Introduction:
Country crooner Kenny Rogers released Don’t Look In My Eyes in 1985. The song became a cornerstone of Rogers’s later career, showcasing both his smooth vocals and his talent for storytelling through lyrics. While firmly rooted in the country music genre, the song’s melancholic tone and relatable themes helped it achieve crossover success.
Don’t Look In My Eyes was written by songwriting duo John Jarvis and Don Schlitz. They were known for crafting country hits for various artists throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Larry Butler, a frequent collaborator with Rogers, served as the song’s producer. Butler was instrumental in shaping the signature Rogers sound throughout the 1980s, blending country instrumentation with pop sensibilities to create a sound that appealed to a wide audience.
Don’t Look In My Eyes was a significant commercial success. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, solidifying Rogers’s place as a country music powerhouse. But the song’s reach extended far beyond the country charts. It achieved impressive crossover appeal, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This accomplishment put Rogers in front of a much broader audience and helped establish him as a pop culture icon.
The success of Don’t Look In My Eyes wasn’t limited to the charts. The song became a staple of Rogers’s live performances and helped propel the album it appeared on, The Heart of the Matter, to multi-platinum status. This sales benchmark solidified Rogers’s enduring popularity and demonstrated the enduring impact of Don’t Look In My Eyes.
Even today, Don’t Look In My Eyes remains a recognizable song in Kenny Rogers’s vast discography. It serves as a reminder of his ability to deliver relatable stories through his signature vocals and country instrumentation, all while achieving crossover success that transcended genre barriers.
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Lyrics:
All my memory is safely packedAnd my dreams are neatly folded awayI’ve got nothing to show that I came very closeTo a love that might have worked out okayAll the tables and chairsThey’re standing empty and bareAnd there isn’t any sign you were hereSo just walk through the door and try not to get too nearYou might look in my eyesAnd see all the pain and sadness deep insideDon’t look in my eyes‘Cause that’s where I keep the tears I can’t hideIf you just go, it’ll be alrightI know I’ll get through the nightAnd I’ll even smile as we say our goodbyesJust don’t look in my eyesAll our photographs are stored awayAnd our letters are being burned in the fireThere is nothing left here that will make me believeWe had nights of tender love and desireIf this seems to be gray, well, I’d like it that wayThere is nothing to remind me of youWhen you walk to the doorJust be sure whatever you doDon’t look in my eyesAnd see all the pains and sadness deep insideDon’t look in my eyes‘Cause that’s where I keep the tears I can’t hideIf you just go, it’ll be alrightI know I’ll make it through the nightAnd I’ll even smile as we say our goodbyesJust don’t look in my eyesDon’t look in my eyesAnd see all the pains and sadness deep insideDon’t look in my eyes‘Cause that’s where I keep the tears I can’t hideIf you just go, it’ll be alrightI know I’ll make it through the nightAnd I’ll even smile as we say our goodbyesJust don’t look in my eyesJust don’t look in my eyes