Okay, for anyone who might have missed it, I’ve already heard my album of 2019. Back on 29 March, American singer/songwriter and teenage phenomenon Billie Eilish released her eagerly anticipated debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and I can say without fear of contradiction that I will not hear a better album this year. But this post won’t be about that album, if you are so inclined you can go and read my review of it here, instead I want to look at my favourite song by the performer and the one that brought her to the attention of the world first of all, and marked the then thirteen year old out as a future superstar…

Ocean Eyes.

There is so much I want to try and say about this song that I don’t even know where to begin, so I suppose the best place is probably the title. There is something about the imagery surrounding Ocean Eyes that I found to be completely thought provoking, and it was an idea that stayed with me for a long time. I adore the idea of eyes that are as deep as the ocean and all the possibilities and complications that come with that depth. Many of us enjoy sitting on a beach, and watching the ripples of the waves and listening to the splash of water against sand, it can be one of the most therapeutic and calming experiences in life. However, we are also always aware of the dangers that the ocean can hold and that too much of it has the ability to put you in immediate danger and potentially drown you. The idea that as calming and relaxing as these “ocean eyes” can be, that there is also a danger to them and that your potential attraction and devotion to them could ultimately be a negative and lead to your downfall. A stunning piece of imagery for something that can often be difficult to fully explain.

“I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes”

As the song continues to grow we are shown more and more evidence of the power of the devotion that Eilish has for the subject of the song has on her. Throughout the song she suggests at the ability for the other person to seemingly know everything that there is to know about the you, and it’s hard to explain just why this is. This is another reference to the idea of the depth of the eyes in the title, and the subconscious power that someone else can have on you.

“No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you gimme those ocean eyes”

Along with the incredibly simply, yet powerful lyrics, of this song, we have the perfectly suited instrumentation that helps to generate a sense of wonder and atmosphere that helps the listener to further understand where Eilish is coming from.

Ultimately this song connects with me so much because I can totally relate to the situation that Eilish finds herself in through the song. That sensation of feeling completely captivated by someones eyes and feeling a sense of safety when you look into them is one of the most powerful sensations that any of us can ever hope to actually experience. There’s is also the little fact that ocean eyes suggest them to be blue…

Ocean Eyes immediately catapulted itself onto the list of my all time favourite songs, and the more I listen to it, the more I find more to draw me in and make me appreciate it as the work of art that it is. Songs like this exist to be cherished, and few have left me as speechless as this has every time I’ve listened to it.

“I’ve been walking through
A world gone blind
Can’t stop thinking of your diamond mind”

MK