“Behind Blue Eyes” by Limp Bizkit
Even though Limp Bizkit experienced more chart success with “Behind Blue Eyes”, this is a song that was originally dropped in 1971 via The Who, a highly-regarded rock band from England. In fact the original is considered one of the signature pieces in The Who’s decades-spanning catalog.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s highly unlikely that Limp Bizkit, though experiencing a very-successful heyday of their own, will never be as renowned as The Who is. But to reiterate, their version of “Behind Blue Eyes” performed a lot better both commercially and critically.
ABOUT LIMP BIZKIT
Limp Bizkit is a rock-rap act that reached its peak during the early aughts, back around the time when such hybrids were en vogue. It was also on 23 September 2003, as part of their fourth album “Results May Vary”, that Limp Bizkit came out with their rendition of “Behind Blue Eyes”.
Limp Bizkit is a full band currently consisting of these musicians:
- guitarist Wes Borland
- bassist Sam Rivers
- drummer John Otto
- turntablist DJ Lethal
- frontman Fred Durst
Though this act has never appealed to rap purists, Durst’s name is pretty well-known to the hip-hop community. This is because of him having a well-publicized beef with one of rap’s biggest stars, Eminem.
Limp Bizkit traces its origins to mid-1990s’ Jacksonville, Florida. They initially signed with an indie label called Flip Records, which the band helped to put on the map. Flip’s distributors were Interscope Records, whom the group also became associated with as a result. So it is those two companies which were responsible for the release of this single.
HOW DID “BEHIND BLUE EYES” FARE?
Limp Bizkit’s take on this classic was a notable international success, in that for example it charted in over 20 nations. In the process it proved a chart topper in the Czech Republic and Sweden. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Rock & Metal Chart. Furthermore, it appeared on a handful of US Billboard listings.
Moreover the track has been certified in nearly a dozen countries, including having thus far gone platinum in Germany and Australia.
So “Behind Blue Eyes”, which was originally composed by The Who’s Pete Townshend, stands as one of that band’s biggest hits. By the looks of things, it is the most-successful single in Limp Bizkit’s entire catalog.
OFFICIALLY A COVER, THOUGH NOT THE SAME LYRICALLY
With that said, it should be noted that there are some lyrical differences between the two. For instance, the bridge of Limp Bizkit’s version, unlike the original, basically serves as a shoutout to the band. And they also added a third verse which is not found on The Who’s version.
We’ve already looked at said original and ascertained that it is part biographical (dealing with what Townshend was going through at the time) and part fictional. Actually the original was written specifically to be featured on a rock opera titled Lifehouse.
Lifehouse never came to be in its entirety, but still, in the case of this song, the vocalist took on the role of a character and more exactly the main antagonist found therein. So as concluded, the original does have a general though not universal, if you will, applicability. And what it speaks to, most concisely explained, is the vocalist being akin to a villain alright, though more so due to the nature of his work than him being evil at heart.
And that’s how we will more or less take it with Limp Bizkit’s cover also. However, their version was introduced to a group of fans who presumably have little to no knowledge of Lifehouse. Moreover, it further transcends the confines of that narrative given once again the new bridge and especially the added third verse.
A SAD AND LONELY NARRATOR
We will take it that Limp Bizkit’s rendition speaks more directly to the real-world notion of the vocalist suffering in a way in which others, i.e. those who are not in his position, cannot readily perceive. This includes him being “sad”, “hated”, “lonely”, “mistreated” and “defeated”. Furthermore, he suppresses his emotions in a manner which can be deemed unhealthy.
Also, as expressed in the third verse, Durst is negatively affected by the observed fact that “no one knows how to say that they’re sorry”. All of these feelings and emotions lie “behind blue eyes” – with that expression being, we will presume, a reference to his own mind.
TAKE FROM THIS PIECE WHAT YOU WILL
The original “Behind Blue Eyes”, due to it being based in both fact and fiction, is a challenging enough piece to define as is. Limp Bizkit’s contributions do make this song more grounded in reality so to speak. This is because the bridge and third verse apparently don’t have anything to do with Lifehouse. But that noted, there’s still a whole bunch going on in these lyrics.
As with the original, the vocalist does a solid job of presenting his soul as being a tortured one. And as if that isn’t enough, his situation is exacerbated by the fact that others – for whatever unspecified reason – lack the wherewithal to empathize with him.
But ultimately, we will conclude by saying that since this cover was influenced by so many different factors – i.e. Pete Townshend’s early experiences with stardom and the fictional Lifehouse rock opera, in addition to Durst/Lethal’s own ruminations – that it is relaying more of a sentiment than a precise message per se. And that sentiment can conclusively be deemed as one in which the vocalist does desire empathy but is not expecting to actually receive any.
DID LIMP BIZKIT CONTRIBUTE WRITING TO “BEHIND BLUE EYES”?
Yes. In covering this song, Fred Durst and DJ Lethal modified the lyrics with their own contributions. Owing to this additional lyrical contributions, Fred and Lethal are also given songwriting credit beside Pete Townshend.
“BEHIND BLUE EYES” APPEARS IN “GOTHIKA”
Limp Bizkit’s version was notably used in the 2003 horror film, “Gothika“, which starred Halle Berry. The song is played at the end of the film.
