“In Your Eyes”
On Saturdays our companions are musicians.
I want to end this week of “Simplicity & Joy” with something fun and celebratory. It’ a song suggestion sent in by a reader.
I liked “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel when it came out in the 80’s, but this live version from Gabriel’s 1993–1994 Secret World Tour takes it to the epic level.
This is really a dance—and ends up just, literally, jumping!
According to Gabriel, the lyrics of “In Your Eyes” can either refer to a romantic relationship or a divine one between the listener and God. As the reader who suggested this song wrote to me, “I suppose most people think of ‘In Your Eyes’ as a love song between two humans, but I’m pretty sure that George Herbert would immediately identify it as a hymn. After seeing this video, I can’t think of the song as anything other than that.” Me neither.
The woman with the unstoppable voice is Paula Cole, and the man chanting in Congolese is the late Papa Wemba. The traditional African chant roughly translates as, “The eyes, the eyes, they never lie.”
Enjoy as a delightful dance party celebrating our week of “Simplicity & Joy.” (Full lyrics below.)
Love I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes
Love, I don’t like to see so much pain
So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive
And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
The heat I see in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
In your eyes, in your eyes
COMPANIONS ON THE WAY
Introduction
Stories of Turning
Week One
Stories of Wild Places
Week Two
Stories of Dogged Faith
Week Three
Stories of Mercy & Forgiveness
Week Four
Stories of Simplicity & Joy
Week Five
Stories of Prayer & Surrender
Week Six
Stories of Transforming Love
Introduction
Stories of Turning
Week One
Stories of Wild Places
Week Two
Stories of Dogged Faith
Week Three
Stories of Mercy & Forgiveness
Week Four
Stories of Simplicity & Joy
Week Five
Stories of Prayer & Surrender
Week Six
Stories of Transforming Love
David, what a glad cap to a week of joy. It had been a long time since I’d heard Peter Gabriel. Watched the vidoe and then found another, made just a few years ago, where Gabriel, white-bearded, sings this song.
Thanks for this, David. Thanks for the week of joy.
Yes, I’ve seen those later versions with a hoary headed Gabriel. I think, He can’t be old! He’s just a timeless voice from my younger years. But, alas.
Thank you David for sharing with us such a glorious rendition of Peter Gabriel’s song. It puts me in the mood for a lovely weekend.
Thank you for sharing – loving the music Saturdays! I will never hear this quite the same going forward. No matter how I see myself or others see me, I am whole and just as I was created to be in God’s eyes. That’s a good take away and worth celebrating.
Peter Gabriel is one of my favorites – this song, Shaking the Tree, and The Book of Love are particular favorites. Thanks, David!
David! I’m behind and just closing my weekend with you – this song was made famous by Lloyd Dobbler in the movie Say Anything, and it graced many a mix tape I made in my teenage years. I never listened to it with a religious ear though. Thanks for a brand new perspective on an old song and for introducing us to this feel good version in particular. Just shared with the family too and suggested that our girls all get to know it if they don’t already.