Playlist: Our Favorite Songs About…. Eyes

*Image of the cover of ‘The Great Gatsby’ taken from the internet and probably still copyrighted somewhere…

I was sorting some books on my office bookshelf last weekend at the behest of the Rock Chick and came across my tattered copy of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece novel. I was, as I always am, taken by the cover art for the book, pictured above. Two disembodied eyes, each with a reclining nude in the iris, with a single tear streaking down from the right eye. There are many interpretations for the image, the most common is that the eyes are a representation of the faded billboard advertisement for optometrist Dr. T.J. Eckelburg’s practice in the book… the eyes watch the action of the novel unfold before them. It’s also thought to be the eyes of Daisy Buchanan which floated in the mind of Gatsby his whole adult life. Either way, it’s a striking image.

At the same time, I was shuffling some music on the stereo whilst I worked on the bookshelves as I’m prone to do when doing almost anything and the great Bob Welch track “Ebony Eyes” popped up. After immersing myself in box sets over the last few months (Pete Townshend, the Faces, and Neil Young) I’ve been taking a more random, casual approach to listening to music…palette cleansing for the ears. A little while later a song I always dedicate to the Rock Chick, “Green-Eyed Lady” by Sugarloaf popped up. The Rock Chick has stunning green eyes… I began to wonder if the universe was sending me a signal. I could almost hear the whispered voices of the spirits in my ear, “Hey pal, do a playlist based on songs about eyes.” I realize that I’m fresh off doing a playlist for songs about Fire. And I have slowed down my playlist posts for reasons unclear, but this series of events around eyes just grabbed me. The signals are out there, we just have to pay attention. While I don’t always publish my playlists it seems that I’m always working on one.

A person’s eyes can be so captivating. I know I’ve been haunted by a few sets of beautiful eyes in my lifetime. My father, The Hard Guy, has piercing blue eyes. Alas, I was born with brown eyes. Not that there’s anything wrong with brown eyes, most of us have brown eyes, but if I’d gotten my dad’s blue eyes, I would have been irresistible to women. Or at least, that’s how I’m choosing to think about it. Although admittedly that may be a stretch… I know when I said that to the Rock Chick she just laughed at me. She can laugh since she’s got those striking eyes. On our first date I asked her if anybody ever complimented her on her beautiful, full lips. I think at that point that might have been a tactical error which I realized when she said, “Uh, most people mention my eyes.” I call her eyes green, and they are, but they seem to change with her wardrobe. Whatever she’s wearing – grey, green, blue – it brings that color to her eyes. Me, I can wear any color in the rainbow and my eyes look… brown.

It’s said that Shakespeare was the one who coined the idea or the phrase, “the eyes are the window to the soul.” I’ve read a lot of Shakespeare… I know, I know, but I went through a classical lit phase right out of college… and I can’t find where Shakespeare might have said that. Regardless of who said it, I’ve always felt that was true. I was born with a high level of empathy and I can always read the vibe in a room… I do that by looking people in the eye. Frankly, as I’ve gotten older I am incapable of lying, especially to the Rock Chick… my eyes give me away. Muddy was right when he sang, “My eyes keep me in trouble…” It’s easy to tell when someone is either with you or against you simply by looking in their eyes as they speak. It’s important to know that these days…

We live in extraordinarily strange times. And since I’ve been doing B&V for a while now and have gotten comments from Belgium, Australia, the UK and points beyond, I’ve come to realize that the eyes of the world are on the U.S. and the coming election. We can only do our best to stave off extremism and hold the world order together. France and the UK recently succeeded, why can’t we? It’s a terrifying prospect. Either way, I know what happens here in less than two weeks will impact everybody. I’ve already done a playlist on Election Fatigue and one on Halloween for that matter, so I went with “eyes.” Just please vote if you’re out there. Your vote is your voice.

I realize that in some of these songs about eyes, or sight, the singer is talking about insight, or knowledge. Many of us learn visually. Although I think I cut most of those song out… if I’d expanded the list to include all the songs about “looking” or “seeing things” I’d have run out of room. As usual with our playlists we’re all over the place from mellow to metal. If a song pops up on the list and you don’t dig it, skip it and go to the next one. Play straight through or shuffle the songs on random… season to taste. There’s bound to be something you like…that’s what I hope anyway. It’s our goal at B&V to turn you onto a song you’ve never heard, or put a song back in your ear that you haven’t heard in a long time.

As always, if you have a great song that fits the theme, drop it in the comments section and I’ll add it to the playlist. I’ll be looking out for those… Here’s our playlist, with my pithy comments below.

1. Sugarloaf, “Green-Eyed Lady” – For the Rock Chick and her lovely green eyes… “Green eyed lady, lovely lady, child of nature, friend of man.”
2. The Who, “Behind Blue Eyes” – A song where Pete Townshend lays himself bare for the world to see.
3. David Bowie, “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” – “See these eyes so green, I can stare for a thousand years.” Again with the green eyes. Great song from an okay movie. Go with the original soundtrack version, it’s definitive.
4. Fleetwood Mac, “Eyes Of The World” – A Lindsey Buckingham song where he tries to play it straight after the experimentation of Tusk. This one from Mirage, which the Mac just released a live album from that tour…
5. Aerosmith, “Sight For Sore Eyes” – One of those great Aerosmith deep tracks that all true fans know by heart.
6. Loggins & Messina, “Angry Eyes” – It’s never a good sign when you’ve got angry eyes bearing down on you… I’ve never been a big Kenny Loggins fan, but this Loggins/Messina song is like a folk rock “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin'” with a full on jazz breakdown in the middle.
7. Chuck Berry, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” – It’s a testament to Chuck’s influence that so many others recorded this song: Elvis, Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash, to name but a few.
8. Ray Charles, “We Don’t See Eye To Eye” – Reminds me of a wealthy woman I knew briefly…
9. Elton John, “Blue Eyes” – I saw Elton on this tour in high school. I didn’t want to go at the time, it was with my family… but I’m very glad I saw Elton live.
10. Jackson Browne, “Your Bright Baby Blues” – “No matter how fast I run, I can never seem to get away from me…”
11. Don Henley, “Drivin’ With Your Eyes Closed” – “Don’t you know that women are the only works of art?” I would not recommend driving with your eyes anywhere but on the road. From the great Building The Perfect Beast.
12. Doobie Brothers, “Dark Eyed Cajun Lady” – Who hasn’t fallen under the spell of a dark-eyed Cajun lady? I know I did, long ago… although admittedly she was not Cajun, she was from Shreveport. She did have dark eyes.
13. J. Geils Band, “Look Me In The Eye” – If you’re gonna leave, step up and do it eye to eye. The J Geils Band say it all here.
14. The Who, “I Can See For Miles” – “There’s magic in my eyes…”
15. Peter Frampton, “I Got My Eyes On You” – This track sounds like the early days of when I met the Rock Chick.
16. Paul Simon, “Silent Eyes” – This song is just so beautiful, it’s like a prayer. And I don’t pray.
17. Mudcrutch, “Lost In Your Eyes” – A lost Mudcrutch tune from 1974 on the superb box set, An American Treasure.
18. The Who, “Naked Eye” – I didn’t know this wonderful track existed until the Who performed it on their first “farewell” tour in 1982. When Pete and Daltrey duet, it’s usually sublime. “Take a little dope and walk out in the air…”
19. AC/DC, “Snake Eye” – B-Side that should have made it onto a proper album.
20. Judas Priest, “Electric Eye” – It seems Judas Priest’s paranoid song about satellite surveillance was actually prescient.
21. Them, “Mystic Eyes” – Van Morrison’s first band on a great, oft overlooked tune. I think Tom Petty covered this song on Live At The Fillmore, 1997, if memory serves me…(narrator voice: it usually doesn’t).
22. Billy Joel, “Rosalinda’s Eyes” – Prime Billy Joel…sublime.
23. Peter Gabriel, “In Your Eyes” – Please don’t think because I included this great song, that I’m gonna show up in your front yard with a boom box.
24. Bruce Springsteen, “Gloria’s Eyes” – Great rocker from the first non-E Street Band era. The Rock Chick reintroduced me to this song.
25. Billy Idol, “Eyes Without A Face” – “Steal a car and go to Las Vegas…” Those records are sealed. From the great Rebel Yell album.
26. Def Leppard, “Mirror Mirror” – I’ve just rediscovered Def Leppard with the 40th anniversary release for Pyromania. This track is from what I consider their best album, High N Dry.
27. Motley Crue, “Starry Eyes” – I just love this early Crue. Nasty riffage. There were a few good Hair Metal Bands…
28. Doobie Brothers, ‘Eyes Of Silver” – One of those great Doobie Brothers’ songs that strangely never ended up on any of the Greatest Hits albums I purchased from them…
29. Jackson Browne, “Doctor My Eyes” – Well, this track just had to be here. As I listen to this song, it reminds me of watching the news for too long. “Doctor, my eyes, Tell me what is wrong, Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?”
30. The Guess Who, “These Eyes” – I don’t know much about the Guess Who, but I’ve always dug this track.
31. Eagles, “Lyin’ Eyes” – The tale of a trophy wife, ditching her rich, old husband and heading “to the cheatin’ side of town.” This track has always hit me. Those vocal harmonies, oh my!
32. Stevie Nicks, “I Still Miss Someone” – We’ve all carried on in our lives, but I think it’s common to miss a few folks we’ve met along the journey to contentment. Stevie Nicks is a National Treasure.
33. Bruce Springsteen, “Hey Blue Eyes” – Springsteen’s most subtly heavy political tracks ever.
34. Van Morrison, “Brown Eyed Girl” – Van at his happiest. “Cast my memory back there, Lord
    Sometimes I’m overcome thinking ’bout it, Making love in the green grass, Behind the stadium with you…” “Oh to be young and feel love’s keen sting.”
35. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, “Can’t Keep My Eyes On You” – Former New York Doll singing one of my favorite of his solo tracks. Great riffage.
36. Muddy Waters, “(My Eyes) Keep Me In Trouble” – Well I think we’ve all been here.
37. The Black Crowes, “Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye” – Classic Black Crowes blues from Southern Harmony…
38. Dio, “Evil Eyes” – A wonderful, meet-me-at-the-finish-line rockers from Dio. Devil horns to all of you!
39. Neil Young, “Cocaine Eyes” – From an EP, El Dorado, only released a few years ago. This was a precursor to his excellent Freedom album.
40. Robert Plant, “Hurting Kind” – “I’m coming up real fast, I’ve got my eyes on you…”
41. Aerosmith, “Eyesight To The Blind” – I could have gone with the Who version, but I’ve got a lot of Who on this list… which is a good thing but hey, moderation in all things. “You talk about your woman, I wish that you could see mine…”
42. Rival Sons, “Open My Eyes” – Great track from a new-ish band. On the Great Western Valkyries album.
43. Bob Welch, “Ebony Eyes” – The erstwhile Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist’s solo hit.
44. Bruce Springsteen, “Spanish Eyes” – Ah, Spain. The food, the women… the beautiful eyes.
45. Grateful Dead, “Eyes Of The World” – Jaunty little tune from the Dead… I do think I’m slowly becoming a Dead Head… it took me a while.
46. The Cars, “Stranger Eyes” – From the great Heartbeat City. Even the deep tracks are great on that album.
47. Lita Ford (featuring Ozzy Osbourne), “Close My Eyes Forever” – A former member of the Runaways and the Prince of Darkness, what else do you need?
48. Lauryn Hill, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” – Her debut album is nothing short of brilliant.
49. Rod Stewart, “I’d Rather Go Blind” – Sometimes you wish your eyes would stop working rather than see your old love move on… “When the reflection in the glass that I held to my lips now, baby
    Revealed the tears that was on my face, yeah…”
50. The Velvet Underground, “Pale Blue Eyes” – One doesn’t usually associate a beautiful ballad with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. Here’s one that I just love. R.E.M. actually covered this song and it’s worth a listen as well.
51. Cheap Trick, “Big Eyes” – I chose the studio version, but you could have easily gone with the live version as well. My late friend Alf always said I liked girls with big eyes and prominent cheek bones. Well, who doesn’t?
52. Jimi Hendrix, “Gypsy Eyes” – I’ve known a few women with the eyes of a gypsy… can’t tie those ladies down, no way. God, the guitar on this song!
53. Neil Young, “Tired Eyes” – “He tried to do his best, but he could not…” God the lyrics. “Tell me more, tell me more, was he a doper or just a loser… he was a friend of yours?”
54. The Rolling Stones, “Far Away Eyes” – One of the funniest country rock songs ever written.
55. Pink Floyd, “Paranoid Eyes” – A quiet, soft track from The Final Cut, one of those albums maybe only I love. “You can hide, hide, hide behind brown and mild eyes…” Sounds like junior high school.
56. The Alan Parsons Project, “Eye In The Sky” – More smooth, adult-oriented rock (AOR) about satellite surveillance.
57. Fleetwood Mac, “Brown Eyes” – Beautiful Christine McVie track. I think Peter Green came back and played a little guitar on this one…
58. Depeche Mode, “World In My Eyes” – I would take this trip with Depeche Mode.
59. Doobie Brothers, “Open Your Eyes” – Yes, it’s Yacht Rock, but it’s great Yacht Rock. I was a fan of breakup songs long before I even had a girlfriend.
60. Johnny Cash, “Mean Eyed Cat” – The great Johnny Cash, echoing my feelings about my wife’s second cat… Turns out I’m fond of the beast, though.
61. U2, “Spanish Eyes” – This little leftover track just rocks. One of my favorites of U2’s deep tracks. Bono sounds unhinged.
62. John Mellencamp, “The Eyes Of Portland” – Great song about homelessness from Orpheus Descending.
63. Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” – Stills’ most famous song?
64. The Beatles, “Tell Me What You See” – I had to kinda reach to get a Beatles track on here, but every playlists has to have a Beatles track or two… “Open up your eyes now, tell me what you see.”
65. The Kinks, “Killer’s Eyes” – Ray Davies is an underappreciated songwriter.
66. The Streets, “Dry Your Eyes” – This track may seem a little out of my wheel house, but I’ve loved this song since I first heard it in 2004. It’s simply the most effecting breakup song ever recorded. It describes the emotions so accurately it’ll take you back in time.
67. The Doors, “My Eyes Have Seen You” – A little trippy acid jazz never hurts.
68. Bruce Springsteen, “Good Eye” – Springsteen getting bluesy and distorted. More of this please.
69. Soul Asylum, “Eyes Of A Child” – Great sarcastic song from a great band.
70. 38 Special, “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys” – I never could resist the wild eyed southern boys known as .38 Special when I was in high school and so included this one as a nod to those ol’ salad days.

I know I’ve had the privilege of staring into some very pretty eyes in my time. I’m just thankful the Rock Chick’s beautiful green eyes are the ones I settled on. I am, indeed, a lucky man. When I think about my checkered past I can only think the great songwriter Jackson Browne says it best when he sings, “No matter how fast I run, I can never get away from me…” So whether you’re haunted by someone’s eyes from your past and running from that or reveling in your current lover’s eyes heading deeper towards that, this playlist might help you as you get where you need to be.

One thing is for certain, these tracks do seem to scream out to be played while nursing a tumbler of dark and murky fluid while watching the moon come up…

Take care of each other out there over the next few tumultuous weeks. I’ll keep an eye out for any songs y’all might think will fit on this list. Cheers!