Behind Blue Eyes
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 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
| "Behind Blue Eyes" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Going Mobile" |
"Behind Blue Eyes" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who for his Lifehouse project. It first appeared on The Who's 1971 Who's Next album, along with a number of other remnants from the project.[1][2] The song is one of The Who's most well known recordings and has been covered by many artists, including Limp Bizkit in their 2003 album Results May Vary.
Overview
The song is one of the most well-known of The Who's recordings. It starts off with a solo voice singing over an arpeggiated guitar, later adds in bass guitar and ethereal harmonies, eventually breaks out into full-scale rock anthem when a second theme is introduced near the end, and wraps up by a brief reprise of the quieter first theme. Songs written in alternating sections were something of a trademark of Townshend's writing of the period, going back at least to Tommy, where it was used in "Christmas" and "Go to the Mirror!". The guitar riff at the end of the rock anthem section is also used after the bridge during the song "Won't Get Fooled Again," perhaps serving as a link between the two songs when Who's Next was intended to be a rock opera. (Some musical themes from Tommy and Quadrophenia appear in multiple places.)
The lyrics are a first-person lament from a man in the Lifehouse story, variously identified as 'Brick' or 'Jumbo', who is always angry and full of angst because of all the pressure and temptation that surrounds him, and the song was intended to be his "theme song" had the project been successful. (The lyrics of the rocking section near the end were actually written by Townshend as a prayer when he was a disciple of Meher Baba after being tempted by a groupie, and incorporated into the song when it was written.) In the incarnation of Lifehouse that was officially released as a part of Pete Townshend's solo box set, The Lifehouse Chronicles the song's meaning changes to the theme song of the story's protagonist, Ray.
The version of "Behind Blue Eyes" on the original Who's Next album was actually the second version the band recorded; the earlier version appears as a bonus track on the remastered CD release, which features Al Kooper on Hammond Organ. Pete Townshend has also recorded two solo versions, one (the original demo of the song) was featured on the Scoop album. The demo along with a newer recording of the song featuring an orchestral backing was featured in The Lifehouse Chronicles.
Covers
Limp Bizkit
| "Behind Blue Eyes" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Behind Blue Eyes" is covered by Limp Bizkit on their album Results May Vary, released in 2003. The song was released for the film Gothika starring Halle Berry.
Track listing
- "Behind Blue Eyes" (Album Version)
- "Just Drop Dead" (Non-Lp Version)
- "Rollin'" (Dj Monk Vs The Track Mack Remix)
- "Behind Blue Eyes" (Video/LP Version)
| Year | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |
| 2004 | Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| 2004 | The Billboard Hot 100 | 71 |
| 2004 | Top 40 Mainstream | 25 |
Other covers
- "Behind Blue Eyes" was also covered by Bryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Testudo, Ian Stuart Donaldson, Jon English, Suzanne Vega, Silvertide and The Chieftains.
- Country/Western musician Unknown Hinson covered the song "Behind Blue Eyes" under the name "Behind Black Eyes," changing certain lines of the song to fit his profile.
- The intro to the song was sung by Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode from Season 4, "Where the Wild Things Are".
- Rapper Noreaga also recorded a song entitled "Bad Mad" (featuring Beanie Sigel) that uses a sample of the chorus of the song.
- Most recently, Dilana performed her cover of "Behind Blue Eyes" on Rockstar: Supernova.
- In 2008, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Joe Budden made a Hip-Hop version based on Limp Bizkit's version of "Behind Blue Eyes" called "The Bad, The Sad, and The Hated".
- Right-wing Oi!-Punk group Skrewdriver recorded an altered cover of "Behind Blue Eyes" in 1988.
- The comedian Bill Hicks in a skit comparing the Bloods and Crips of LA to the hooligans of England on his 1994 release Arizona Bay sings the words: "No-one knows what it's like to be a dustbin in Shaftsbury" using the opening melody of the song.
- Sheryl Crow's version of "Behind Blue Eyes" was featured in the Californication episode Blues From Laurel Canyon
References
- ^ "Who's Next : The Who". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ "The Streets lead Ivor nominations". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
