The featured image comes from a dream scene designed by Salvador Dali for Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound. Admittedly, it’s a poor substitute for a full-blown movie post, but I need to limit my screen time after eye surgery. The eyes still have me.
This list was done off the top of my head. The recordings date from 1960-1986. As usual, they’re arranged in chronological order. I’ve even included some of the most obvious eye songs with precious few obscurities. Have I let down the side? Discuss amongst yourselves.
I have omitted some legendary eye songs because I’ve used them for the Friday Cocktail Hour. I’ll post the links in the lagniappe section of the post after the dozen is done. Whatever you do, don’t doze on the dozen.
We begin with a Latinized version of a song that originally appeared in the 1934 musical, Dames. In fact, Rosie Clooney was quite a dame as well as a helluva broad.
Who among us is too good to be true? Gotta be a Jersey girl.
Here’s Van Morrison with a song he hasn’t played live in decades. His stock answer: I don’t play that fucking song no more. Ungrammatical but direct.
Stephen Stills’ blue eyed masterpiece:
Here’s a famous song by an obscure band. Holy one hit wonder, Batman.
Behind Blue Eyes is an even more obvious selection than Brown Eyed Girl. I had to go there because of my long history with Pete Townshend and The Who.
My Who mantra: I may be old, but I saw Keith Moon. I also witnessed him pass out on stage. Does that make me a Moonie?
The next number is dedicated to my eye doctor. She’s the least pretentious surgeon I’ve ever met. What’s not to love about a doc who can laugh at themselves?
Eyes Of The World is the rare Grateful Dead track that sounds as good in the studio as live.
Are you ready to rock with the band I finally saw after all these years? I seem to be full of rhetorical questions today. That’s a questionable tactic.
This next number is dedicated to Bette Davis whose eyes were bigger than Joan Crawford’s. They were equally mean even if I don’t buy the whole “no wire hangers” thing.
The next song was ripped from the headlines in 1981. Ray Davies wrote this song about Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot Pope John Paul II. Ray noticed the Killer’s Eyes while watching the BBC. They were, well, killer.
Finally, close your eyes and make like John Cusack in Say Anything, boom box and all:
What’s an Adrastos music listicle without some lagniappe? I promised links to FCH eye songs. Here they are in order of posting:
It turns out that I posted I Only Have Eyes For You in January, 2023 but missed the Clooney-Prado combo. In the immortal words of Joe E Brown in Some Like It Hot:
The eyes still have it.
Perhaps most relatable to the opening image…
Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face
Nearly made the cut. If there’s a 2.0 it will make it.