Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face
Billy Idol's 1984 hit, "Eyes Without A Face," from his album Rebel Yell, draws its evocative title from the 1960 French horror film Les Yeux sans visage. Idol, fascinated by old black and white horror films, found a parallel between the movie's premise—a plastic surgeon attempting to restore his disfigured daughter's beauty by grafting facial features from victims, leaving her with only her eyes—and the emotional dislocation he experienced in New York during the 1980s. He described the song as an "anti-love song," reflecting on a relationship gone awry and the feeling of being soulless from touring infidelities. The song, a power ballad, features a softer, more melodic approach compared to his other works, incorporating a revolving four-chord pattern by guitarist Steve Stevens and a distinctive bass line from Sal Cuevas. Idol's then-girlfriend, Perri Lister, contributes backing vocals, repeating the French phrase "Les yeux sans visage" in the chorus. The track became Idol's first Top 10 hit in the US, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video, though physically demanding for Idol due to a contact lens incident, was nominated for MTV Video Music Awards.
Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face lyrics
I'm all out of hope
One more bad dream
Could bring a fall
When I'm far from home
Don't call me on the phone
To tell me you're alone
It's easy to deceive
It's easy to tease
But hard to get release
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
I spent so much time
Believing all the lies
To keep the dream alive
Now it makes me sad
It makes me mad at truth
For loving what was you
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
When you hear the music, you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip
Steal a car, go to Las Vegas
Ooh, gigolo pool
Hanging out by the state line
Turning holy water into wine
Drinkin' it down, oh
I'm on a bus, on a psychedelic trip
Reading murder books, tryin' to stay hip
I'm thinkin' of you, you're out there so
Say your prayers
Say your prayers
Say your prayers
Now I close my eyes
And I wonder why
I don't despise
Now all I can do
Love what was once
So alive and new
But it's gone from your eyes
I'd better realize
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
(Les yeux sans visage)
Eyes without a face
Got no human grace
You're eyes without a face
Such a human waste
You're eyes without a face
And now it's getting worse