Dry Your Eyes

"Dry Your Eyes"
Single by The Streets
from the album A Grand Don't Come for Free
Released	31 May 2004
Format	CD
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	4:32
Label	679
Writer(s)	The Streets
Producer(s)	The Streets
The Streets singles chronology
"Fit But You Know It" (2004) "Dry Your Eyes" (2004) "Blinded by the Lights" (2004)

"Dry Your Eyes" is a song by English rappers The Streets. It was released in May 2004 as the second single from their second album A Grand Don't Come for Free (2004). The song describes the protagonist trying to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004. The song is The Streets' most successful single, reaching number one in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2004, six days after its release.^[1] "Dry Your Eyes" also went straight to number one in Ireland staying there for three weeks in a row.

In Australia, the song was ranked #19 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 87 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[2]

Music structure

"Dry Your Eyes" is a composed in the key of A major. It is written in common time and moves at a slow tempo of 80 beats per minute. The song is carried by a first inverted triad.^[3]

The radio edit of the song, lasting 3:22, omits the bridge and third verse. The official video uses this edit.

The melody was taken straight from a royalty-free samples CD released in 1999.<ref name=Streets Star: I'm Confused About Plagiarism Claims>"Streets Star: I'm Confused About Plagiarism Claims". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-04-02. </ref> A plagiarism claim by unknown artist Epic was reported in the press in 2004, but no case was ever made.^[4]

Cover versions

• A version of "Dry Your Eyes" featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay singing the chorus surfaced on the internet and received airplay on Los Angeles radio station Indie 103.1. This version was recorded for a BBC Radio 1 competition (listeners were told to call in when they heard this version of the song) and was never officially released, because Chris Martin did not agree with his vocal performance. This version frequently found American airplay on WFNX after its release.
• Brian Kennedy on Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 2
• A parody version was performed by comedian Adam Buxton on the TV Show 2004: The Stupid Version, with the lyrics being about a man getting kicked out by his girlfriend because he repeatedly urinates on the toilet seat and wets the bed.

Track listing

UK CD1:

1. "Dry Your Eyes"
2. "It's Too Late (Live Radio Session)"

Australian/UK CD2:

1. "Dry Your Eyes"
2. "Let's Push Things Forward (Live Radio Session)"
3. "Has It Come To This? (Live Radio Session)"
4. "Dry Your Eyes (Enhanced Video)"

Charts

References