“In Another’s Eyes”
Trisha Yearwood & Garth Brooks
Written by Garth Brooks, John Peppard, and Bobby Wood
Radio & Records
#1 (2 weeks)
October 24 – October 31, 1997
Future partners Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks top the chart with their first full-fledged collaboration.
The Road to No. 1
This was the second single from Yearwood’s Songbook compilation, and was also included on Sevens, a Garth Brooks studio album that will produce additional No. 1 hits.
The No. 1
“Squeeze Me In” is the best single that this pair has sent to radio. “In Another’s Eyes” is a somewhat distant second.
It tells the tale of a married man having an affair with a married woman, and how their own guilt is overwhelming them as they deceive the spouses who have nothing but confidence in them being faithful.
The song’s melody stays stuck in first gear until the bridge, when both Yearwood and Brooks wail, “What they don’t see is killing me. It’s a blessing and a curse that love is blind.” It’s the most revealing line of the song, as both of them concede that the trust that they supposedly feel guilty about is also what allows them to keep running around together.
That’s the rub here: these are pretty terrible people, pretending to feel horrible about what they’re doing, while continuing to do it because they know their spouses won’t suspect something is up. They could fix their dilemma by telling the truth, but clearly have no intention of doing so.
The Road From No. 1
Brooks will return to No. 1 before year’s end with his next single, and Yearwood will do the same with hers in early 1998.
“In Another’s Eyes” gets a B-.
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Not to mention that this subject material was a bit too real or at least leaned heavily into their tabloid drama of the late 90s. That really isn’t atypical for a Garth move, but was a bit disappointing at the time to see Trisha involved in it.
As a side note, I love 98% of what Trisha has done, but I can’t listen to “Squeeze Me In” at all. I don’t think I’ve allowed that song to finish since the first time I’ve heard it. Not sure why though. The only other Yearwood track I have a similar aversion to is “Drink Up”. Can’t see that one reaching the ‘Emmylou Factor’
I wonder if making moral judgements on the characters in the song detracts from the songwriters’ efforts to consider multiple perspectives at play in all relationships, affairs or otherwise. This is a song more about moral hypocrisy than terrible people. Brooks as songwriter gets inside the messiness of the situation. I hear both self-loathing and love in the lyrics and performance; reserve, regret, and reverence is bouncing all over the place to my ears when Yearwood and Brooks awkwardly harmonize about their affair and the shifting sand it is built upon. It’s complicated and mature songs like this that has led to the aphorism that country is music for adults.
I agree with much of what Peter’s said here. I also hear the mixed emotions of being in such a complicated and messy situation in the performances of both artists. I especially hear a lot of self-loathing in Garth’s vocals in certain places, especially the first verse, as he’s singing about how others see him as a perfect partner who would “never cheat” and “never lie.” Likewise, Trisha also sounds ashamed that she’s not quite the trustworthy and faithful spouse that her partner believes she is. The climatic bridge where both artists belt out their lines also sounds like both of them just letting out their frustrations about the messiness of the situation. I personally miss complicated adult songs like this in mainstream country music. It’s also neat how Allen Reynolds’ production, while more old fashioned compared to just about anything else coming out by 1997, still managed to sound modern and sophisticated like many other contemporary country ballads around the same time. This song actually still sounds very modern to my ears today.
Besides “How Do I Live,” “In Another’s Eyes” is another song that I started hearing often from Trisha Yearwood during the Maine Vacation my parents and I went on in August of 1997. Actually, the first time I heard it was on the first night we were In Maine. We were driving around the South Portland area at night time near the Maine Mall on the way to the hotel, and I remember us passing by the Uno’s Chicago Bar and Grill while “In Another’s Eyes was playing. This song also comes to mind immediately when I think of the Hampton Inn in South Portland that we stayed at during part of the vacation. Even on following trips to Maine in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, “In Another’s Eyes” would always come to mind for me whenever we stayed at that hotel again or just hung around that South Portland area near the mall.
The other duets that Garth and Trisha did together after this never did as much for me, and like Cory, I never cared too much for “Squeeze Me In” either (I personally like Lee Roy Parnell’s earlier version on his We All Get Lucky Sometimes album more). “In Another’s Eyes” is my favorite one they did together because it’s more interesting lyrically, and it’s got a more memorable melody for me. Plus, it comes with those great memories of being in Maine. :) Really looking forward to the next solo number ones from both Garth and Trisha in this feature!
Seeing this song also reminds me of the other great duets that were on the radio around the same time like Clint Black and Martina McBride’s “Still Holding On,” and Travis Tritt and Lari White’s “Helping Me Get Over You.” I’m also really looking forward to another duet I’m sure is coming up here later, featuring a comeback from an 80’s country veteran known for his guitar skills and a female newcomer who also happens to be a guitar picker herself. :)
Since we’re now at the end of the Summer and early Fall run of hits in 1997, I’d also like to take this opportunity to list some other non-number one 1997 country songs that bring back wonderful memories of the 1997 Maine vacation for me:
“You And You Alone” – Vince Gill
“It’s All The Same To Me” – Billy Ray Cyrus
“Whatever Comes First” – Sons Of The Desert
“Please” – The Kinleys
“Down Came A Blackbird” – Lila McCann
“Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie” – Michael Peterson
“Good As I Was To You” and “Go Away” – Lorrie Morgan
“This Night Won’t Last Forever” and “Six Days On The Road – Sawyer Brown
“If You Love Somebody” – Kevin Sharp
“Shut Up And Drive” – Chely Wright
“Lucky In Love” – Sherrie Austin
“Let It Rain” – Mark Chesnutt
“All The Good Ones Are Gone” – Pam Tillis
I’ve always been a bigger fan of Garth and Trisha duets than others seem to be. I actually think their voices compliment each other and while Trisha certainly has the superior voice, I think they have a similar cracking quality to their voices. This one is okay, but “Squeeze Me In” is my favorite duet of theirs though.