Mental Health Themes in Music: "Eyeoneye"

Welcome to the next entry in the exploratory series of Mental Health Themes in Music! Today, we’ll look at the indie rock track “Eyeoneye” by singer-songwriter Andrew Bird, released in 2012 on the album, Break It Yourself. This particular song not only features the album title in its lyrics, it elaborates on the concept in a rather meaningful way. Let’s dive in!

“When the eye that eyes itself is your eye

And the ear that hears itself is too near

Then you're getting too close to your source”

This lyric does an excellent job of expressing the discomfort that often comes with introspection, and alluding to, perhaps, that this could be for existential reasons. Either way, it certainly begs the question of who has the authority to observe who we are at our core, and can we even see or hear ourselves with enough objectivity to do so accurately.

“You've done the impossible now

You took yourself apart

Made yourself invulnerable

No one can break your heart

So you break it yourself”

With this stanza, the idea of using self-analysis as a way to defend ourselves from vulnerability is introduced. However, while we may be able to attain protection from externally inflicted emotional pain, this can create a sense of emptiness, disconnection, and/or loneliness because humans are social creatures that require a sense of love and belonging, at least minimally. So, if no one is let in enough to establish a genuine connection, this could function as a method of self-inflicted heartbreak.

“All this time it took to realize

That you could use some help”

I could go on a rant about how it is ok to ask for help - hell, it is necessary to do so at times - especially in our American, individualistic culture, but I think I’d be preaching to the choir.

“Bringing your heart, breaking the shell

Bringing your heart, breaking the shell

Go ahead and defibrillate yourself

Give yourself a hand, the hand is yours”

And finally, I wanted to highlight the image of self-defibrillation. The only person who can take off the protective layers and give your heart a jumpstart is, ultimately, you. I find this sentiment incredibly empowering.

As always, there are a plethora of different ways to interpret the lyrics to this song. My hope for you is that, if nothing else, you take a  moment to engage curiously with your relationship to vulnerability. This includes with yourself and with the people you care about most. I invite you to place a hand on your heart, adjust the volume accordingly, and notice what comes up as you listen.

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Kim Johnson, LMHC, MT-BC, is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and board certified music therapist (MT-BC) who graduated with her master’s from Lesley University in 2017. She has experience with adults and adolescents in group private practice and community mental health settings. The levels of care she has worked in are outpatient, with both individual and group therapy and in partial hospital programs for mental health and substance use disorders. Additionally, she has had intensive training in dialectical behavioral therapy and cognitive processing therapy for PTSD.

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