Song of the Day: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes


Bette Davis was born 107 years ago today.  Today’s song of the day just feels right.

Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips a sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll turn her music on you
You won’t have to think twice
She’s pure as New York snow
She got Bette Davis eyes

And she’ll tease you, she’ll unease you
All the better just to please you
She’s precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
She got Greta Garbo’s standoff sighs, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll let you take her home
It whets her appetite
She’ll lay you on a throne
She got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll take a tumble on you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll expose you, when she snows you
Offer feed with the crumbs she throws you
She’s ferocious and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she’s a spy, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll tease you, she’ll unease you
All the better just to please you
She’s precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she’s a spy, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll tease you
She’ll unease you
Just to please you
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll expose you
When she snows you
‘Cause she knows you, she’s got Bette Davis Eyes

She’ll tease you

Songwriters: Donna Weiss / Jackie De Shannon

Music Video of the Day: Bette Davis Eyes, covered by Walkman (2020, dir by Franscisco Maestri & Julian Viel)


116 years ago today, the great actress Bette Davis was born.  Today’s music video of the day is for her.

(Bette Davis, incidentally, loved this song and said that when the Kim Carnes version was released in the 80s, it not only made her “culturally relevant” again but it also caused her grandson to look up to her for the first time.)

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes (1981, dir by Russell Mulcahy)


110 years ago today, Bette Davis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts.  That makes the choice for today’s music video of the day an easy one.

Bette Davis Eyes was originally written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon and was recorded by DeShannon.  However, it wasn’t until 1981, when the song was covered by Kim Carnes, that Bette Davis Eyes became a hit.  It spent nine weeks at the top of the Billboard 100 and was named Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

One fan of the song was Bette Davis herself, who sent a note to Weiss, DeShannon, and Carnes in which she thanked them for making her “a part of modern times.”  Davis also said that her grandson never looked up to her until he heard this song.

The video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who directed several music videos in the early 80s.  The famous silhouette of Davis smoking can be spotted throughout.

Enjoy!