In 1986 Peter Gabriel released his best-selling album “So”. The album contains the quintessential Gabriel song “In Your Eyes”. The African-inspired love ballad was released as the album’s second single and features vocals from Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour. Part of the song’s popularity is owed to an iconic scene in the romantic teen drama “Say Anything”. But what’s the story and meaning behind the song? Let’s find out!
The Story Behind the Song
The origin of “In Your Eyes” lie in another Peter Gabriel track called “Sagrada”. Gabriel wrote the song inspired by a trip to Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The track never made “So”, but some elements of the song – especially the verse – were used for “In Your Eyes”.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Gabriel said: “I’d always liked the emotion of the verse (of Sagrada), so when we were looking for something else to try at the front of ‘In Your Eyes,’ I started working around with the melody from Sagrada.”
The inspiration behind the song, both musically and lyrically, was African music. The influence can be heard instantly through the song’s drum section. On the track, Gabriel is vocally supported by Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, who impressed Gabriel during a concert.
The two supposedly met in Senegal, where Gabriel saw N’Dour perform (some claim Gabriel saw N’Dour perform in Paris instead of Senegal). He was blown away by N’Dour’s extraordinary voice. So when N’Dour flew over to London for a performance, Gabriel didn’t hesitate to invite him over to the studio.
N’dour later recalled in the Guardian: “After my first-ever show in London, Peter Gabriel came to my dressing room and told me he loved my voice. I knew of Genesis but I wasn’t really aware of who he was. One of the technical people said: Do you know who that was? That was God!”
N’Dour appears at the end of “In Your Eyes”. He sings a rough translation of the song’s chorus in his native Wolof.
The Meaning of In Your Eyes
Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” is an African-inspired love song. Gabriel later told Rolling Stone the song was partially “based on this African idea of having an ambiguous love song that can be human love, man to woman, or man to God.”
The verses of the song delve into the issues of a stressful relationship. Despite these issues, the narrator is inevitably driven back to his lover. Her love feels magnetic, spiritual, and almost unavoidable. The chorus explains how he sees churches, light, and heat in her eyes. He feels a sense of completement when looking into her eyes.
Read more: The 10 Best Peter Gabriel Songs of All Time
In a Songfacts interview with Daniel Lanois, co-producer of the album “So”, he said: “Peter had this idea that by looking into someone’s eyes, you would see, quite specifically in the lyric, the doorway to a thousand churches … Yeah, you can stand in a church and it might have a gilded ceiling and statues, but you might speak to God by looking at someone’s eyes who loves you, or you love them.”
This obviously refers back to Gabriel’s inspiration behind the song: “This African idea of having an ambiguous love song that can be human love, man to woman, or man to God.”
Some believe Gabriel’s then-wife Jill Moore is the inspiration behind “In Your Eyes”. The two married in 1971 and eventually entered divorce proceedings in 1987, one year after the release of “So”. Others believe Rosanna Arquette is the inspiration behind the song.
The Song’s Legacy
“In Your Eyes” was released as the second single of “So” in the US. The song reached number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song wasn’t released as a single in the UK.
The song is a staple in Peter Gabriel’s live shows, where the song often stretches to over 10 minutes. Live performances are sometimes supported by Youssou N’Dour.
The song regained attention in 1989, when it was used in the movie “Say Anything”. An iconic Romeo-and-Juliet-esque scene showcases the main character holding a boombox above his head in front of his ex-girlfriend’s house. Out of the boombox plays “In Your Eyes”. The scene became so popular the song re-entered the US charts.
Nowadays the song counts as a fan favorite. It is considered one of the greatest tracks in Peter Gabriel’s rich repertoire.
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I love this song.
And Love looking into the woman I am in Love with eyes.