Parting Company

Of all the twisted pop culture references in music, I think one of the most imaginative must be the 1977 Adverts song "Gary Gilmore's Eyes".

Gary Gilmore was an American double murderer who became famous in 1977 after demanding that the Utah courts carry out his execution despite a moratorium on capitol punishment at the time. He henceforth became the first American executed after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. He wanted desperately to die, even attempting suicide twice while incarcerated.

His last words were "Let's Do It".

Incidentally, and this is important for my little story here, he donated his eyes to science and two people eventually received a cornea each from him. This little aside proved to be fertile territory for the upstart punk band called The Adverts.

Shortly after news of Gary's high profile execution reached Covent Garden, The Adverts released "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" about an eye donor recipient realizing to his horror that he had been given Gary's eyes and wondering if seeing the world through a murderer's eyes would effect him. It's quite a good piece of black humor. But the song is also good on it's own, and clearly shows off punk's surf music roots. Quite a merry romp.


Gary Gilmore's Eyes by The Adverts (1977)

I'm lying in a hospital,
I'm pinned against the bed.
A stethoscope upon my heart,
A hand against my head.
They're peeling off the bandages.
I'm wincing in the light.
The nurse is looking anxious,
And she's quivering in fright...

I'm looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes

The doctors are avoiding me.
My vision is confused.
I listen to my earphones,
And I catch the evening news.
A murderer's been killed,
And he donates his sight to science.
I'm locked into a private ward.
I realise that I must be...

Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes
I'm Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes

I smash the light in anger.
Push my bed against the door.
I close my lids across my eyes,
And wish to see no more.
The eye receives the messages,
And sends them to the brain.
No guarantee the stimuli must be perceived the same...

When looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes.

Gary don't need his eyes to see.
Gary and his eyes have parted company.