The music video for "A Pair of Brown Eyes" was directed in 1985 by Alex Cox and was set in a Nineteen Eighty-Four-esque Britain with Margaret Thatcher in the place of Big Brother as a supreme, god-like authoritarian figure. The video featured roles played by band members as well as a cameo by Elvis Costello.
A Pair Of Brown Eyes
The Pogues Lyrics
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I stood there nearly lifeless
An old man in the corner sang
Where the water lilies grow
And on the jukebox johnny sang
About a thing called love
And its how are you kid and whats your name
And how would you bloody know?
I lay down on the ground
And the arms and legs of other men
Were scattered all around
Some cursed, some prayed, some prayed then cursed
Then prayed and bled some more
And the only thing that I could see
Was a pair of brown eyes that was looking at me
But when we got back, labeled parts one to three
There was no pair of brown eyes waiting for me
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
For a pair of brown eyes
I looked at him he looked at me
All I could do was hate him
While Ray and Philomena sang
Of my elusive dream
I saw the streams, the rolling hills
Where his brown eyes were waiting
And I thought about a pair of brown eyes
That waited once for me
So drunk to hell I left the place
Sometimes crawling sometimes walking
A hungry sound came across the breeze
So I gave the walls a talking
And I heard the sounds of long ago
From the old canal
And the birds were whistling in the trees
Where the wind was gently laughing
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
A rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
For a pair of brown eyes
For a pair of brown eyes
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
For a pair of brown eyes
For a pair of brown eyes
The Poguesโ song โA Pair of Brown Eyesโ is a poignant tune that tells the story of a man who is reflecting on a past love. The song opens with the singer, who is drunk and nearly lifeless, listening to an old man in the corner sing about water lilies. Johnny, on the jukebox, is singing about love, but the singer is not in the mood for it. When he reflects on the bloodshed and war heโs seen, he focuses on a pair of brown eyes that were looking at him. He thinks about these eyes as belonging to a lover.
The singer reflects on a time when his lover and he were looking at each other and listening to music. He hated the man standing in front of him at the time, but he couldnโt help feeling drawn to the brown eyes of his lover. Despite his current state, he remembers a time when he was happy, although he doesn't know where his lover has gone. The singer ultimately leaves and speaks to the walls before hearing sounds from the old canal.
The song is about doomed love and the consequences of difficult decisions. It's reminiscent of the Irish storytelling tradition, where there is a tragic story, yet there is an underlying sense of positivity. The song conveys the universal theme of lost love and longing, but also the eventual acceptance of loss and moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
One summer evening drunk to hell
The singer was heavily intoxicated one summer night.
I stood there nearly lifeless
The singer was so drunk that they could barely stand.
An old man in the corner sang
There was an elderly man singing nearby.
Where the water lilies grow
The old man was singing about a place where water lilies can be found.
And on the jukebox johnny sang
There was a song playing on the jukebox sung by Johnny.
About a thing called love
The song was about the concept of love.
And its how are you kid and whats your name
Someone asked the singer how they were doing and what their name was.
And how would you bloody know?
The artist was too drunk to answer the question.
In blood and death neath a screaming sky
The artist is in a violent and deadly situation, possibly in battle.
I lay down on the ground
The artist fell to the ground.
And the arms and legs of other men
The singer saw limbs of other dead or injured individuals.
Were scattered all around
The limbs were not attached to their owners' bodies.
Some cursed, some prayed, some prayed then cursed
Different people in the battle had different reactions to their situation.
Then prayed and bled some more
Some individuals continued to pray even as they were bleeding or dying.
And the only thing that I could see
The singer only noticed one thing in this chaotic scene.
Was a pair of brown eyes that was looking at me
The only thing that the artist could see clearly was someone's brown eyes looking at them.
But when we got back, labeled parts one to three
After the battle, the participants were divided up into different categories.
There was no pair of brown eyes waiting for me
The individual with the brown eyes that the singer saw during the battle was not there when the singer returned.
And a rovin, a rovin, a rovin I'll go
The singer plans to travel aimlessly.
For a pair of brown eyes
The artist is searching for the person with the brown eyes they saw during the battle.
I looked at him he looked at me
The artist and someone else made eye contact.
All I could do was hate him
The artist felt intense dislike or rage towards the other person.
While Ray and Philomena sang
Ray and Philomena were singing in the background.
Of my elusive dream
The artist is dreaming of something unattainable.
I saw the streams, the rolling hills
The singer saw beautiful natural scenery.
Where his brown eyes were waiting
The singer believes that the person with the brown eyes is waiting for them in this beautiful place.
And I thought about a pair of brown eyes
The brown eyes are constantly on the singer's mind.
That waited once for me
The artist believes that the person with the brown eyes was waiting for them in the past.
So drunk to hell I left the place
The artist was extremely intoxicated when they left the place with the beautiful scenery.
Sometimes crawling sometimes walking
The singer had a difficult time leaving the place and had to crawl at times.
A hungry sound came across the breeze
The singer heard a sound that made them feel hungry.
So I gave the walls a talking
The artist talked to the walls, possibly out of loneliness.
And I heard the sounds of long ago
The artist remembers hearing sounds from the past.
From the old canal
The sounds were coming from an old canal.
And the birds were whistling in the trees
The birds were making noises in the trees nearby.
Where the wind was gently laughing
The artist heard the sound of the wind, which sounded like it was laughing softly.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robmccall4336
Itโs good to see this man being fully appreciated for his mercurial talents following his passing. One of the true greats. I shed a tear, but with a twinkle in my eye. God speed Shane.
@ghostgrabber
Same..RIP Shane.
@creed22solar123
and from you I've found out. This man is a huge inspiration. Rest in Peace, Poet.
@jamiehalifax4954
Very sad day..shane was one of a kind ๐ข
@sineadoconnor2000
His passing has hit very hard , what a wonderful gift he had and how lucky are we to be able to still listen to his amazing lyrics .Rest in peace Shane .
@martinhendle7262
Me too ๐ข
@FRENCHYB2B
Music just doesnโt get better than this, true genius at work. RIP ๐๐ปโค๏ธ
@babezillafrankenstein2282
Agreed. I'm fucking gutted
@juditheisenring8816
me too, so sad
@hughegentry8255
You obviously don't listen to much music.