| "Green Eyes" originally written as "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" |
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| Written by | Adolfo Utrera Nilo Menéndez |
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| Lyrics by | (English) Eddie Rivera Eddie Woods |
| Language | originally Spanish new English lyrics written 1929 |
| Recorded by | Jimmy Dorsey orchestra many other artists; see #Recorded versions |
"Green Eyes" is a popular song, originally written in Spanish under the title "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" ("Those Green Eyes") by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menéndez. The English translation was made by Eddie Rivera and Eddie Woods in 1929.
The English version of the song was a hit for the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. The recording was made on March 19, 1941 with vocals by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly and released by Decca Records as catalog number 3698. The flip side was "Maria Elena." The record first reached the Billboard charts on May 9, 1941 and lasted 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. [1] Since "Maria Elena" was also a #1 hit, this was a major double-sided hit recording.
Gloria Jean sang the Spanish lyrics to "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" in the 1943 film, When Johnny Comes Marching Home.
Ben Affleck also sang the Spanish version, in the 2006 film, Hollywoodland, in pivotal scenes just prior to the fatal shooting of his character, George Reeves.
R&B group, the Ravens, had regional success with a 1955 revival.
Allan Sherman recorded a version titled "Green Stamps", a parody of S&H Green Stamps. During the recording session (according to the liner notes on the album), Sherman had a talk with the college types who hadn't heard of "Green Eyes." He said it was, like the Bossa Nova, once a red-hot tune by Helen O'Connell. He asked, "Any of you remember red-hot Helen O'Connell?" (About half did.)
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Recorded versions
- All-Star Orchestra
- Ray Anthony Orchestra
- Desi Arnaz
- Don Barreto
- Big Band All-Stars
- Stanley Black
- Boston Pops Orchestra
- Les Brown
- John Bunch
- Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra
- Nat King Cole
- Ray Conniff
- Los Cordobeses
- Xavier Cugat
- Lou Donaldson
- Jimmy Dorsey orchestra (1941)
- The Dorsey Brothers
- Bob Eberly
- Roy Eldridge
- Les & Larry Elgart
- George Evans
- Bob Florence Big Band
- Connie Francis
- Jane Froman
- Earl Grant
- Benny Green
- Kay Harding
- Gene Krupa
- Abbe Lane
- Steve Lawrence
- Ben Light
- Enoch Light
- Enric Madriguera
- Barry Manilow
- Glenn Miller
- Helen O'Connell
- Anita O'Day
- 101 Strings Orchestra
- Pony Poindexter
- Baden Powell
- The Ravens
- Edmundo Ros
- Harry Roy
- The Sentimental Strings
- Charlie Shavers
- South Shore Concert Band
- Starsound Orchestra
- Conway Twitty
- Lex Vandyke
- The Ventures
- West Coast Swing Time Orchestra
- Ibrahim Ferrer
- Bebo Valdes And His Orchestra
Lyrics
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English lyrics
The version written for English audiences varies from the Spanish. The Big Band version typically had a male voice singing these words, followed by a female voice singing the same words, with the exception of the last line. This is one version:
- Well, Green Eyes with their soft lights
- Your eyes that promise sweet nights,
- Bring to my soul a longing, a thirst for love divine
- In dreams I seem to hold you, to find you and enfold you
- Our lips meet and our hearts, too, with a thrill so sublime
- Those cool and limpid Green Eyes
- A pool wherein my love lies
- So deep that in my searching for happiness
- I fear that they will ever haunt me
- All through my life they'll taunt me
- But will they ever want me?
(Male voice)
- Green Eyes, make my dreams come true.
(Female voice)
- Green Eyes, I love you.
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
| Preceded by "Daddy" by Sammy Kaye |
number-one single according to Billboard magazine August 30, 1941 - September 20, 1941 |
Succeeded by "Blue Champagne" by Jimmy Dorsey |
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