Shortly after appearing in a low-budget musical titled Calypso Heat Wave (1957, in which they lip-synched to "The Banana Boat Song"), Arkin left the group to pursue acting and was replaced by Clarence Cooper. In 1959, Darling departed to join The Weavers; he was replaced by banjoist/singer Eric Weissberg (later of "Dueling Banjos" fame). In 1962, Weissberg's college friend Marshall Brickman joined, making the group a quartet, until Carey departed in late 1963 to pursue a solo career. When Brickman left to join John Phillips in The New Journeymen, Al Dana replaced him. With the decline in popularity of folk music in the wake of the British Invasion, The Tarriers disbanded in 1965.
During their career, the group in its various configurations recorded six albums: one for Glory Records, one for United Artists Records, one for Atlantic Records and three for Decca Records (including one in which they backed folksinger Oscar Brand).
Those Brown Eyes
The Tarriers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My brown eyes whispered: "I must go!"
Not one second would she wait
She kissed my cheek and left my gate!
Those brown eyes I loved so well
Those brown eyes I long to see
How I long for those brown eyes
One night I met her on the street
I tipped my hat but I could not speak
Another man was by her side
Soon I thought she'd be his bride!
Those brown eyes I loved so well
Those brown eyes I long to see
How I long for those brown eyes
Strangers they have grown to be!
'Twas just a year ago today
They laid my own brown eyes away
Six long years for me she cried
It was her brother by her side!
Those brown eyes I loved so well
Those brown eyes I long to see
How I long for those brown eyes
Strangers they have grown to be!
The Tarriers' "Those Brown Eyes" is a love song that embodies the essence of heartbreak, despair, and the reality of loss. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about a moment when his beloved brown-eyed woman whispers to him that she must go, giving no reason for her sudden departure. The singer is left in a state of shock as he watches her walk out of his gate. The chorus repeats the phrase "Those brown eyes I loved so well" which seems to be an ode to her most striking feature that he remembers all so well. He laments his loneliness and how he longs to see her again.
The second verse moves on to an encounter on the street where the singer sees his brown-eyed girl with another man. He reminisces about tipping his hat but he was too much in shock to speak, realizing that he has another challenge ahead of him. The chorus repeats to further emphasize his undying love and how strangers the eyes that he so fondly remembers have become. The final verse is a somber reflection on the woman's death, which had taken place six years earlier. He mentions how she cried for him for six years but did not reveal that the brother was now by her side. The song ends with the chorus and leaves the listener with a sense of hopeless longing and loss.
Overall, the song's lyrics are a poetic representation of love, loss, and the pain of watching a lover fade away. It speaks to the feeling of yearning for someone who is unreachable and how time can change everything.
Line by Line Meaning
One evening when the sun was low
It was an evening with a setting sun in the background.
My brown eyes whispered: "I must go!"
The person with brown eyes said something softly indicating they have to leave.
Not one second would she wait
The person with brown eyes was in a hurry and didn't want to wait for even a moment.
She kissed my cheek and left my gate!
Before leaving, the person with brown eyes gave a kiss on the cheek and left the gate.
Those brown eyes I loved so well
The color brown of the person's eyes were loved dearly by the other person.
Those brown eyes I long to see
The person misses seeing the brown eyes and wishes to see them soon.
How I long for those brown eyes
The person desperately desires to see those brown eyes again.
Strangers they have grown to be!
Even though the brown eyes were loved dearly, they have now become strangers to the person.
One night I met her on the street
The person unexpectedly saw the one with brown eyes one night while walking on the street.
I tipped my hat but I could not speak
Even though the person was respectful, they couldn't speak due to being overwhelmed with emotions.
Another man was by her side
The person with brown eyes was with another man while they were seen on the street.
Soon I thought she'd be his bride!
The person quickly thought that the one with brown eyes might be getting married to the other man.
'Twas just a year ago today
The events that happened were exactly one year ago from the current day.
They laid my own brown eyes away
The person with brown eyes had passed away and was buried a year ago.
Six long years for me she cried
The person with brown eyes had cried for six years for someone else who had passed away.
It was her brother by her side!
The person with brown eyes was with her brother, not a new lover, on the street the other night.
Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.