PETER GABRIEL - IN YOUR EYES

Released: August 1986

Charts:  US: #26 

“In Your Eyes” is a song by Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album “So”. Though not released as a single in the UK, it became the second US single from the album, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Peter Gabriel co-produced the album with Daniel Lanois, who had previously worked on U2’s “The Unforgettable Fire” and later “The Joshua Tree”. Lanois is known for emotionally driven production, which complemented well with lyricists like Bono and Gabriel. 

“In Your Eyes” is widely regarded as Peter Gabriel’s greatest love song and one of his finest works. The song combines a piano melody with an African-inspired bass and percussion arrangement, creating a seamless cross-cultural fusion. Its extended coda, featuring Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, introduced him to a wider Western audience and adds a mesmerizing vocal layer to the song’s slow-building chants. 

Peter Gabriel’s concerts are highly choreographed, but “In Your Eyes” was designed to allow room for improvisation. During the So tour, keyboardist David Sancious recalled that Gabriel wanted to extend the song’s ending, giving space for an improvised eight-bar break featuring only piano and drums. Manu Katché would signal when to return to the chorus, making the section unique every night. 

Gabriel originally wanted “In Your Eyes” to be the final track on “So”, but the song’s prominent bassline required it to be placed earlier on the vinyl edition to allow the phonograph stylus enough room to vibrate properly. This limitation was no longer an issue for later CD releases, so the track was moved to its intended closing position.