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"Far Away Eyes"
"Far Away Eyes" cover
Song by The Rolling Stones from the album Some Girls
Released	June 9, 1978
Recorded	October-December 1977
Genre	Rock
Length	4:24
Label	Rolling Stones/Virgin
Writer	Jagger/Richards
Producer	The Glimmer Twins
Some Girls track listing
"Lies" (5) "Far Away Eyes" (6) "Respectable" (7)

"Far Away Eyes" is the sixth track from rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1978 album Some Girls.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards collaborated extensively on writing the song and was recorded in late 1977 and a DEMO version was called "You Win Again". A bootleg version with Keith singing exists. The Stones, longtime country music fans, incorporated many aspects of Bakersfield-style country music into this song. These included in particular Ron Wood's use of a pedal steel guitar for a solo and highlights, an instrument used on other songs from the album like "Shattered" and "When the Whip Comes Down". Also of note is the plodding rhythm of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. Richards performed acoustic and electric guitars as well as sharing duties on the piano with Jagger.

In the lyrics, the lowliness of life and the possibilities in finding love are dealt with:

So if you're down on your luck and you can't harmonize, Find a girl with far away eyes, And if you're downright disgusted and life ain't worth a dime, Get a girl with far away eyes

The verses of the song are half sung, half spoken, with Jagger using a parodic Southern American English accent:

I was driving home early Sunday morning through Bakersfield, Listening to gospel music on the colored radio station, And the preacher said 'You know, you always have the Lord by your side', And I was so pleased to be informed of this, That I ran 20 red lights in His honor, Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord

In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jagger said, "You know, when you drive through Bakersfield on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening - I did that about six months ago - all the country music radio stations start broadcasting black gospel services live from L.A. And that's what the song refers to. But the song's really about driving alone, listening to the radio." On influences, Jagger stated "I wouldn't say this song was influenced specifically by Gram (Parsons). That idea of country music played slightly tongue in cheek - Gram had that in 'Drugstore Truck Drivin' Man', and we have that sardonic quality, too." Asked by the interviewer if the girl in the song was a real one, Jagger replied, "Yeah, she's real, she's a real girl."

The Rolling Stones have performed "Far Away Eyes" sporadically since its introduction to their canon of work, most recently on the A Bigger Bang Tour in 2006. A captured performance appears on the 2008 live album Shine a Light.

External links

• Complete official lyrics