Dirty Eyes
The Raveonettes Lyrics

The Raveonettes's song "Dirty Eyes" is an interesting commentary on the shallow and superficial nature of our culture's obsession with sex and physical appearance. The opening lines of the song, "Jimmy says that sex don't sell, I think he's just oh well," suggests that the singer, and perhaps the band as a whole, are skeptical of the traditional belief that sex sells in the music industry. The repetition of this line throughout the song underscores the idea that the band is pushing back against this notion, and asserting that there is more to music than just sex appeal.

The next few lines go on to address the idea of objectification and ownership in relationships. The lyrics "You stare at her and she looks so fine, you stare at him but he's all mine," suggest that the singer is possessive of their partner, and perhaps feels threatened by the attention that others are paying to them. There is a sense of jealousy and insecurity underlying these lines, which speaks to the larger issue of how our culture often values people based on their appearance, rather than their personality or character.

The chorus of the song, with lines like "Dirty eyes will make you dream, Sado Sue will make you scream, Transi Troy will make you mean," seems to suggest that the band is aware of how sex and sexuality can be used to manipulate and control people. The names of the characters referenced in these lines allude to different aspects of the kink community, and suggest that the singer is aware of the darker side of sexual desire. It's unclear whether the band is endorsing or critiquing these practices, but overall, the song seems to be suggesting that there is more to life than just sex and physical pleasure.