Song Lyric Sunday – Doctor My Eyes

Is there a doctor in the house? Jim Adams, our host of Song Lyric Sunday, has asked us to find a song with the words ‘doctor, cure, heal, treat or drugs’ in the title or lyrics. I went with one I like a lot, ‘Doctor My Eyes’ by Jackson Browne. I love his music and you will always many of this somgs on my Pandora lists. He was always a good-looking guy and you will see from the second video that he has aged pretty well over the years. His voice is as gentle as ever and his talent is still evident.

The Song

Jackson Browne’s songs often ask if it’s better to see the world through the harsh lens of reality, or to just leave on the rose-colored glasses. He does just that in “Doctor My Eyes,” asking if was unwise to leave his eyes open for so long, as now he must contend with a “slow parade of fears.”The song had a very literal inspiration. “I did, in fact, have something happen to my eyes,” Browne told Rolling Stone. “They became red, I could barely see – I didn’t know what it was. They gave me some drops: ‘Keep your eyes shut for a few days.’ By the time I wrote this, I could see again. But it was a metaphor for having seen too much, a loss of innocence.”

Originally, the lyrics were about a guy who tries to get help, but is doomed because it’s too late. Browne’s record company thought it was too much of a downer, so he made it into a story about a guy who has gone through a lot in life and comes to accept his fate.

Browne’s Southern California musical cohorts David Crosby and Graham Nash sang harmony vocals. Brown was signed to Asylum Records, which was owned by David Geffen. According to Jackson, Geffen asked Nash if he thought there was a single on the album (Browne’s first), and Nash picked this one, with the proviso that Browne add a high vocal part, which he did.

“Doctor My Eyes” was Jackson Browne’s first single. It’s far more compact than most of his songs, running a radio-friendly 2:55. It did very well in America and remained a fan favorite, garnering lots of airplay on Classic Rock and Adult Contemporary radio, and often earning a spot on Browne’s setlists.Getting that first hit under his belt was satisfying for Browne, whose first recorded album (in 1968) was never released.

The guitar solo was played by Jesse Ed Davis, a brilliant but troubled musician who performed on albums by Willie Nelson, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon. Davis died in 1988 at age 43 in what appeared to be a drug overdose.

Browne was just 23 when this song was released, but he was well known in the Southern California music community, where he had high standing with the likes of Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. A few years earlier, he was part of an early permutation of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which ended up recording two of his songs: “Melissa” and “Holding.” He also worked with Nico and Tim Buckley as a backing musician; Nico covered Browne’s song “These Days” in 1967.Browne, though, had never had his own band, so putting one together for the album was a challenge. He ended up anchoring it around bass player Lee Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel, who where James Taylor’s rhythm section and much-admired session pros. Instead of working with a high-powered producer, Browne put engineer Richard Orshoff in that role and gave his players lots of input. They were able to transform the songs he had been playing solo on acoustic guitar into full arrangements.

Jackson Browne and the Eagles were creative kin and rose to fame around the same time in 1972. Browne was first on the charts, with “Doctor My Eyes” peaking at #8 in America in May 1972. In July, the Eagles reached #12 with their first single, “Take It Easy,” a song Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey. Browne included his version of “Take It Easy” on his next album, For Everyman.

Browne played the piano himself, which starts off the song and originally played all the way through. The arrangement changed in the studio as Browne encouraged the musicians to explore. “If the song was a hit, it was because of Russ Kunkel’s swing rhythm and David Crosby’s fantastic harmonies,” Browne told Rolling Stone. “That’s what those things are made of – the stuff that sticks to you.”

In the UK, it was The Jackson 5 who had a hit with “Doctor My Eyes”; their 1973 cover went to #9. On their version, Jermaine Jackson came in too early and ended up repeating the first line. His error was allowed to remain in the final mix.

The Lyrics

Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand

I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hiding
You must help me if you can

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?

'Cause I have wandered through this world
As each moment has unfurled
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams

People go just where they will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it's later than it seems

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say if it's too late for me

Doctor, my eyes
They cannot see the sky
Is this the prize
For having learned how not to cry?

Writer/s: Jackson Browne
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind