Song #471: "Sad Eyes" by Robert John

Date: Oct 6, 1979
Weeks: 1

This deep into the 70s, it's a bit refreshing to hear a song that isn't disco, or disco-infused. This feels like it comes from the Hall & Oates school of trying to turn the 70s into the 80s. It doesn't entirely escape some of the more obnoxious 70s tropes, though.

The music is the first thing I noticed about this song. It's not disco, yet it's not exactly far from disco. The bass line seems derived from 70s-style funk, the periodic syncopated guitar strum is that disco guitar sound, and of course there's a string line through it all. All of that sound is okay, but makes the song feel dated, and very locked in the 70s. It's particularly bad during the verses. During the chorus, the drums pick up and they feel a bit more successfully timeless. During the bridge, someone fires up an electric guitar, and that guitar solo is pretty satisfying. That may be the key thing that makes the song feel like it's moving into the 80s, and edges the song out of the 70s soft rock doldrums into something a bit more interesting and engaging.

The vocals are the awful, no-good, 70s falsetto vocals. I've ranted about this before, but why was this such a big thing in the 70s? I suppose Robert John deserves a bit more credit because most of the chorus seems to be sung in his normal range, his normal range is just a bit on the high side. But the verses and the part at the end send him into shrill territory. Although the song isn't sung badly, the vocals are very piercing and grating. This song seems like it would be vastly better being sung in a lower register. I just had an imaginary Barry White cover of this song run through my head, and that version is much better.

The lyrics are about the end of a relationship. The singer is breaking off a relationship, and the "sad eyes" are the eyes of the person he's singing to. He's saying not to be sad, and to "try to remember the magic that we shared." I think that's a nice sentiment. Too many break-up songs are about pain and vilification, so it's nice to have one around that just says, "This isn't working out and we need to end it, and although it's sad, we should remember the good times."

Unfortunately, there are a couple lyrics that hint at a different reason for the breakup. In the chorus, there's this line: "You knew there'd come a day when we would have to say goodbye." It's unusual for a relationship to have that kind of expected terminus on it. Generally most people are going for "happily ever after." So why was the relationship expected to end? Terminal disease? The end of summer vacation? The philosophical idea that eventually all relationships end, either in separation or death?

No, it seems the answer lies in the first lines of the song. They sneak in before you even have the context to understand their meaning. "Looks like it's over, you knew I couldn't stay. She's coming home today." That's right, this guy's wife, or girlfriend, or whoever, is coming back. So this is a heartbreaking song from the point of view of a man who's sad that he has to break off his affair. And all that fake falsetto emotion is suddenly really hard to sympathize with.

I haven't come up with a viable alternate interpretation of the lyrics, so I'm left with the feeling that this is a pretty lousy love song to play for anyone.


My verdict: Don't like it. The lyrics are a big part of this, but honestly the music isn't that engaging, either. Other than the lyrics, it's not an awful song, but even without them it didn't really appeal to me.