Dry Your Eyes Explained
"Dry Your Eyes" is a single by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner under the music project the Streets. The song describes the protagonist trying to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004. The song is the Streets' most successful single, reaching number one in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2004, six days after its release. "Dry Your Eyes" also went straight to number one in Ireland staying there for three weeks in a row.
In Australia, the song was ranked number 19 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.[1] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 87 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[2]
Music structure
"Dry Your Eyes" is composed in the key of A major. It is written in common time and moves at a slow tempo of 80 beats per minute. The song is carried by a first inversion triad.[3] The radio edit of the song, lasting 3:22, omits the bridge and third verse. The official video uses this edit. However, some radio edits move the interlude after the second chorus to the beginning of the song.
The melody was taken straight from a royalty-free samples CD released in 1999.[4] A plagiarism claim by unknown artist Epic was reported in the press in 2004, but no case was ever made.[5]
Critical reception
Leonie Cooper of NME called "those violins, bringing all of the emotions" the best part of the song.[6] Tony Naylor of NME called the song, "a hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck ballad for jilted lovers" and stated, "rarely has Skinner sounded so vulnerable, poignant and, well, normal."[7]
Track listings
UK CD1
- "Dry Your Eyes"
- "It's Too Late" (live radio session)
UK CD2 and Australian CD single
- "Dry Your Eyes"
- "Let's Push Things Forward" (live radio session)
- "Has It Come To This?" (live radio session)
- "Dry Your Eyes" (enhanced video)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Chart (2004) | Position |
---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] | 58 |
UK Singles (OCC)[11] | 20 | |
Certifications
Release history
Cover versions
- A version of "Dry Your Eyes" featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay singing the chorus surfaced on the internet and received airplay on Los Angeles radio station Indie 103.1. This version was recorded for a BBC Radio 1 competition (listeners were told to call in when they heard this version of the song) and was never officially released, because Chris Martin did not agree with his vocal performance. This version frequently found American airplay on WFNX after its release.
- Brian Kennedy on Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2
- A parody version was performed by comedian Adam Buxton on the TV Show , with the lyrics being about a man getting kicked out by his girlfriend because he repeatedly urinates on the toilet seat and wets the bed.
- "Dry Your Eyes" was performed in a scene from the 2021 comedy film , in which characters DJ Beats and DJ Steves cover the song in a karaoke bar.
Notes and References
- Web site: Hottest 100 2004. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 October 2021.
- Web site: 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years . NME . 26 March 2014 . 2 April 2014.
- Sheet music for "Dry Your Eyes". Hal Leonard Corporation. 2004.
- Web site: Streets Star: I'm Confused About Plagiarism Claims. Contactmusic.com. 2 April 2014.
- Web site: Streets Star Hits Back at Plagiarism Claims. Contactmusic.com. 2 April 2014.
- Web site: Cooper . Leonie . The Streets' 10 best songs . NME. 13 October 2017. 24 January 2019.
- Web site: Streets : Dry Your Eyes . Naylor . Tony . NME . 12 September 2005 . 24 January 2019.
- Web site: Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija. https://web.archive.org/web/20040929040123/http://www.hrt.hr/hr/top20/maineng.html. dead. September 29, 2004. Croatian Radiotelevision. 14 April 2023.
- Hits of the World – Eurocharts. Billboard. 116. 32. 61. 7 August 2004. 30 March 2020.
- Web site: Jahreshitparade Single 2004. de. 7 July 2018.
- Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2004. UKChartsPlus. 7 July 2018.
- New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 39. 17 July 2004.
- Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th August 2004. ARIA. 28. 9 August 2004. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040806140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20040807-0000/ISSUE754.pdf. 6 August 2004. 7 October 2021.