The Who: Behind Blue Eyes Meaning
Song Released: 1971
Behind Blue Eyes Lyrics
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have...
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I have to say I am quite surprised at what I see here, but again, what do I know, I am old, but it was always thought to be about recovering from addiction,
(If I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat) Don’t let me take pills
(When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool) If I am going to shoot dope, your clenching your fist to expose the vein, so he says unclench it before he uses it and looses his cool,
(If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat), come on, help me thru the withdrawals. classic withdrawals symptoms
All of the other parts of the lyrics are classic hard core addict feelings of self hatred and self destruction. CLASSIC
Maybe the self hatred part is shared by other personality problems, I dont know, All the members of the who have had there demons, look at Keith Moon and I know Townshend has had his addiction problems. I know they have there official meaning of the song, but do you think he would publicly admit such raw screwed up feelings as his own -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This song to me is about someone who has really taken their relationship with other people downhill. You know how there's always that one person that everyone hates, even though you know they deserve another chance. Well, think how that person feels inside. They sit awake at night thinking about how screwed up their life is, and how many people talk about them behind thier back. The "bad man" who has changed, but is still not accepted by his peers. Who desperately wants to start over but is constantly rejected(the sad man).
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"Behind Blue Eyes", you won't believe this, unless you see: 23 years ago I did volenteer work with children who had suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse. My work was once a week for about 4 hours a day over about 8 weeks. es.
Although this was 1987, almost everytime I would leave the center to go home, the song Behind Blue Eyes was playing on the radio. It seemed more of a message to me and in regards to the children at the center.
Now, 23 years later is 2010. In some miraculs events, I have found myself preparing to go back to this same center to work again. I was there just yesterday, July 27th. As I was driving away in my car, there it was again on the radio. I this song has great meaning for me and, I believe a message for my return. I hope I can be of help to some of these children. This song is forever with me as a representation of the children "behind blue eyes". The pain, yet the hope of hope. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I've heard that it is about a bad guy type person who is forced to be bad by society. His dreams aren't as empty as his conscience seems to be. He looks ahead into what could be or what he wants, but to the public's eye he is just a bad person
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I know this is probably inaccurate but I like the simple connotation: its about keith moon. Behind blue eyes. Pete and Rodger having the blue eyes. Keith being overshadowed by them. A long while ago my friend made this observation and it sounded like a plausible interpretation. Then again, I never saw Keith being overshadowed by anyone! Misunderstood? Possibly. But did he care? Doubt it. He was too soused to care. Perhaps Pete saw the pain underneath.
Long live Keith... the maddest drummer that ever lived! Long live the WHO! LONG LIVE ROCK!!! -
This is what it means for me...It is about being trapped in a relationship with someone who blames you for everything and who holds you prisoner to their emotions. You love them, but need to lose your self, your identity to do so. Your own emotions need to be suppressed and controlled, hence telling only lies.What you show on the outside and how you control yourself on the inside are what rips you apart and causes the pain that no one knows...
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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For me this song does something that I haven't known before...Due to this song's ability to strum upon so many emotions I find it difficult to give justice to the meaning... My attempt to explain is set as this: the melody relaxes not my body but my being...My mind is at ease.... I drift from the reality of sight and only feel the lyrics, identify my emotions, recognize complete abondonmeant, and undergo true heartbreak. The words hit me with the inability to fade completly. The lyrics are of a deception of complete control and serenity while the truth lies behind the eyes of the beholder. The secrets buried inside are the truth that eats the soul, the heartbreak is reality. This true pain that's almost impossible to explain forces prayers of extreme physical agony instead. This heartbreak started with trusting all his heart and soul to the person whom he loved and trusted; disserting his gift of love and forever unable to return the soul he trusted her with, she finally left him completly alone. Every old flaw now unimportant and forgotten is replaced by the woe and vengence that exsists constantly on the brink of exposure, and when left alone to his own thoughts he goes insane, so alone, remembering the love lost, yearning for bliss, this peace only comes for a moments times in "dreams" that are quickly lost and replaced with his turmoil that's forever hidden behind blue eyes.
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I saw on the television a long time ago Paul townsend talking about this song, and apparently it was written as a love song originally, but in a way very typical of the who, it eventually became a political commentary of fascism.
The lyrics talk about fascism's cruel love, cold logic and the state controlling and knowing best in what you should do. It also reflects on how empty the dreams and ideals of fascism are, and the monsters it makes of people. The title 'behind blue eyes' is a reference to nazi germany and their ideas for a blue eyed aryan race.
I think the song is written from the perspective of a nazi or someone, coming to terms with what his initial well meaning political beliefs have done to him as a person and how he has lost more than he has gained in trying to build his utopia.
Its a great song, and fred durst should get a kick in the ass for doing a meaningless and egotistical cover of it.
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