"EYES" IN 1967 MUSIC: "MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOU" AND OTHER EXAMPLES

The word 'eyes' has always featured in the lyrics of songs of all kinds. As a highly expressive body part, they lend themselves to conveying images and feelings in a direct and immediate way.

They often indicate the state of mind of one person towards another or a situation they are experiencing. It is also common for the eyes to serve as a poetic representation of the person themselves.

An example of this can be found in "My Eyes Have Seen You" (link here), the eighth track on The Doors' second album, "Strange Days", released in September 1967.

As emphasized in the title, here the eyes serve as a poetic device to represent "I" or "me". The phrase that gives the song its name is interpreted by listeners as "I saw you"; therefore, the eyes are given the task of making an otherwise simple phrase more evocative and intriguing.

Jim Morrison, who wrote this tune, used to turn his poems into music with the help of the other three members of The Doors.

As in this case, he always managed to conjure captivating and mysterious images in the minds of listeners.

His poetry, which found its greatest expression in the lyrics of The Doors' songs, was full of rhetorical devices and metaphors.

In "My Eyes Have Seen You", the metaphor of the eyes reveals the powerful, passionate intensity of the gaze directed at a girl who is the object of his desire.

Morrison was not the only artist to use the metaphor of the eyes in song lyrics. Talking about 1967, the year of release of “My Eyes Have Seen You", we would like to mention two other examples.

The first is "I'll Be Your Mirror"' by the Velvet Underground (link here), which appeared on their debut album, "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (released in March 1967). The lyrics of this beautiful song include the line “Let me be your eyes”.

Without delving into the song's overall meaning, it is clear that the eyes are being used as a metaphor to offer help to someone in a difficult situation.

'I'll Be Your Mirror' is sung by Nico in her sensual, deep and solemn voice, which is particularly evocative and enhanced by Lou Reed's arrangement and lyrics.

This fascinating folk-rock tune was written by Lou Reed himself. It is a song that can be considered a jewel of the American underground music scene of 1967 and remains a really beautiful song to this day.

Another song in which eyes are used to represent the speaker is Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (link here), released as a single in April 1967. A member of the Four Seasons, Valli had recently launched a solo career while still performing with the group.

This song is firmly in the realm of pop. After just one listen, it's clear that the arrangement and vocals align with the record's purely commercial purpose (it's still very popular after 54 years).

Like Morrison, Valli uses the eyes as a rhetorical device to refer to a person. Thus, the title "I can't stop looking at you" becomes "I can't take my eyes off you" to create a more immediate and powerful effect on the listener.

In these examples, eyes are used as a metaphor and a tool to speak to the audience in a more direct, seductive and poetic way.

The aforementioned artists, among others, used this technique to enrich their lyrics with penetrating and fascinating images.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”