Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.
One of the most memorable movie scenes from the 80’s is when Lloyd Dobler lifts his boombox high above his head outside of Diane’s house with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from the speakers. At the time, most guys — myself included — knew immediately that Lloyd made us all look like second rate romantics in that single moment. Some of us were pathetic enough to copy the move with our own love interests because we were too unoriginal to think of our own thing. Whether you’re guilty as charged or not, the scene is engrained in the mind of every 80’s child — and the scene is nothing without the song.
I remember the first few times I heard “In Your Eyes” I didn’t and I couldn’t fully appreciate it for what it was. The more you listen to it, the more you realize it’s far more than just a great pop song. It’s sage, not sappy. It’s world music, not worldly. And it remains ambiguous as to whether “In Your Eyes” is about romantic love, or love of God, or both. I bet Lloyd had no idea.
“All my instincts, they return. The grand facade, so soon will burn. Without a noise, without my pride. I reach out from the inside.”