Bright Eyes (song)

Last updated

"Bright Eyes"
Art Garfunkel Bright Eyes.png
Single by Art Garfunkel
from the album Fate for Breakfast
B-side "Kehaar's Theme"
Released19 January 1979 (19 January 1979) [1]
Length4:00
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Mike Batt
Producer(s) Mike Batt
Art Garfunkel singles chronology
"In a Little While (I'll Be on My Way)"
(1979)		"Bright Eyes"
(1979)		"Since I Don't Have You"
(1979)

"Bright Eyes" is a song written by British songwriter Mike Batt and performed by Art Garfunkel. It was written for the soundtrack of the 1978 British animated adventure drama film Watership Down . Rearranged as a pop song from its original form in the film, the track appears on British and European versions of Garfunkel's 1979 Fate for Breakfast and on the US versions of his 1981 album Scissors Cut . "Bright Eyes" topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks and became Britain's biggest-selling single of 1979, selling over a million copies. Richard Adams, author of the original novel, is reported to have hated the song. [2] A cover of the song, performed by Stephen Gately, was later used explicitly in the Watership Down television series as its theme song. [3]

Contents

Background

The song was written, produced and arranged by Mike Batt for Watership Down , with original director John Hubley requesting a song about death. [4] It plays when the rabbit Hazel, the lead character in the film, almost dies after being wounded by a farmer's gun and Fiver, his little brother is led to him by the Black Rabbit of Inlé. [5]

Batt described recording the song as "one of the most difficult sessions" of his career as he wrote the lyrics with his father in mind who was terminally ill with cancer at the time.

The pop single arrangement of the song was very successful in the United Kingdom, staying at number one in the UK Singles Chart for six weeks in 1979, [6] selling over one million copies, becoming the biggest-selling single of the year. [7] [8] In the United States, it failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100. It reached No. 29 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Personnel

Charts

The song was briefly heard in the 2005 stop-motion animated film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, when Gromit turns on the radio until he hears the were-rabbit approaching.

In 2023, the song featured heavily in the fifth episode of season six of the popular Netflix anthology series, Black Mirror, titled "Demon 79", which is set in 1979, the year of the song's release. The song serves as the episode's opening and closing theme. [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

<i>Simon and Garfunkels Greatest Hits</i> 1972 compilation album

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits is the first compilation album from Simon & Garfunkel, which was released on June 14, 1972, two years after Simon & Garfunkel had parted ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Garfunkel</span> American singer (born 1941)

Arthur Ira Garfunkel is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainted with Simon through an elementary school play, a production of Alice in Wonderland. Their combined presence in music began in the 1950s, and throughout the 1960s the duo of Simon & Garfunkel achieved great chart success with tracks such as "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "Scarborough Fair", "The Boxer" and "Bridge over Troubled Water". The latter song's title also served as the name of Simon & Garfunkel's final album in 1970. Simon & Garfunkel split for personal reasons, but the pair have occasionally reunited in the years since. Both men experienced success in solo careers in the years following the duo's breakup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridge over Troubled Water (song)</span> 1970 song by Simon & Garfunkel

"Bridge over Troubled Water" is a song by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in January 1970 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). It was written by Paul Simon and produced by Simon, Art Garfunkel and Roy Halee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always Look on the Bright Side of Life</span> 1979 song from Monty Pythons Life of Brian

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a comedy song written by Monty Python member Eric Idle that was first featured in the Python film Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Batt</span> English singer-songwriter, arranger and director

Michael Philip Batt is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Girl</span> 1983 single by Billy Joel

"Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by American musician Billy Joel from his ninth studio album An Innocent Man (1983), released in September 1983 as the album's second single. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl". The 12" EP has the tracks "My Life", "Just the Way You Are" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", whereas some 7" single versions featured "Careless Talk" as a B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiquitita</span> 1979 ABBA song

"Chiquitita" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in January 1979 as the first single from Voulez-Vous (1979), the group's sixth album. Agnetha Fältskog performs the lead vocals. Originally, the track "If It Wasn't for the Nights" was going to be the album's lead single, but after "Chiquitita" was completed these plans were abandoned, and it remained an album track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mull of Kintyre (song)</span> 1977 single by Wings

"Mull of Kintyre" is a song by the English-American rock band Wings. It was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the south-west of Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Stuff (Donna Summer song)</span> 1979 song by Donna Summer

"Hot Stuff" is a song by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, and Keith Forsey released as the lead single by American singer Donna Summer on her seventh studio album Bad Girls, produced by English producer Pete Bellotte and Italian producer Giorgio Moroder in 1979 through Casablanca Records. Up to that point, Summer had mainly been associated with disco songs but this song also showed a significant rock direction, including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brother and Steely Dan guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. It is the second of four songs by Summer to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghostbusters (song)</span> 1984 single by Ray Parker Jr.

"Ghostbusters" is a song written by American musician Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the 1984 film Ghostbusters, and included on its soundtrack. Debuting at number 68 on June 16, 1984, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, staying there for three weeks, and at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, staying there for three weeks. The song reentered the UK Top 75 on November 2, 2008 at No. 49 and again on November 5, 2021, at No. 38.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yes Sir, I Can Boogie</span> 1977 song by Baccara

"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" is a 1977 song by the Spanish vocal duo Baccara, released as the first single from their debut album Baccara. Written by Frank Dostal and Rolf Soja, and produced by Soja, the song was a hit across Europe and became the duo's sole number one single in the United Kingdom, spending a single week at the top of the UK Singles Chart in October 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikita (song)</span> 1985 single by Elton John

"Nikita" is a song by English musician Elton John from his 19th studio album, Ice on Fire (1985). It was released as the album's lead single on 4 October 1985, charting at number three on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven in the United States, and reaching the top 10 worldwide, topping the charts of eight countries. The song features George Michael on backing vocals and Nik Kershaw on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grease (song)</span> 1978 song by Frankie Valli

"Grease" is a song written by Barry Gibb and recorded by Frankie Valli : it was released as a single in May 1978. It is the title song for the musical motion picture Grease of that year, which was in turn based on the 1971 stage play Grease. The song celebrates the greaser lifestyle. It sold over seven million copies worldwide and appeared twice on the film's soundtrack, first as the opening track and again as the closing track. "Grease" is one of four songs written specifically for the film that had not been in the stage production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel song)</span> 1970 single by Simon & Garfunkel

"Cecilia" is a song by American musical duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was released in April 1970 as the third single from the duo's fifth and final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). Written by Paul Simon, the song's origins lie in a late-night party, in which the duo and friends began banging on a piano bench. They recorded the sound with a tape recorder, employing reverb and matching the rhythm created by the machine. Simon later wrote the song's guitar line and lyrics on the subject of an untrustworthy lover.

<i>Fate for Breakfast</i> 1979 studio album by Art Garfunkel

Fate for Breakfast is the fourth solo studio album by Art Garfunkel, released in March 1979 on Columbia Records.

<i>Scissors Cut</i> 1981 studio album by Art Garfunkel

Scissors Cut is the fifth solo studio album by Art Garfunkel. It was released in August 1981 on Columbia Records; it was his second album to miss the US Billboard top 40 and his second album to contain no US top 40 singles. In the month following its release, Garfunkel reunited with former partner Paul Simon for their famous 1981 Concert in Central Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Beginning (Stephen Gately song)</span> 2000 single by Stephen Gately

"New Beginning" is the debut single by Irish singer-songwriter Stephen Gately from his debut solo album, New Beginning. The song was released on 29 May 2000 in the United Kingdom where it was issued as a double A-side with Gately's cover of Art Garfunkel's "Bright Eyes" and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "New Beginning" was directed by Simon Hilton and shot in London. In the 2001 United Kingdom general election the Liberal Democrats used the song as their election theme song.

"It's Your Life" is a song by the British rock band Smokie from their 1977 studio album Bright Lights & Back Alleys. It first came out in June 1977 as a single and later appeared on the album, which was released in late September.

References

  1. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes". 45cat.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "I HATE "Bright Eyes"!". lettersofnote.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Doran, Sarah (25 December 2018). "Watership Down theme song: who sung the theme tune in new BBC/Netflix TV series?". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  4. ↑ Allen, Liam (3 March 2009). "Was it a kind of bad dream?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  5. ↑ The, movie. YouTube.
  6. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 366–7. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  7. ↑ Sedghi, Ami (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Allen, Liam (3 March 2009). "Was it a kind of bad dream?". BBC. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 121. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  18. ↑ "Art Garfunkel: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Art Garfunkel – Bright Eyes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  20. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 431. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  21. ↑ "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report . Retrieved 10 January 2023– via Imgur.com.
  22. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1979". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  23. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  24. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  25. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  26. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1979". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  28. ↑ Dodes, Rachel (16 June 2023). "Black Mirror Season 6: Every Episode, Reviewed". Esquire . Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  29. ↑ "Listen to Art Garfunkel's 'Bright Eyes' from Black Mirror S6 Ep5 as Nida gets ready and goes to work". leosigh.com. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.