Posted on 2012-07-04
"Oh, goodness! I am in the doghouse" George Knightley thought to himself. He had been enjoying the glorious day strolling the grounds with his girlfriend, Emma Woodhouse. They had stopped at the arboretum and were sharing a casual couple's moment, semi-embraced, laughing conversation interspersed with moments of companionable silence. Suddenly Emma had closed her eyes, tilted her head up to him and playfully asked him what color her eyes were. She had smiled, so sure of his knowing the correct response. He had just frozen. Blanked. Nada. Zilch. Bupkes. That brief pause, that moment of hesitation, was all it had taken. Emma had kept her eyes closed as she whirled to face away from him and marched off, declaring that she would not speak to him again until he could remember.
"No checking photos or videos!" She had hurled at him.
"Well, at least she trusts my integrity. That's something," he thought, but was wise enough not to say aloud.
And now he simply could not remember her eye color.
"Okay, Knightley, do not panic. Think logically." …. Crickets chirping. Loudly. Lots of them.
"The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?
Under the sea
Under the sea
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea" 1 Link
Knightley always sang when stressed or concentrating. Of course, he also sang when bored, driving, walking the dogs, grooming the cats, puttering around the house or while performing a myriad of other everyday activities. It would not surprise anyone who knew him to find that he had begun singing at such a moment. He had spent a lot of time playing with his nieces, singing and dancing to the soundtrack of their favorite movie: "The Little Mermaid." Naturally, the perniciously peppy Disney songs sprang to mind first. Not only did singing help calm him, but it actually helped focus his thoughts. "Eyes, eyes, eyes" he started muttering before erupting into song once more, still walking the grounds aimlessly.
"Don't know when I've been so blue
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new
And don't it make my brown eyes blue
I'll be fine when you're gone
I'll just cry all night long
Say it isn't true
And don't it make my brown eyes blue…
I didn't mean to treat you bad
Didn't know just what I had
But, honey, now I do
And don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes blue…."2 Link
"Alight. I am with you, Miss Crystal. Thanks for the extra push. Now I've got my motivation. Let's do this by process of elimination. She said 'brown eyes', we'll start there."
"Hey where did we go,
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow,
Playin' a new game,
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin' and you
My brown eyed girl,
You my brown eyed girl…
Standing in the sunlight laughing,
Hiding behind a rainbow's wall,
Slipping and sliding
All along the water fall, with you
My brown eyed girl,
You my brown eyed girl.
Do you remember when we used to sing,
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
So hard to find my way,
Now that I'm all on my own.
I saw you just the other day,
My how you have grown,
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometime I'm overcome thinking 'bout
Laughin' and a'runnin', hey, hey
Behind the stadium with you
My brown eyed girl
You my brown eyed girl…."3 Link
"No. Emma's not a Brown-Eyed Girl. Moving on to blue."
"Blue eyes
Baby's got blue eyes
Like a deep blue sea
On a blue blue day
Blue eyes
Baby's got blue eyes
When the morning comes
I'll be far away
And I say
Blue eyes
Holding back the tears
Holding back the pain
Baby's got blue eyes
And she's alone again…."4 Link
"Oh, geez. Emma was certainly mad. And hurt. I hope I didn't make her cry. I hate to see her cry. Those beautiful, big orbs obscured by the tears welling up. But, I don't think her eyes are quite blue. Maybe green?"
"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, Green Eyes?
Make my dreams come true."5 Link
"Nope. That's not it either. Umm. What's left? Violet?"
"It's been a while since you've been around
I've been drifting like a gypsy from town to town
I've been to France and Rome I seemed to almost glitter domes
I'd lay beneath the Spanish summer skies
But I've seen nothing so lovely as your violet eyes
Do you recall the turquoise seas?
On the isles off the shore of Greece?
I've sworn I won't forget your exact smile or where we went
Oh I'll see you in everything
And everywhere I go I see your violet eyes...
Seasons come and seasons pass
Time can seem as fragile as a looking glass
Oh I know there must be something more constant than time
For at night when I sleep I feel you near me I see your violet eyes...
If I could write a postcard to you
I know that somehow it would get through
Not sure I could express this aching in my chest
I guess that I'll always miss you
And everywhere I go I see your violet eyes...
It was a year ago last Christmas we spent in Hawaii
We were laughing beneath the stars playing in the sand, laughing in the sea
It will be a year coming this 4th of July when for the last time we held your hand and for the last time closed your violet eyes...."6 Link
"Gah!" Said Knightley. "That's not it either. I don't even want to go there! And, though her eyes are as beautiful as Elizabeth Taylor's were, my Emma does not have violet eyes. So, that brings us to, what, black? Alright, here goes nothing."
"I was never faithful
And I was never one to trust
Borderlining schizo
And guaranteed to cause a fuss
I was never loyal
Except to my own pleasure zone
I'm forever black-eyed
A product of a broken home
I was never faithful
And I was never one to trust
Borderline bipolar
Forever biting on your nuts
I was never grateful
That's why I spend my days alone
I'm forever black-eyed
A product of a broken home (Broken home)
Black-eyed (repeat)…."7 Link
"Yeah, not so much. Emma's eyes are definitely not black; at least I remember that they are light in color. Man, that song was not helpful for my headspace. Okay, okay…so, uh, errr. Eye color, eyes, eyes, colors. Come on, Knightley!"
"What are you waiting for, the day is gone?
I said I'm waiting for dawn
What are you aiming for out here alone?
I said I'm aiming for home
Holding on
Holding on
With red eyes what are you looking for?
With red eyes, red eyes
All of my days are spent within this skin
Within this cage that I'm in
Nowhere feels safe to me, nowhere feels home
Even in crowds I'm alone
Holding on
Holding on
Every now and then I see you dreaming
Every now and then I see you cry
Every now and then I see you reaching
Reaching for the other side
What are you waiting for?"8 Link
Knightley's shoulders slumped and he hung his head. He had begun to feel agitated, but the last song altered his mood. He thought to himself, "If Emma's eyes are red from crying, I am the biggest heel on the planet and I won't forgive myself even if she forgives me." Sigh.
"I see you, you see me
watch you blowin' the lines when you're making a scene
Oh girl, you've got to know
what my head overlooks
the senses will show to my heart
when it's watching for lies
you can't escape my
Private Eyes
they're watching you
they see your every move
Private Eyes
they're watching you
Private Eyes
they're watching you watching you watching you watching you
You play with words you play with love
you can twist it around baby that ain't enough
cause girl I'm gonna know
if you're letting me in or letting me go
don't lie when you're hurting inside
'cause you can't escape my
Private Eyes
they're watching you
they see your every move
Private Eyes
they're watching you
Private Eyes
they're watching you watching you watching you watching you
Why you try to put up a front for me
I'm a spy but on your side you see
Slip on, into any disguise
I'll still know you
look into my Private Eyes"9 Link
"I wish I could just hire a private eye or look into her eyes and refresh my memory. But, she's right. I should know this and I need to figure it out myself. So, George…what's it going to be?" He knew he was getting serious when he pepped talked himself using his first name. "What eye color have you forgotten, man? Just take a deep breath and go through the possibilities. Brown, blue, green, black, violet, hazel. Wait…hazel!"
"Seems like just yesterday
You were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight
Everything, it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong
Now I can't breathe
No, I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on
Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes
I told you everything
Opened up and let you in
You made me feel alright
For once in my life
Now all that's left of me
Is what I pretend to be
So together, but so broken up inside
'Cause I can't breathe
No, I can't sleep
I'm barely hangin' on
Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes
Swallow me then spit me out
For hating you, I blame myself
Seeing you it kills me now
No, I don't cry on the outside
Anymore...
Anymore...
Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes…."10 Link
"Yes, hazel, that's definitely it! Knightley, you're a dolt! The answer was right there, staring you in the face the whole time. I can see Emma's eyes now and, of course, they're hazel! What else would they be? Well, enough of that! I don't want the rest of the song to apply here so I better hop to it. I need to find Emma and begin apologizing, well, more like groveling! I could pick strawberries for her, serenade her (surely I can come up with an appropriate song), take that oatmeal porridge gruel stuff to her father and make sure he's well situated with everything he needs. Better check on the chicken coop, too; there have been reports of foxes or coyotes about lately. I should grab some hazelnuts, too. Emma never could resist a good pun. Hazel." He shook his head and headed off in search of Emma.
"That wasn't so bad," was his parting comment on the subject.
1 "Under the Sea" The Little Mermaid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman. Walt Disney Music Company. (ASCAP)/Wonderland Music Company, Inc. (BMI). The Walt Disney Company. (p)
2 Crystal Gayle. "Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue." We Must Believe in Magic. Written by Richard Leigh. 1977.
3 Van Morrison. "Brown Eyed Girl." Blowin' Your Mind. Words and Music by Van Morrison. 1967.
4 Elton John. "Blue Eyes." Jump Up! Lyrics by Elton John. Music by Gary Osborne. 1982.
5 Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly. "Green Eyes." (1941). Written by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menendez. English lyrics by Eddie Rivera and Eddie Woods in 1929.
6 Jewel. "Violet Eyes." The Essential Live Songbook. 2008.
7 Placebo. "Black Eyed." Black Market Music. Written by Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, Steven Hewitt, Lyrics. Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Virgin Records. 2001.
8 Switchfoot. "Red Eyes." Hello Hurricane. Written by Jon Foreman. 2009.
9 Hall & Oats. "Private Eyes." Private Eyes. Lyrics and Music by Daryl Hall, Warren Pash, Sara Allen, Janna Allen. 1982.
10 Kelly Clarkson. "Behind These Hazel Eyes." Breakaway. Songwriters: Martin Karl Sandberg, Kelly Clarkson, Lukasz Gottwald. Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing. 2004.