In this song, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina sing about someone looking down at them with angry eyes. It's not clear if this person is a romantic interest, a friend, or a business associate, but there are certainly many angry eyes in the music industry that can create the kind of suspicion and paranoia engendered in this song.

Loggins and Messina are best known for their hit song "Your Mama Don't Dance," but "Angry Eyes" is a much better representation of their work. Running 7:37 with a 4-minute instrumental break, it's a very ambitious song credited to both members of the duo. Produced by Messina, it's a great showcase for the top-tier musicians who served as their band: Al Garth (sax, violin), Larry Sims (bass), Merel Bregante (drums), Jon Clarke (flute, sax), Milt Holland (percussion) and Michael Omartian (keyboards). Messina had the instrumental section mapped out for the musicians so they knew exactly what to play. The song was a staple of their setlists.

This was released as a single from Loggins and Messina, which was their second album. Cut down to 2:24, it went nowhere, but the full album version did very well on FM radio, helping the album sell over a million copies in America.

Their first album, Sittin' In, was slated as Loggins' first solo album with Messina serving as producer and guest musician, but their collaboration was so successful they ended up recording another five albums together, each one they thought would be their last as a duo.