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The Flamingos — I Only Have Eyes for You
Album: Greatest Hits
Avg rating:
7.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1435









Released: 1959
Length: 3:17
Plays (last 30 days): 1
My love must be a kind of blind love
I can't see anyone but you

Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you, dear

The moon may be high
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you

I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue

You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you
Comments (97)add comment
Hold it. 

Is the chorus singing:  "ja bob a bop" or "ha jap a bob"?
    Ahhhhhhh...    
I've never been able to make out what the background singers are saying. I thought it was Shabop Shabop, but it's definitely something else.

this is my all-time favorite song.

i'm sad i haven't been the subject of this song... :(
This is what I love so much about RP.... Songs like this sandwiched between Jeff Buckley and Gregory Alan Isakov...
A pure 10.
This was the song played at my sister's wedding. Turned out it wasn't true.
 cc_rider wrote:

"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. According to Billboard magazine, the song was a #2 hit for Ben Selvin in 1934.

1934! Who knew? Besides the interwebs, I mean. What a perfect song - and a perfect cover.




Thank You for the info!
Incredible.

Songs do not get any better than this.
This is definitely one of the best of the 1950s.  Wish I had a little taste of what it was like living back then.
Another masterpiece.
, Back in the day when the vocals outclassed the instruments 👍
The first time I ever heard this song when I watched American Graffiti, a fine film imho,. It is still lovely isn't it?
Was implemented so well in The Right Stuff; but I am not sure that is the "true" meaning...
very lovely tune.  i like every version of this that I have heard.  I think it was Art Garfunkel's version that first made me take notice, back in the 70's perhaps?
The sound of romance.
What a tune.
Back in the day when the vocals outclassed the instruments 👍
Perfection.
If this is on the “best of…“ Album, I’d hate to hear the B-Sides
This was a great choice for lockdown
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. According to Billboard magazine, the song was a #2 hit for Ben Selvin in 1934.

1934! Who knew? Besides the interwebs, I mean. What a perfect song - and a perfect cover.
 KevinM wrote:
joe1 wrote:
Kevin?...May I suggest you get a life and dispense with those fecking stooopid 'balls' that you post all the time..? ok?....
Some songs deserve the "fecking stooopid 'balls'".
 
Are  they sweeter smelling than "schwetty balls"?    


Not my generation, but I've always loved this song.  Simple, but beautiful.
This should have been the background track during the Gimp scene in Pulp Fiction. Perfect Tarantino dissonance. 
 hschlossberg wrote:
Whenever I hear this song, I feel like I'm on day three of a bad drug trip where I can't get off the floor and I have big dark bags under my eyes and the world (and I) may have all just as well died.  NOT a good feeling.  Side effect of this trip is PSD!
 

sounds like PTSD, not PSD
I am this old and love hearing this song - it's still magic.
Dog wants fed and my dinner time also but ....can not tear myself away! 
Definition of Godlike for those times for sure!

Oh, and This!
Whenever I hear this song, I feel like I'm on day three of a bad drug trip where I can't get off the floor and I have big dark bags under my eyes and the world (and I) may have all just as well died.  NOT a good feeling.  Side effect of this trip is PSD!
Great song indeed. Stands the test of time.
 msymmes wrote:
Heard this in an episode of The Crown.  A fantastic scene where Princess Margaret dances by herself in her bedroom.

 
YES!! Awesome use of this song in that scene.
Magic
Heard this in an episode of The Crown.  A fantastic scene where Princess Margaret dances by herself in her bedroom.
excellent slow dance piece, hug em close and smell their rich hair, feel the smooth movement of their hips and caress of their hands

"Shoowop Shabop"   {#Hearteyes}
Life is a struggle to find and appreciate what beauty we can find.  Here is a magical jewel. What a gift!
Anybody else floating away right now? 8
 Skydog wrote:
Bill this was your smoothest move today,
From Great Lake Swimmers  "Think That You Might Be Wrong" to this{#Clap}

 
I agree! {#Cheesygrin}
Bill this was your smoothest move today,
From Great Lake Swimmers  "Think That You Might Be Wrong" to this{#Clap}
Love this song and the 50s production style and mix, even though it's befor my time.

I love the Art Garfunkel cover even more - very dreamy . Thanks  
Wonderful. Its one of the first songs I can remember, having grown up in an oldies-loving household.
I've loved this song from the first time ever hearing it, a sleepy cosmic echo from heaven

(cool guy from Bones was an angel in Buffy : ) 
Love this song, but always think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer now when I hear it. 

"The quality of mercy is not Buffy." - Xander Harris 
How very 50ties! Choowabchoowab! LOL!! {#Bounce}
This is one of the greats from the late 50's , early 60's era.  The recording still sounds good and the arrangement set it above the crowd back then (yes, I'm old)
my wonderful husband and I danced to this at our wedding in 1986
can't believe it's been 30 years babe 
OOOPS, pressed repeat button!!!
Ah, yes.  This brings back memories of 8th grade and sock hops in the gymnasium on a rainy or snowy day and slow dancing with a lovely girl.  It may have been Dan Ingram on WABC AM radio who lead in to this song with one of his crazy stories of a street vendor pushing his cart of body parts down the city street calling out “I have hands and feet and arms and legs”.  When a blind man responded to his call, the vendor said … well, take a guess.
Awful! !
Art Garfunkle has a dreamy version of this.
I like the key changes and the melodic structure.  The bridge is an unexpected and satisfying thing to listen to... and great to slow dance to.  I've given this song a ten for many years (still have the '45).  No way is this cheezy doowop.
 Hannio wrote:
Makes me want to hear Ruben and the Jets.

 
Funny. That's what I was thinking as this was playing in the background during dinner prep. Frank did this in some ways better, both reverentially and as a sort of lark (I think). I was pondering as I listened to this that he must have appreciated this music, while obviously having moved into dimensions scarcely imagined by those who recorded these songs back in the 50s when his sensibilities were formed/mutated. Why did I give my Ruben and the Jets album away when I left home? After something like 40 years it no longer makes any sense to me, but at the time severing ties somehow involved this act.
Genius!
Another MC lose his life tonight, Lord
I beg that you pray to Jesus Christ, why
Oh Lord, father don't let him bury me, whoa


(sorry, my brain goes straight to the Fugees song that sampled the heck outta this song)
Makes me want to hear Ruben and the Jets.
{#Sunny}
 ottovonb wrote:
I would choose 1955 in a heartbeat…but I'm a white guy.
 
Me too (on both counts).
 ottovonb wrote:

I would choose 1955 in a heartbeat…but I'm a white guy.

 
Interesting question, and funny, I was just thinking as a woman, I'd probably pick now because my choices would be so narrow in the 50s. But there was more innocence and simplicity - sometimes I long for the days of not having so much as an answering machine. I give this song a 10, but it doesn't conjure up the 50s for me. 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Makes me think of drive-in restaurants with waitresses on roller skates.
An idealized vision perhaps, but a nice one nonetheless.
If you could be a teenager in 1955 or in 2015, which would you choose? . . .

 
I would choose 1955 in a heartbeat…but I'm a white guy.


this song made it on our wedding tape!  still married 30 years.:)  Thanks RP!
A strong candidate for the most romantic song ever - and over 50 years old!
How many of today's songs will our children and grandchildren be loving 50 years from now?
Makes me think of drive-in restaurants with waitresses on roller skates.
An idealized vision perhaps, but a nice one nonetheless.
If you could be a teenager in 1955 or in 2015, which would you choose? . . .
I've loved this song from the first time I heard it all those years ago.
 brighthue wrote:
Very dreamy, like floating on air. The vocals, the production and that slow, perfectly-maintained tempo... aahhh... Say what you want but, most pop music today should be this good.
 
It's lovely. The "doobopshopbop" bit is pure gold. 
I came by to see if anyone had mentioned Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (I liked the song before but now I associate it entirely with that BtVS episode...) One did, but the rest of you are making me feel young with the American Graffiti nostalgia.  {#Wink}  Even though I'm old enough to remember 8 track?
Wicked cool...  As the snow flies outside on the bleakest of gray afternoons, it feels like I'm in a smoky old black and white movie... 
played at a good time. stress level was rising. all better now.
bluedot wrote:
dude or sister, let it GO. if bill wants to throw in some cheesy do-wop once in a while, that's no reason to get your knickers all in a twist! do-wop is an important and honorable part of the heritage of rock musack. just be glad it's the real thing and not some lame imitator like jimmy page or brian setzer.
1. There are people that don't like cucumbers?!?!? 2. This is NOT cheesey do-wop, though it does exist. 3. The Honeydrippers EP is excellent! And it was Robert Plant and Brian Setzer. The track is a 10 in my opinion. It just doesn't get much more "dreamy" than that.
This was a classic "slow dance" song from my youth, one of the top five at every sock hop I ever went to; was amazed at how well the production is on this track all these years later. It wears well with time.
mperetz wrote:
It's interesting that I feel awkward posting a negative rating of a song because of all of the snots out there who lecture me every time about 'appreciation' - DON'T LECTURE ME. I'm 38, I've been around - and I've listened to millions of songs from every country on the planet - at least that which is accessible and available. I find this type of song makes me turn to my stereo and literally forces me to log-in and say that I can't frigging stand it. Sorry. Sue me. I hate it. Can you account for that? No - I think not. Can I account for it? No - not really. Why does one person like cucumbers and the other doesn't? I adore this station- - and I think that there is a tendency (at least amongst a party of me, myself, and I ) to only logon to say negative things. That's human nature. Sue me. I adore this station and support it in every way.
dude or sister, let it GO. if bill wants to throw in some cheesy do-wop once in a while, that's no reason to get your knickers all in a twist! do-wop is an important and honorable part of the heritage of rock musack. just be glad it's the real thing and not some lame imitator like jimmy page or brian setzer.
Pure romance.
It's interesting that I feel awkward posting a negative rating of a song because of all of the snots out there who lecture me every time about 'appreciation' - DON'T LECTURE ME. I'm 38, I've been around - and I've listened to millions of songs from every country on the planet - at least that which is accessible and available. I find this type of song makes me turn to my stereo and literally forces me to log-in and say that I can't frigging stand it. Sorry. Sue me. I hate it. Can you account for that? No - I think not. Can I account for it? No - not really. Why does one person like cucumbers and the other doesn't? I adore this station- - and I think that there is a tendency (at least amongst a party of me, myself, and I ) to only logon to say negative things. That's human nature. Sue me. I adore this station and support it in every way.
Is this a new trip hop group? (kidding.....) Ahh! variety!
When I see lowest rating = "1" for songs like this (and so many others that are completely undeserving of that rating) it makes me wonder if there are listeners who just go out of their way to assign a "1" to EVERY song that's not in their own personal top 10 or something. Ridiculous. Perhaps this type of music requires an appreciation for intricate harmonies and vocal detail, doo-wop, r&b, and historical (sentimental?) context to really be truly enjoyed...but...even without that, the vocals and tune are lovely and classic. And...inoffensive, if I dare say. I understand "to each his/her own", and this song is not obviously enjoyed by every listener; however, I do not understand the strength of feeling against a song of this seemingly obvious merit that would warrant slamming it with a "1". :?
Does anyone remember the theatrical cartoon from the 30s that was on TV in the 50s; with the Bird Iceman courting the Lady Bird, singing "I only have ICE for you"? I always think of that when I hear this one. Great song.
Brad_Eleven wrote:
Wow, hearing this after Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" has me questioning just when psychedelic music showed up ... this is trippy stuff, between the cheesy lyrics.
Bill did it again, Mazzy Star followed by this. Nice. Before anybody complains remember that this is eclectic radio and this song is an all time classic. I played it so much I wore out my dad's cassette to the AG soundtrack. When he got his first CD player I gave him the CD as a present.
LOVE THIS SONG!! Great memories.....my first date was to American Graffiti!!
Inspired selection after the last Mazzy Star cut....!
This has been wonderful - "Fade Into You" and now this. I'm floating away in my office chair, dreaming of late nights spent dancing with stars in my eyes.
Very dreamy, like floating on air. The vocals, the production and that slow, perfectly-maintained tempo... aahhh... Say what you want but, most pop music today should be this good.
I like it.... nice harmonies too.
this is my alltime favorite song ever. it was my wedding song.
Wow, hearing this after Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" has me questioning just when psychedelic music showed up ... this is trippy stuff, between the cheesy lyrics.
sh-bop, sh-bop!
That would have scared me right out of my dad's 1958 Buick, if I'd been born yet and had the chance to experience testosterone overload... but, I digress.
joe1 wrote:
Kevin?...May I suggest you get a life and dispense with those fecking stooopid 'balls' that you post all the time..? ok?....
Some songs deserve the "fecking stooopid 'balls'".
Patti wrote:
Now how did I know that's what you would say?! pbm 8^)
That puke icon was designed for songs like this
Wow! Flashback! No, not to the heyday of the Flamingoes, but right to San Francisco in the 80s, when the oldies station carried the A's baseball games. Since I've got baseball on the brain right now, this took me right to Red's Java House, where I'd have lunch and listen to KGO. Perfect.
KevinM wrote:
Now how did I know that's what you would say?! pbm 8^)
Nice transition, and I love the random sprinkling of oldies. Keep em comin...
I find this song a bit creepy now, after the episode of Buffy by the same name and featuring this song.
The epitome of a slow dance song. Excellent song!!!!