Ocean Eyes

I must admit I don’t know the music of American indie pop/dream pop singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (b. 2001). So I thought if I was to share something of hers, I should start at the beginning, after I spent some time reading up on her early career.

Today’s selection was the second commercial single released by Eilish (“Six Feet Under” was the first, in 2016), but “Ocean Eyes” is generally regarded as her debut single as she and her brother, musician, producer and actor Finneas O’Connell uploaded it to the music streaming platform SoundCloud in November 2015, when she was 13. Her brother originally wrote the song for his band but felt it was better suited to her voice. They placed it on SoundCloud so Eilish’s dance teacher could access it (as it was written in response to the teacher’s request for a song to accompany choreography), and it became viral almost overnight. An injury ended Eilish’s dance aspirations, and she turned to music. And, as they say, the rest is history. Today three separate SoundCloud single uploads have a total of almost 65 million plays, and on Spotify, it has reached over one billion streams.

The song explores falling in love and the sometimes explosive power of this emotion, the mystique, and the dangers this state can bring to a person.

“I’ve been watching you for some time
Can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes
Burning cities and napalm skies
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes
Your ocean eyes

No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes

I’ve been walking through a world gone blind
Can’t stop thinking of your diamond mind
Careful creature made friends with time
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
And those ocean eyes

No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes

No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes”

“Ocean Eyes,” by Finneas O’Connell.
Lyrics retrieved from AZLyrics.com.

In addition to the original SoundCloud upload, the song was released as a commercial single in 2016. It also appeared on Eilish’s debut EP, dont smile at me (2017), as well as the soundtrack to the Stella Meghie film, Everything, Everything (also 2017).

Are you a follower of Billie Eilish? If so, please jump into the comments section and recommend some tracks I should listen to so I can learn about her later music.

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here. Please enjoy the official music video from Billie Eilish’s YouTube channel:

With my best wishes,

Steve