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

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Black Sabbath

Black SabbathFact or Fiction

Dwarfs on stage with an oversize Stonehenge set? Dabbling in Satanism? Find out which Spinal Tap-moments were true for Black Sabbath.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."