Contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath found massive success in 2008 with his hit “Give Me Your Eyes.” The song topped charts and won awards, but it was the song’s message that stood out the most. Today’s Daily Earworm will examine not only the song’s success, but also how the song’s message may be more relevant today than it was back then.
Chart and Retail Success
“Give Me Your Eyes” was released in July of 2008. The song began a steady climb until it reached #1 on three different Billboard charts by September. It spent 19 consecutive weeks atop the Christian Radio chart. It topped the Christian AC and the Hot Christian Songs charts for 14 straight weeks. The track was the lead single from Heath’s What If We album, and also its most successful track. The album reached #3 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and even charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at #73. “Give Me Your Eyes” sold over a million copies and was certified platinum.
Awards and Accolades
“Give Me Your Eyes” brought Heath huge recognition. At the 2009 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, the song won Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year, Song of the Year, and earned Heath Male Vocalist of the Year. The singer was also nominated in the Songwriter of the Year category. That year, “Give Me Your Eyes” was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song, and helped earn What If We a nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. Heath was also nominated for Best Gospel Act at the Urban Music Awards and Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist at the American Music Awards.
The Message of “Give Me Your Eyes”
“Give Me Your Eyes” is a song that asks God to grant us the ability to see the world through his eyes–to see not only the big picture, but inside all of the little ones as well. The song continues to ask for God’s love for humanity, God’s arms to reach the broken-hearted, and God’s heart for those who have been forgotten. After the assumed enlightenment that would come from the granting of those requests, the song asks the million-dollar question: why don’t we seem to care?
The song was relevant when it was released, but maybe more important in today’s world. With all the wars, all the poverty and hunger, all the depression and oppression in much of the world right now, what are we doing about it? In a world where politicians and rulers seem to care more about serving themselves than their people, it seems so much easier to disconnect, to block it all out, and to just stop caring about all the world’s problems, to just focus on one’s own.
“Give Me Your Eyes” petitions people to look at the world around them, and perhaps more importantly, the people around them, and actually think about them for a change. It asks one to put themself in someone else’s shoes for a second. To see what other people see. It begs people to search inside themselves for humility, compassion and kindness.
Then the song turns things around and points out all the eyes looking back at us. If we all start taking into account how our actions (or lack of them) affect others and start genuinely caring about those around us, just think about what would happen if all of those people did the same. Do the math. If everyone treated the ten people closest to them better, that would mean that each person would see their kindness returned tenfold. Now imagine that on a global scale, and ask yourselves the same question that Heath asks himself in the song: “Why have I never cared?”
The Daily Earworm is a daily column that tells the stories, from the historic to the lesser-known, of some of the music industry’s greatest songs, albums, and artists. Here are some other music tales that you may find interesting:
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