Bridie's Eyes

Album: Twist (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Pop singer-songwriter Kelley Ryan's first solo album since shedding the moniker astroPuppees finds her singing about an elderly woman she knew in Ireland, where one of her studios is located. "She has Alzheimer's. And, when you listen to the song, that is partially what it's about. She started wandering around the hills here and people couldn't find her. People in the neighborhood would kind of take care of her," Ryan explained to interviewer Trevor McShane.

    "She lived in a super old, little cottage, with the old Irish walls that are 3 feet thick. No bathroom. No running water. She lived with her dog Rose. Every day we would see her walk past our cottage here with a walking stick. She'd climb down the cliff to the beach, carrying a little sack-like thing, and she'd come up with driftwood that was her heat for her cottage. She was completely from another era. I could barely understand her when she talked. She was always laughing. Her eyes were almost too blue. She was a walking song. I'd always wanted to write a song about her. In this case, [Don] Dixon had sent me a lovely melody, and as I was sitting outside playing it, Bridie walked by and I thought, 'there are the words!'"
  • Twist was co-produced by Ryan's longtime collaborator and friend Don Dixon, who also plays bass on many of the tracks. "Bridie's Eyes," as well as "Beautiful Child," features string arrangements from Van Dyke Parks.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.