Red Eyes (2014) – The War on Drugs

“There was a lot of magic in those sessions. We knew we were onto something special.” – Adam Granduciel

Red Eyes is the seventh song to appear here from The War on Drugs after their previous entry Pain. I like the striding energy of this track. Principal singer songwriter Adam Granduciel’s somewhat abtract lyrics fade into the music like the haze of reverb. He’s not searching for the lines you’ve never heard before instead, he’s looking for a way out of empty grief: ‘Don’t wanna let the dark night cover my soul’. While the recurring “Woo!” exclamations throughout the song inject a sense of euphoria and release.

Red Eyes was the first single off their critically acclaimed album Lost In The Dream and born from a period of intense personal and artistic turmoil for Granduciel. Following the band’s previous album, Slave Ambient, he grappled with anxiety and a sense of disconnection. The frontman of The War on Drugs revealed in an interview that the album Lost in the Dream was heavily influenced by his battle with depression and anxiety. He described the process as a therapeutic endeavor, stating, “I was going through a dark time, and music became my refuge, a way to process my emotions and experiences” .

Red Eyes emerged as a beacon of light amidst the darkness, a cathartic expression of Granduciel’s journey through and out of his struggles. His perfectionism is well-documented; he often spent countless hours layering guitars, tweaking synthesizers, and perfecting vocals. “There were moments where we’d spend an entire day just to get the right guitar tone or the perfect drum sound”. The result is a dreamy soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate.

[Verse 1]
Come and see
Where I witness everything
On my knees
You beat it down to get to my soul
Against my will
Anyone could tell us you’re coming
Baby don’t mind
Leave it on the line, leave it hanging on a rail

[Verse 2]
Come and ride away
It’s easier to stick to the old
Surrounded by the night
Surrounded by the night, and you don’t give in
But you abuse my faith
Losing every time but I don’t know where
You’re on my side again
So ride the heat wherever it goes
I’ll be the one to care, woo!

[Chorus]
You’re all I’ve got, wait
Don’t wanna let the dark night cover my soul
Well, you can see it through the darkness coming my way
Well, we won’t get lost inside it all again (Read the remainder here)

References:
1. Lost in the Dream – Wikipedia
2. The Story of Faith Behind “Red Eyes” by The War on Drugs – American Songwriter

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand