I was sitting on a train back in 2004, reading an academic book about "eyeballing", which is a computing term. I thought the term would make an interesting starting point for a song, and wrote the whole thing in under half an hour.
The original demo, recorded in 2008, was very dark and industrial. The album version is still supposed to have the same simplistic, robotic, Kraftwerk-like quality, but is considerably easier on the ear than its earlier counterpart.
We were tentatively toying with the idea of releasing Eyeballing as the second or third single, when largely by accident we entered the world of remixes. It started with someone offering to do a dub version of Golden Wheel, which ultimately didn't work out, but while we were waiting for that, we also asked around, and came across Sappy. His version of Eyeballing took us both aback completely. It was utterly brilliant, and entirely unlike anything we would have ever thought of doing with it.
The lyrics go as follows:
Eye on the target
Food for the flame
You can taste it
The speed of a rocket
Mind on the game
You could fake it
You could fake it
And claim your place in my sights
We’re eyeballing until
The sights have gone astray
We're daydreaming again
Don’t turn your eyes away
Dive for submission
Swim for the shore
You can make it
Flesh on metal
You're back for more
You can take it
You can take it
In any way that you want
We’re eyeballing until
The sights have gone astray
We're daydreaming again
Don’t turn your eyes away
But I can tell
That you won’t blink first
You're in control
Your hunger is worse
We’re eyeballing until
The sights have gone astray
We're daydreaming again
Don’t turn your eyes away
(R. Martin / S. Martin)
