See It In A Boy's Eyes

Album: Thank You (2004)
Charted: 5
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Coldplay frontman Chris Martin found he had an empty diary for a week, he phoned his label mate Jamelia to see if they fancied a collaboration. They met in the studio and came up with this single.
  • Jamelia sings of a romance where there's a communication issue. She explained to BBC's Newsround it's "about a relationship where someone doesn't speak about having a problem and you can see that they're upset but they're just not talking."
  • Jamelia and Martin recorded the song in late 2003 in London with Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey. Martin contributed background vocals and played the piano. Released on July 12 2004 as a single from the reissue of Thank You, it became Jamelia's third consecutive Top 5 hit in the UK, and third consecutive Top 40 hit in Australia, Belgium, Ireland and Italy.
  • Coldplay's pop/rock audience and Jamelia's R&B fans didn't overlap, so Martin didn't want anyone to know he was behind the single. EMI had other ideas and gave the Coldplay frontman a writing credit.
  • Director Andrew John "W.I.Z." Whiston shot the video in Cuba. It features Jamelia as a soldier in the army who is upset with her boyfriend. "I just wanted it to be different," she said. "'It would have been so predictable if it was just me in a short skirt, my legs out - and I'm not a predictable person. I was trying to be fresh so that people stay interested in me."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Eagles Lyrics Quiz

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Kiss

KissFact or Fiction

Kiss is the subject of many outlandish rumors - some of which happen to be true. See if you can spot the fakes.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.