Lion Eyes

The Eagle’s are known for some of the greatest music in history, very rarely if ever did one of their songs disappoint. “Lying Eyes” by The Eagles while not their most popular song, still exemplified The Eagles’ musical talents. The song itself incorporates an interesting blend of narratives.

The song begins in a 3^rd person narration about a girl and an old man and their relationship:

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile
A rich old man
And she won't have to worry

Using these lyrics, we can see that they have yet to address any specific audience, making it somewhat distant rather than intimate. As the song goes on, it continues to narrate and focuses the majority of the lyrics on the woman.

So she tells him she must go out for the evening
To comfort an old friend who's feelin' down
But he knows where she's goin' as she's leavin'
She is headed for the cheatin' side of town

Again the song goes on to develop the story through the use of 3^rd person narrative. The only pronouns is use thus far are still just she, he. However, after this line in the song there is a shift in the narrative.

You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin’ eyes

Here, the song finally addresses a much more specific audience of you. In this transition there is a shift from a 3^rd person narrative to a 2^nd person covert narrative. This shifts the song to a much more intimate and personal level. This transition in the song really does a great job of bringing emotion into the song and lyrics. Instead of looking on at the man and the woman, in these lines “the narrator tells what happens to you” (BaileyShea).

After this the song then transitions back into the 3^rd person again. It goes on to describe the girl once again and the troubles she faces.  The lyrics talk about her drinking, crying and even goes into her thoughts.

She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry
She wonders how it ever got this crazy

Even though the story is being told from the 3^rd person narrative, the lyrics still draw emotions out. These lines show her struggles both physically and mentally as she turns to drinking and this leads to emotional distress. After a few more lines, again the transition is made from 3^rd person a covert 2^nd person narrative:

My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain't it funny how your new life didn't change things
You're still the same old girl you used to be
You can't hide your lyin eyes

This transition from 3^rd person to covert 2^nd person narration brings in even more intimacy and emotion. Again the lyrics use you to directly address the subject. These small transitions of narrative are what make this song so powerful. Quick transitions from a distant narrative to a covert narrative serve to reveal a much more intimate perspective.