Sons of Bill are a country rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia, that f… Read Full Bio ↴Sons of Bill are a country rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia, that formed in the fall of 2005. At its core are brothers James, Sam, and Abe Wilson, the sons of Bill Wilson, the source of the band's name. The brothers returned to Virginia from very different paths in life to form a band based in the country music they grew up learning from their father while bringing along their interests in rock and jazz to influence their sound.

James Wilson plays acoustic guitar and is the band's lead vocalist. Sam Wilson plays electric guitar and sings backup vocals, occasionally taking over lead vocals as well. Abe Wilson plays piano, organ and banjo and also provides vocals. Seth Green plays bass and Todd Wellons plays drums.

In 2006 the band won the University of Virginia's battle of the bands. They took their prize - recording time at Crystalphonic Studios - and cut their first album, "A Far Cry From Freedom," which sold over 1000 copies within its first 8 months.

Websites: http://www.sonsofbill.com and http://www.myspace.com/sonsofbillmusic

Angry Eyes
Sons of Bill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah well I woke up again
From another sleepless night
To a technical in morning when you're dreaming black and white
Staring out my window, to my reflection against the sky
And can't seem to see past my angry eyes

And this old town is my daddy's home town
And I guess you could call it mine

No one really belongs any more, they're just here passing time
No one stops to smile, nobody waves as they walk by
You're lucky if you catch their angry eyes

Angry eyes, angry eyes
The ...right through you, through the emptiness that you keep inside
And just like hell that's on the highway
Through the driving rain tonight
I'm fighting off the tears with angry eyes

And ... girl doesn't look at you the way that it looks at me
It's an awful lonely feeling knowing love got in between
I still see them out, on the street sometimes
So lonesome he could cry
Staring back at me with angry eyes

Angry eyes, angry eyes
The ...right through you, through the emptiness that you keep inside
And just like hell that's on the highway
Through the driving rain tonight
I'm fighting off the tears with angry eyes

My daddy said ... world down and it stared right back at me
And lone he's in the darkness is that the man I wannna be

Cause this room is dark and empty as I lie awake at night
There's just you and me and angry eyes

Overall Meaning

The song "Angry Eyes" by Sons of Bill is a powerful song expressing a sense of detachment in a small town. The opening lines suggest that the singer has spent another night sleepless and has woken up to a technical morning. The use of "dreaming black and white" creates a stark contrast between the singer's bleak reality and what could have been. He then looks out of the window and sees his reflection against the sky, which depicts a sense of loneliness and isolation. The phrase "angry eyes" is repeated throughout the song, signifying the detachment between people in the town, who are caught up in their own world, and how they project their frustration and anger onto others.

The second verse introduces the idea that the town is no longer a place where people belong, but they just pass by, which is why no one stops to smile or wave at one another. The line "You're lucky if you catch their angry eyes" shows how predominant this feeling of frustration has become. The singer also reflects on a lost love, as he sees the girl he used to love with someone else, feeling lonely and isolated. The final verse has the singer reflecting on life's hardships, possibly reflecting on his father's advice to take on the world and how tough it can be. The idea of lying awake in a dark and empty room with angry eyes, which may have double connotations, shows the singer's struggle with his emotions and how alone he is feeling.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah well I woke up again
I woke up again from another sleepless night

From another sleepless night
I couldn't sleep again last night

To a technical in morning when you're dreaming black and white
I woke up to an alarm in the morning when I was in the middle of a black and white dream

Staring out my window, to my reflection against the sky
I'm staring out my window and seeing my reflection against the sky

And can't seem to see past my angry eyes
I can't see past my angry expression

And this old town is my daddy's home town
This town belongs to my father

And I guess you could call it mine
I suppose you could say it's mine too

No one really belongs any more, they're just here passing time
Nobody really belongs here anymore, they're just biding their time

No one stops to smile, nobody waves as they walk by
Nobody smiles or waves when they walk by

You're lucky if you catch their angry eyes
You might catch someone's angry expression

The ...right through you, through the emptiness that you keep inside
Someone's angry expression can cut through your facade and see your inner emptiness

And just like hell that's on the highway
The driving rain tonight feels like a trip through hell

I'm fighting off the tears with angry eyes
I'm holding back tears with my angry expression

It's an awful lonely feeling knowing love got in between
It's a lonely feeling when love gets in the way of things

I still see them out, on the street sometimes
I still see them out on the street every now and then

So lonesome he could cry
I'm so lonely I could cry

My daddy said ... world down and it stared right back at me
My father told me that when he stared the world down, it stared right back at him

And lone he's in the darkness is that the man I wannna be
And when he's alone in the darkness, he wonders whether that's the type of man he wants to be

Cause this room is dark and empty as I lie awake at night
Because this room is dark and empty when I'm lying awake at night

There's just you and me and angry eyes
It's just me and my angry expression here together

Contributed by Katherine N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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