They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.
The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.
The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.
Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).
Beautiful Brown Eyes
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
I'll never love blue eyes again.
Molly my darling, I love you
Love you with all of my heart
Tomorrow we were to be married
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
I'll never love blue eyes again.
Life's full of struggle and sorrow
Life's full of heartaches and woes
And I need the love of my woman
To guide me where ever I go.
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
I'll never love blue eyes again.
I'll never love blue eyes again...
The Brothers Four's song, “Beautiful Brown Eyes”, is a sentimental love song about a man who is separated from his beloved, Molly. The opening line “Beautiful beautiful brown eyes, I'll never love blue eyes again” sets the tone for the entire song. The singer addresses his lover, proclaiming that her brown eyes are the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen, and he will never love anyone with blue eyes again. The repetition of this phrase emphasizes his devotion and loyalty to her.
The second stanza reveals that the couple was supposed to marry but have been separated due to the singer's ramblin'. The third stanza is reflective, acknowledging the struggles and heartaches of life and how the love of his woman guides him. The final repetition of the opening line serves as a final reiteration of the singer’s devotion to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautiful beautiful brown eyes
The singer is talking about how beautiful the woman's brown eyes are.
I'll never love blue eyes again.
The singer is declaring that they will never love someone with blue eyes again, now that they are in love with someone who has beautiful brown eyes.
Molly my darling, I love you
The singer is addressing their lover, named Molly, and expressing their love for her.
Love you with all of my heart
The artist is emphasizing how much they love Molly, with all of their heart.
Tomorrow we were to be married
The artist and Molly had plans to get married the next day.
But ramblin' has kept us apart.
The singer and Molly have been separated due to the singer's desire to travel and experience the world.
Life's full of struggle and sorrow
The singer is reflecting on the hardships of life, including struggle and sorrow.
Life's full of heartaches and woes
The artist is acknowledging that life can be difficult and involve heartache and pain.
And I need the love of my woman
The artist needs the love and support of his lover to help him through the struggles of life.
To guide me where ever I go.
The artist wants his lover, Molly, to be with him and guide him on his journey wherever he goes.
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@barbaradane9526
I learned it in the forties like this:
Willie my darlin' I love you,
Love you with all my heart,
Tomorrow we were to be married,
But liquor has kept us apart.
Beautiful, beautiful brown eyes 3X
I'll never love blue eyes again.
He staggered into the barroom,
Fell beside the door,
And the very last words that he uttered
"I'll never get drunk anymore."
Beautiful, beautiful brown eyes 3X
I'll never love blue eyes again.
Well, seven long years I been married,
I wish I was single again.
A woman don't know half her troubles
Until she has married a man.
Beautiful, beautiful brown eyes 3X
I'll never love blue eyes again.
@shelbyyyboo13
My grandpa used to sing this song to me all time. He made me realize my eyes didn't have to be blue to be beautiful. He passed away on Sunday morning but I will make sure I play this song & always think of him & how beautiful he always made me feel. <3
@toranada
It’s so great you have this memory
@manjusreesen3712
I share your happiness....I've loved this song since my early schooldays in the 1950's!! My elder brother and I used to sing it so happily.....
@lexi5429
My mom said my grandpa sang this to her and now I’m singing it to my son. Brown eyes can be really stunning!
@stefaniekilnapp1425
I came to this because my grandma would sing this to me and she just passed on Sunday. Crazy.
@paulsmith3487
I'm 75 now and can remember this song from when I was a very young kid in the fifties,warm and loving,beautiful!
@deborahfoster3928
My Mother used to sing for us all the time. Still does at 93. Barbra Allen, Knoxville Girl, Beautiful Brown Eyes are three of the songs I remember so well. She had the clearest, most beautiful voice. Sweet memories of traveling at night headed to Grandma's for the weekend, with Daddy driving, Mama sitting up there singing and we three girls in the back seat listening to every word. If she wasn't singing, we'd be listening to the Grand Old Opry on the radio. ❤️🎶
@tsmathews61
My daddy sang this to me as a little girl. He passed in 1996, so hearing this brought tears to my eyes. Daddy had beautiful steel blue eyes, not one of us kids got them, we all had various shades of brown.
@ApotropaicV
I have two sisters. We all have differently colored eyes. My Mom has the most beautiful voice. And she’d swirl from bed to bed singing about our magical eyes. It was wonderful, at the time.
I felt like my eyes were special.
Happy memory.
@TheBotenTeam
My Grandma used to sing this to me when I was a child, she told me my Grandpa would sing it to her. He was passed at the time, she is now passed and I sing it to my son. I've never heard the actual song though. As soon as they started to harmonize I started to weep. I could almost hear them both singing to me. This song will be played at my wedding this year.