Eye Know

Album: 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)
Charted: 14
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title comes from the refrain, which is a sample of Steely Dan's 1977 hit "Peg": "I know I love you better." De La Soul also used the whistling from the Otis Redding song "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" on this track, along with much of the instrumentation from the 1969 song "Make This Young Lady Mine" by the Doo Wop group Mad Lads. You can compare this sample with the original at WhoSampled.com.
  • The song is a lyrical love letter to a girl. De La Soul was known for their mellow delivery and liberal use of samples. Otis Redding's whistling from "Dock Of The Bay" also makes an appearance on this song.
  • Posdnous of De La Soul recalled to Rolling Stone: "When me and Dave worked in the mall, we would just hear songs playing in the loudspeakers. They would always play [Steely Dan's] 'Peg' and we were, even then, aspiring to be a group, and we were like, 'Yo, that could be a dope song to use.' So, when it came about time to use it, we took that part 'I know I'll love you better,' we took the Lee Dorsey beat, we used the horns from another Mad Lads record ('Make This Young Lady Mine'), and that was it. It was fun. It was kinda my first time programming a beat."

Comments: 1

  • Myla from San Diego, CaAwesome hip hop song with a positive vibe, not like a lot of misogynistic rap that was beginning to be out there. I also love their play on words and their creative mix of samples. Pure genius.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."