardcore Match
Torrie Wilson vs Candice Michelle - Playboy Pillowfight
Trish Stratus vs Mickie James - WWE Women’s Championship
John Cena vs Triple H - WWE Championship
Smackdown:
Booker T and Sharmell vs The Boogeyman - Handicap Match
Undertaker vs Mark Henry - Casket Match
Chris Benoit vs JBL - United States Championship
Kurt Angle vs Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio - Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Interpromotional Money In The Bank Ladder Match
RAW: Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair and Shelton Benjamin
Smackdown: Finlay, Matt Hardy and Bobby Lashley
Latra 17
Triple h va John Cena
Hbk vs mcmahon
Edge va Foley
Boogey man vs booker t
The 2nd MITB In history
Rey vs angle vs Orton
Kane and big show vs Carlito e chris master
Chris Benoit vs JBL
Mickye James vs Trish
That was wrestlemania 22 guyz.
Enter the Realm of Chaos
I wonder what 70's Genesis fans thought of this when it came out.
Brilliant lyrics.
Cathy Fitzpatrick
It's one of Peters best ever CDs this guy is Legendry
Rusty Kuntz
This song, Red Rain & Sledgehammer all from the same album, what a great record this was.
Fries
In your eyes too
02 Thief
That bass line...
vendingdudes
He created the funky fingers AFTER recording this. The backing drummer was striking the notes while Tony fingered. Wiki it, pretty cool story. One of my all time fave bass lines too.
Stan Patterson
That's Tony Levin, using his "funk fingers" on his bass guitar.
Cortlah
I always thought it was a synth bass, but it's actually played with like finger mallets on a real bass.
syl pin
lol...so fucking crazy
Nancy Coffman
Love this song and Peter's voice!!!!