John Cusack with a boom box in Say Anything is likely the first image that comes to mind when Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” plays. The iconic 1986 track has been cemented in the annals of film history but there is actually a deeper meaning lying beneath the surface.
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Discover the dual meaning behind “In Your Eyes” below.
Behind the Meaning
According to Gabriel, the lyrics of In Your Eyes can either refer to a romantic relationship or a divine one between the listener and God.
As far as the romantic relationship goes, it’s said that actress and director Rosanna Arquette, who Gabriel dated for a time, was the inspiration – though Gabriel himself has never confirmed that theory.
When reading the lyrics, it’s easy to connect the storyline to a lament about a relationship.
Love I get so lost sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
However, Gabriel has also said that this song could be an ode to a higher power. In the second verse he sings, I see the doorway to a thousand churches / the resolution of all the fruitless searches in your eyes. Later, he begs to be complete before realizing the subject already sees him that way. Both ideas are typical of the religious vernacular. Either way you choose to look at it, “In Your Eyes,” is a powerful track that expresses deep reverence.
In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
Say Anything
This song is most known for its inclusion in the 1989 film, Say Anything. In the iconic scene, Cusack holds a boombox over his head – with the Gabriel song playing – as Ione Skye looks down from her bedroom window. It’s a classic moment in the ’80s movie zeitgeist.
The scene originally featured Billy Idol’s “Got To Be a Lover” but, director Cameron Crowe felt it didn’t fit. After playing a tape from his wedding that featured “In Your Eyes,” Crowe called Gabriel and asked to use the track. Though Gabriel originally declined as he felt the song was too personal, after seeing the film he granted his approval.
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