I took a nostalgia trip last night and revisited Live and Let Die – a James Bond movie I hadn’t seen in decades but was fond of as a child. Roger Moore was the Bond of my generation, so his films were the ones we grew up watching.
When I was seven, my father let me accompany him on a work road trip, and during that time, he took me to see the latest Bond film, For Your Eyes Only. It was the first movie I ever remember watching in a cinema, and the experience was absolutely thrilling. The film’s song in particular; and the subject of today’s post, still resonates strongly with me. From the opening ‘dream-like’ gentle pulsating sound, where the melody unfolds slowly and then Sheena’s voice enters with a warm vulnerability and mirrors a slow-burn romance. What’s not to like about it?
While For Your Eyes Only holds a special place in my heart for sentimental reasons, my all-time favourite Bond movie is Casino Royal (2006), with Daniel Craig’s portrayal and the story standing head and shoulders above the rest. I will be revisiting that one today since it has been such a long time between drinks – ‘shaken, not stirred’.
The following was mostly extracted from the Wikipedia article below:
Bill Conti composed For Your Eyes Only to be the title track for the 1981 James Bond movie. He originally wrote the song thinking about Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield, singers he thought “fit the Bond style“.
The US band Blondie had previously been asked to write the title song but it was rejected in favour of Conti’s by the Bond producers. (Blondie’s recording of a completely different song, also called “For Your Eyes Only”, appeared on their 1982 album The Hunter).
The song was then offered to Sheena Easton. Conti was initially unimpressed with Easton’s discography up to that point, but his opinion of her changed during production. Easton is the only artist (to date) to be seen singing the theme song to a Bond movie during its opening titles, as Maurice Binder liked Easton’s appearance and decided to add her to the credits.
For Your Eyes Only became a huge hit on radio, and it is the fourth-highest James Bond song ever to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 4 in October 1981.
I have forwarded the song with scenes from the movie for those wanting to relive a bit of the movie experience.
[Verse 1]
For your eyes only can see me through the night
For your eyes only, I never need to hide
You can see so much in me
So much in me that’s new
I never felt, until I looked at you
[Chorus]
For your eyes only, only for you
You see what no one else can see
Now I’m breaking free
For your eyes only, only for you
The love I know you need in me
The fantasy you freed in me
Only for you, only for you
[Verse 2]
For your eyes only, the nights are never cold
You really know me, that’s all I need to know
Maybe I’m an open book
Because I know you’re mine
But you won’t need to read between the lines
[Chorus]
References:
1. For Your Eyes Only (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Ah, Bond, James Bond – growing up, I was nuts about 007, and between the big screen and TV, I think I watched all of the pictures, except for the most recent one, “No Time to Die.” I never fully warmed to Daniel Craig. Sean Connery was my favorite Bond, followed by Roger Moore.
Since it feels like ages that I watched the Bond movies, I just checked out the trailers for “Live And Die” and “For Your Eyes Only.” The boat and ski chases, respectively, were highlights in each picture. Overall, I think I prefer “Live and Let Die,” though I will admit I had a bit of a teenage crush on Carole Bouquet! 🙂
From a musical perspective, McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” is my second favorite Bond theme song after Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger.” I also like most other Bond theme songs, including “For Your Eyes Only.” Sheena Easton’s voice is beautiful!
I consider myself a bit of a cinefile, but admit I have never seen a Connery James Bond movie. That’s almost a sacrilege – I know. After I saw ‘Live and Let Die’ which certainly hasn’t aged well, I looked up the critic and public scores of all the JB movies. And Sean Connery’s were all but above 90% which told me one thing…I came into this world about 20 years too late. I do hope that one day I can be acquainted with his Bond.
I also didn’t see the latest Bond flick, despite how much I liked Craig’s portrayal in Casino Royal.
I could never stand Roger Moore. He wasn’t sexy, he wasn’t cool, he wasn’t anyone I wanted to be with. The only thing going for those movies were the women & the cars. Sean Connery is the best, Pierce Brosnan was great & I adore Daniel Craig ~ he totally reinvented Bond. Got rid of the Cary Grant quips & double entendres ~ he was so tough & so cool. He didn’t rely on Q’s toys like the others did. He used his brains & his body to win. Plus he was a Shakespearean actor in a way the others weren’t. In “No Time to Die”, I cried at the end ~ I really did.
As for “For Your Eyes Only”, it was on the juke box at the main club at which I danced ~ I might have danced to it once or twice ~ it wasn’t my kind of song. But I remember this girl ~ I can’t remember her name ~ she did a HEADSTAND on stand to the song. I’ll never forget that. She didn’t last long as a dancer.
If I had been born at least a decade earlier and seen the Connery films which are easily the best received movies of the Bond franchise, I would probably hold the same opinion to you. I chuckled at your comment re. the Moore era – ‘The only thing going for those movies were the women & the cars’. As I wrote below in my response to Christian: I’m afraid I have never seen a Connery Bond film!
You and I hold the same adoration for Craig in his Bond portrayals. Your vivid descriptions of how Craig reinvented Bond are excellent.
Re. the ‘For Your Eyes Only’ song, where this song becomes a driving love ballad isn’t my favourite part. It’s the pulsating lead-in and verses which I love in it. Man, what I would have given to see that girl do her handstand! Was her handstand the catalyst for her early exit as a dancer?
I think the only reason she was dancing was because her boyfriend pushed her into it & they broke up & she went back to whatever straight job she had & was better suited for.
I was never into Bond AT ALL. My first husband loved Bond movies & never missed one. I always thought they were STUUUUUPID. But when my son James was little, he watched them with his father ~ the second husband ~ & he got totally into them & because of my son, I got into them as well. I even read the books ~ I happen to own the entire Bond collection.
I just saw the trailer for the new Bond movie coming out later this year with Henry Cavill as Bond & Margot Robbie as the villain. Man, he’s got the LOOK! I’m looking forward to this. Both my son & I are!
Your off and on connection and backstory with the Bond franchise was fascinating. That Bond book collection would have to be worth something, I reckon.
I didn’t know Henry Cavill was playing the new Bond. I think I have only seen him in one other movie which was the penultimate in the Mission Impossible series; where I thought he did a fine job. I’m going to look at the trailer. Thanks.
I told my son about the trailer & he said it was a fake. So I don’t know.
I’m confused because I saw trailers with Idris Elba as Bond and then after Henry Cavill. So perhaps it was a fake.
I told my son that I didn’t understand fake trailers & he said it’s fandude stuff. AI-generated.
I don’t understand how these things can be on Google like they’re real. I mean, at least they could be labled as NOT REAL.
A.I already seems to be making quite the impact with the BBC admitting today that a video they posted about the Myanmar impact was later exposed as fake.
I agree its disturbing how easily the legacy press or internet companies are passing videos off as ‘real’ without due diligence. The trailer we saw should sure as heck be labelled as fake already.
It just goes to show how old I am! I thought it was real. & my son ~ 30 some years younger than me ~ knew it was a fake immediately.
I thought it was real too until saw I saw the other trailers appear. I’m glad your son was able to see through the A.A facade, but I’m concerned this won’t be as easy as time goes by. There must be so much money to be made in a ‘Browser’ which distinguishes and exposes the implementation of A.I (and the amount) in each page of the Internet we peruse. I mean text as well. I would invest in that.