"Bright Eyes" is a song written by Mike Batt and performed by Art Garfunkel. It was written for the soundtrack of the 1978 British animated adventure drama filmWatership Down. Rearranged as a pop song from its original form in the film, the track appears on British and European versions of Garfunkel's 1979 Fate for Breakfast and on the US versions of his 1981 album Scissors Cut. It was the biggest-selling single of 1979 in the UK, remaining at number one for six weeks and selling over a million copies there. Richard Adams, author of the original novel is reported to have hated the song. A cover of the song was later used in the television series of the same name explicitly as its theme song.
Background
The song was written, produced and arranged by Mike Batt for Watership Down, with original director John Hubley requesting a song about death. It plays when the rabbit Hazel, the lead character in the film, almost dies after being wounded by a farmer's gun and Fiver, his little brother is led to him by the Black Rabbit of Inlé. The pop single arrangement of the song was very successful in the United Kingdom, staying at number one in the UK Singles Chart for six weeks in 1979, selling over one million copies, becoming the biggest-selling single of the year. In the United States, it failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100. It reached #27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
The Shadows recorded an instrumental version in 1979 on the albumString of Hits.
The Nolans recorded the song for their 1979 album Nolan Sisters.
In 1979, It Ain't Half Hot, Mum actor Don Estelle covered the song in his album Time After Time.
In 1980, five-year-old child performer Matthew Butler performed a version of the song on the ITV children's series Tiswas dressed in a grey furry rabbit costume. Butler, his costume and his rendition of the song became a staple part of the programme for the rest of its duration.
Welsh band Manic Street Preachers released a live version as a b-side on the cassette version of their "A Design for Life" single in 1996.
In March 1998, Swedish singer Pandora released a version as a single, taken from her album Pandora's Hit Box.
The song was later covered by Stephen Gately in 2000 and used as the theme song of the Watership Down animated television series. It was released as a double A-side with his single "New Beginning". While Mike Batt, who wrote the original song, composed an entire new score. This new cover went on to earn the TV show a nomination for a Gemini Award, for best original score.
