“Behind Her Eyes” is a character study about a woman with inner pain. It’s sung from the perspective of an onlooker — that being Indecent Proposal. The song’s video features a woman looking lost and lonely, wandering around an empty theater. Empty, that is, except for Indecent Proposal performing this song. It’s a sweet rock ballad.
The track begins simply with strummed acoustic guitar. Then percussion and electric guitar comes in before the vocal begins. The lyric starts off with the statement, “She’s been out all night/And no one ever treats her right.” The listener knows right away that this is most likely a good girl that’s somehow been done wrong. Just what this loss of well-being is, however, is a bit of a mystery. The act sings, “She’s lost her peace of mind/Somewhere between her brain and what’s behind her eyes.” It’s not all in her mind; no, it’s between her mind and that unknown region just behind her eyes.
The song goes on to describe a woman that’s kind of on the run. Whether she’s running away from her problems or running toward an eventual solution, is not exactly clear. Nevertheless, forward motion is involved in her emotional healing. There’s an odd lyrical phrase that describes how her heart has been “notarized,” just to prove her love exists. This suggests she needs definite proof of the love she feels, after all she’s been through. Sometimes, when such heartbreak takes place, we have trouble believing our very eyes. Such is the case here. She needs an outside observer to verify what she believes she’s felt.
The observer of this girl fills these observations with optimism. He thinks she’ll be alright, once the “pain takes a vacation.” One gets the feeling this is an objective, impartial observer. He’s not involved with the troubled girl in question. However, he has empathy for this girl. He wants her to feel better soon. What’s interesting is that the lyric never mentions who or what has caused this person’s suffering. Is it a bad lover? A poor boss? A family situation? We don’t know. We’re left to wonder what the cause of this girl’s dark period might be.
It’s been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This may be why the song is called “Behind Her Eyes.” By looking deeply into her eyes, perhaps we can see what is stirring the waters of her soul. Then again, these windows to the soul may also be fogged up or dirtied by circumstances, preventing us from seeing too deeply within. This may be why the song lyric treats this situation more like a mystery than an investigation. All is not well with this woman, but we just don’t know too much more than that.
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Toward the track’s end, there’s a big electric guitar build-up. It’s an emotional guitar solo, one that says more than words could ever tell us. This is the sort of song that doesn’t come to any final conclusion. The listener is left to wonder if this girl ultimately turned out alright. No matter what eventually happened with this woman, however, “Behind her Eyes” remains a loving, empathetic piece of music.
-Dan MacIntosh
