| "What's In The Eye?" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Grey Daze | |
| from the album Wake Me and ...No Sun Today | |
| Recorded: | 1994 |
| Released: | 1994 |
| Length: | 4:26 |
| Live debut: | January 22, 1994 |
| Writer: | Chester Bennington, Sean Dowdell |
| Producer: | David Knauer |
| Wake Me and ...No Sun Today tracklist | |
"What's In The Eye?" is the first track on the album Wake Me and second track on the album ...No Sun Today. The song was released as the first street track from the remix project Amends on January 17, 2020.[1][2]
Background
"What's In The Eye?" is one of Grey Daze's earliest songs. The guitar parts were written by the band's first guitarist, Steve Mitchell, before they even had a vocalist. About his time on the band, Steve said, "I wrote the guitar part for "What's in the Eye" and a few other songs at the time, and some experimental rock opera stuff with Chester and Jonathan."
According to Sean Dowdell, the parts Steve contributed to the song were eventually changed.[3] As for the lyrics, he said, "What's in the eye was writte lyrically by myself except for the chorusus. Chester wrote the chorus."[4] A 2020 press release for the song states: ""What's In The Eye" was written lyrically in different phases by both Sean and Chester collaboratively. The song focuses on a friend’s premature death in a car accident and trying to understand the loss, relaying an emotional intensity that every listener will not only understand, but instantly connect with. The beauty of Chester's gifts were that he made others able to understand and cope with their own emotional pain, simply by listening to Chester's vocal expression."[5]
The first known studio version of "What's In The Eye?" was recorded with guitarist Jason Barnes sometime in June 1994 as part of a 6-track demo done at Teething Studios, Scott Crowley’s apartment studio. He was from a band called “Nihil”. Jonathan Krause said, "He had a digital recording studio. I thought the drums sounded cheesy they were way to electronic. But it was free so who's complaining?" Sean Dowdell adds, "It wasn't a studio. It was his apartment and he and I recorded it on a very small recording program on a computer. Home recording though, not studio."[6]
On October 6, 1994, the very first day of working on Wake Me, the album's producer David Knauer recorded Grey Daze playing live in his studio to see what they had in store for their debut album. He recorded their performance straight to DAT tape and had Chester say the name of every song so it was documented on tape as well.[7] "What's In The Eye?" was among the songs that made the album.
Under a new lineup consisting of Chester Bennington, Bobby Benish, Mace Beyers and Sean Dowdell, the band had their first pre-production sessions for their second studio album in February 1996 with David Knauer. There, they recorded a new version of "What's In The Eye?". The album version, however, was recorded by Michael Jones during their pre-production session for ...No Sun Today in December.[3]
Amends Version (2020)
Grey Daze included "What's In The Eye?" on their 2020 album Amends, with re-recorded instrumentals and using older takes of Chester's vocals. The song features guests Marcos Curiel of P.O.D. and Chris Traynor of Bush. It was produced by Chris Traynor and Kyle Hoffman.
In the Amends track-by-track with Apple Music, Sean said, "Chris Traynor is also on this one, and so is Marcos Curiel from P.O.D. Chester and I wrote almost all the lyrics together, and this is one that I started and brought to practice. I remember Chester grabbed my notepad and put a big X through my chorus - I still actually have the lyric sheet - and then he starts screaming, 'Don't go too fast my friend!' He had lost a friend in a car accident a week or two before we wrote the track, so he adapted the lyrics to the loss of his friend. The meaning of the song was really up in the air until Chester gave it literal meaning with a really strong chorus."[8]
Amends... Stripped Version (2021)
A stripped-down, full-band acoustic version of "What's In The Eye?" was released on Amends as a bonus track for Japan, Target and Saturn.
In January 2021, this version of "What's In The Eye?" was released on the Amends... Stripped EP with a different edit on the song, different production and a different mix. Instead of starting with a piano part like the bonus track does, the Amends... Stripped version begins with an acoustic take on the normal song's guitar intro. This continues on throughout the first verse, like the piano continues on in the acoustic version through the first verse. The two songs regain similarity when the first chorus begins.
In the Amends... Stripped track-by-track with Revolver, Sean said, "Our first single on Amends and one of the oldest songs from our catalog, this song was written by Chester and myself. The lyrics were meant to pay homage to one of Chester's friends who had passed away in a car accident several days before the song was written. The lyrics — "Don't go too fast my friend, or you'll lose control" — are a sad reminder of losing people we cared about too early in life."[9]
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's In The Eye? | Wake Me | 4:26 | 1994 | 1994 | |
| What's In The Eye | ...No Sun Today | 3:50 | 1996-1997 | May 23, 1997 | |
| What's In The Eye | ...No Sun Today | 3:53 | 2002 |
| |
| What's In The Eye? | "Wake Me" Pre-Production Live Session | 4:31 | October 06, 1994 |
| |
| What's In The Eye? | Album Pre-Production Live Session | February 18, 1996 |
| ||
| What's In The Eye? | "No Sun Today" Pre-Production Live Session | December 03, 1996 |
| ||
| What's In The Eye? | Amends | 3:25 | 2017-2020 | June 26, 2020 |
|
Live
"What's In The Eye?" debuted at the band's very first live performance, which happened on January 22, 1994 at the Thunder & Lightning Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona.[10] It remained on the band's setlists until 1996.
Personnel
Grey Daze
- Jason Barnes - Guitar
- Chester Bennington - Vocals
- Sean Dowdell - Drums
- Jonathan Krause - Bass
Production
- Recorded and Mixed by: David Knauer
- Produced by: David Knauer and Grey Daze
- Mixed at Anthem Recording
- Assisted by: Billy Spoon and Dan Manriquez
- Mastered at - SAE by Roger Siedel
Lyrics
What's in the eye?
Can you tell me?
Watching the time pass me by
There's so much locked up inside
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
What's in the eye?
That I cannot catch?
Is it me, I want to know
Why it's so hard to let go
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Ohh...
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control, oh, woah, oh
Don't go / Don't you go / Don't you go
No, no / Don't go / Don't you go / Don't you go
No, no / No / No, woah, oh
Ohh...
What's in the eye?
Hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Yeah, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
WHY?
What's in the eye, can you tell me?
Watching the time pass me by
There's so much locked up inside
Don't go too fast my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast my friend
Or you'll lose control
What's in the eye, that I cannot catch?
Is it me, I wan't to know
Why it's so hard to let go
Don't go too fast my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Ohh...
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control
Don't go too fast, my friend
Or you'll lose control, oh, woah, oh
Don't go / Don't you go / Don't you go
No, no / Don't go / Don't you go / Don't you go
No, no / No / No, woah, oh
Ohh...
What's in the eye?
What's in the eye?
Yeah, yeah...
Why?
Hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah, hey, yeah
Yeah, hey, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
WHY?
Gallery
-
Wake Me
-
...No Sun Today
-
Wake Me pre-production DAT tape
-
Real Records album pre-production DAT tape
-
...No Sun Today pre-production DAT tape
-
![Handwritten lyrics by Chester Bennington[11]](/w/images/thumb/d/db/What%27s_In_The_Eye_lyrics.jpg/90px-What%27s_In_The_Eye_lyrics.jpg)
Handwritten lyrics by Chester Bennington[11]
![Handwritten lyrics by Chester Bennington[11]](/wiki/File:What%27s_In_The_Eye_lyrics.jpg)
External Links
Stream
- What's In The Eye (Wake Me): Grey Daze
- What's In The Eye (No Sun Today): Grey Daze
- What's In The Eye (Amends): Grey Daze
Live
- What's In The Eye (Rally Kaps 94): Jonathan Krause
References
- ↑ 45 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020 | Revolver, December 23, 2019
- ↑ Grey Daze "What's in The Eye" NEW SINGLE, Thurs - 01/17. : LinkinPark, January 15, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 LPLive Wiki - Grey Daze Story, October 06, 2015
- ↑ LINKIN PARK ASSOCIATION CHAT WITH FORMER GREY DAZE DRUMMER SEAN DOWDELL APRIL 15, 2003 @ 8:00 PM, April 15, 2003
- ↑ New Music From Grey Daze (Chester Bennington's First Band), January 15, 2020
- ↑ Exclusive: Grey Daze Demos, "Scott Crowley Sessions" - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, June 14, 2015
- ↑ Exclusive: "Wake Me" Pre-Production Live Session - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, October 31, 2015
- ↑ Apple Music: Grey Daze - Amends, June 26, 2020
- ↑ Revolver - Chester Bennington's First Band: Inside Grey Daze's New Acoustic EP, Track By Track, February 2, 2021
- ↑ Exclusive: Grey Daze's Debut Show (w/ Unreleased Songs) - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, July 11, 2015
- ↑ Grey Daze - Pre production lyrics for "What's in the Eye"... | Facebook, October 26, 2017