Ragin' Eyes

"Ragin' Eyes"
Single by Nick Lowe
from the album The Abominable Showman
B-side	"Tanque-Rae"
Released	April 1983
Genre	Rock music
Length	2:38
Label	F-Beat
Songwriter(s)	Nick Lowe
Producer(s)	Roger Béchirian, Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe singles chronology
"My Heart Hurts" (1982) "Ragin' Eyes" (1983) "Wish You Were Here" (1983)

"Ragin' Eyes" is a 1983 new wave song by Nick Lowe. Lowe spoke positively of the song, but noted his struggles in creating the right stylistic arrangement for it at the time. Released as a single in 1983, the song did not chart.

"Ragin' Eyes" continues to be performed by Lowe in his concerts and has appeared on Lowe's best-of compilations. It has also seen positive reception from music critics.

Background

"Ragin' Eyes was written by Lowe during the early 1980s, a period that he described as "when [he] was starting to lose my way a bit, for various reasons."[1] Given his artistic state at the time, he explained, "It's a song that, when I recorded it, I didn't quite know what I had. . . . I think I thought it was some sort of Cajun song or something like that. It couldn't make up its mind whether it needed to be played on a washboard or with a massive, like, '80s drum sound, so it wound up not being as effective as it would be if I recorded it now."[1]

A music video was produced for the song. As described by The New Yorker, the video concludes with "Lowe, seated at a bar, [wearing] owlish spectacles, which are shattered by the glare of a sultry gal."[2]

Release

"Ragin' Eyes" was released as the first single from Lowe's 1983 album The Abominable Showman. It did not chart in the UK or US. Lowe attributed this lack of commercial success to his stylistic struggles, stating, "I think it could've been more popular at the time if I'd been able to grasp what I had there, but it's a great little tune."[1]

Since its release, "Ragin' Eyes" has appeared on several compilations, such as Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe and Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe.

Critical reception

Goldmine described "Ragin' Eyes" as one of Lowe's "stellar tunes" released after his first two studio albums.[3] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in an otherwise critical review of The Abominable Showman, stated, "[A] song as sharp as 'Raging Eyes,' with its wryly observed lyrics and infectious melody, makes it clear what the rest of the album is lacking."[4] PopMatters, meanwhile, commented, "'Ragin' Eyes' sounds like something Buddy Holly would've cranked had he survived that plane crash."[5]

Live history

Lowe continues to perform the song live.[6] He commented in 2024 that he and Los Straitjackets, his touring band, "do a great version of 'Ragin' Eyes'."[1]

References

1. Graff, Gary (28 December 2024). ""I wrote two songs that should have gone into the dustbin. They turned out to be my biggest hits." The guitarist behind a pair of classic-rock gems says he's just a strummer who thinks of himself as a jingle writer". Guitar Player. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
2. Paumgarten, Nick (12 September 2011). "The Right Frames". The New Yorker. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
3. Borack, John (12 June 2012). "Nick Lowe's first two solo albums stand the test of time". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Abominable Showman - Nick Lowe". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
5. Ingalls, Chris (24 July 2017). "Nick Lowe: Reissues, 1982-1990 » PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
6. Chiu, David. "Nick Lowe And Los Straitjackets Are A Match Made In Heaven At Bowery Ballroom Show". Forbes. Retrieved 4 January 2025.