Ever since I heard this song in my teens, in addition to liking it, I have always wondered about the title. Was it from a movie, was it a quote? It seemed like such an unusual title for a song, that I wondered where the writer the idea for it.
Here it is from YouTube (it’s performed by Bobby Vee):
What’s that old standby answer? As well as can be expected, I guess.
Been pretty busy taking care of my wife who had a stroke (the docs call it “Evolving Stroke”) about two months ago. I may go into a little more detail elsewhere - it’s an interesting story. To the both of us, anyway.
There *was *a film with that title. (Well, okay it omits the word The, but close enough.) It was based upon a popular novel. I suspect the novel and film were better known than the poem at the time.
The song linked by Zeldar was written for the film.
It is a totally different song to the Bobby Vee one.
That would really be disconcerting…I know it’s a metaphor, but can you picture going outside at night, looking up, and see a thousand eyes looking back at you??! :eek:
The Bourdillon poem seems to be a contemplation on the emotional hazards of romantic love.
The song, OTOH, looks like a guy telling his gal: “I can’t stop you from sneaking around behind my back, but don’t kid yourself that it’s never going to get back to me.”
The songwriter MAY have gotten inspired by reading the poem and thinking the phrase would make a good hook, but that seems to be where the correlation goes away. I wouldn’t think any attribution would be necessary, under the circumstances.
Without having read anything of the saga beyond the portion that you referenced, I’d say it’s about the conventional wisdom of following a single leader for direction and safety in life; akin to 1 Corinthians 8: 5-6: For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth,
as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
yet for us there is but one God …
The allusion to the “many eyes” of the night is almost certainly a simile for the stars of the night sky which, while numerous, are not as bright as the singular light of the sun by day. Dad is probably warning his son that, although there are many paths he might take in life, and many people he might look to for guidance, he should follow the leadership of his king if he wants to tread the sure path and not go astray.
And Johny, if you really are seeing a thousand eyes watching you when you look up at the night sky, just give em’ a charming wink. Then tell me if they wink back.
Jokes are never funny when you have to explain them.
You said ‘picture’ and ‘imagine’. My replies were meant to indicate I don’t have to imagine, because I really do see a thousand eyes looking at me in the night sky.
I kept wondering what John Lennon had to do with it all.
And do we need to consider which 500 people (or critters) are doing the watching or observing or spying or snooping? Or is it just some random eyes with no connection to each other.
How about 500 Private Detectives? And what if at least one of them is a Cyclops or wears an eye patch or has a glass eye? The math could get strange indeed.
And what if at least one of them is a Cyclops or wears an eye patch or has a glass eye? The math could get strange indeed.