You know that synth riff. It’s cold, metallic, and somehow sounds exactly like 1981. When Kim Carnes starts singing in that gravelly, cigarette-smoke voice about "Harlow gold" and "New York snow," it’s impossible to turn off. But honestly? Most people have the history of Bette Davis Eyes all wrong. They think it was an overnight 80s sensation written specifically for that era.
It wasn't. Not even close.
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The song was actually a failed 1974 track that sounded like a honky-tonk polka. Seriously. If you heard the original today, you’d probably laugh. It took seven years, a legendary actress's ego, and a specific piece of gear—the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer—to turn a forgotten B-side into the biggest hit of 1981.
The Weird, Jazz-Lite Origins (1974)
The track was written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. If you don't know DeShannon, she’s the powerhouse behind "What the World Needs Now Is Love." She and Weiss were hanging out in 1974, talking about old movies. Weiss had been watching the 1942 film Now, Voyager and was obsessed with Bette Davis.
They sat down and hammered out the lyrics, but the vibe was totally different. DeShannon recorded it for her album New Arrangement, and it sounds like a jaunty, mid-70s bar room shuffle. There are horns. There's a "beer-barrel" piano. It’s got a weird, "R&B lite" swing to it.
It went absolutely nowhere.
For years, the song just sat there. It was a demo that songwriters kept in their back pocket, hoping someone would see the potential. When Val Garay, the producer for Kim Carnes, first heard that 1974 version, he hated the arrangement. He said it sounded like a Leon Russell track gone wrong.
How a Synthesizer Saved the Song
So, how did we get from "beer-barrel polka" to the sleek, haunting masterpiece we know?
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Enter Bill Cuomo. He was the keyboardist on the session, and he brought a Prophet-5 synth into the studio. He started playing around with that signature riff—the one that feels like a heartbeat in a dark club.
The moment he hit those notes, everyone in the room froze.
Kim Carnes has said in interviews that "the minute he came up with that, then it fell into place." They didn't overthink it. They didn't spend weeks layering tracks. In fact, the version you hear on the radio was recorded in just three takes. And they used the first one.
No overdubs. No "fixing it in post." Just raw, spooky energy.
The Mystery of the "Pro Blush" vs. "Crow Blush"
One of the funniest things about this song is that Kim Carnes is technically singing the wrong lyrics. In the original 1974 version, the line is "what it takes to make a crow blush."
Wait, what?
"To make a crow blush" is an old-school Midwestern colloquialism. It basically means you’re so scandalous or bold that even a bird wouldn't look you in the eye. But when the lyrics were transcribed for Kim Carnes, the person writing them down couldn't read the handwriting. They thought it said "pro blush."
Carnes sang it as "pro," and it stuck. Honestly, "pro blush" sounds way more 80s and mysterious anyway, so it was probably a happy accident.
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Bette Davis Was Actually Obsessed With It
Usually, when a song is written about a celebrity, the celebrity gets annoyed. Or they sue. Or they ignore it.
Bette Davis did the opposite.
At 73 years old, she was a legend of the silver screen, but she felt like she was fading into history. Suddenly, this raspy-voiced blonde is singing her name on every radio station in the world. Davis started writing letters to Carnes, Weiss, and DeShannon. She thanked them for making her "a part of modern times."
Her favorite part? Her grandson.
She told the songwriters that because of the song, her grandson finally thought she was "cool." After the song won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1982 Grammys, she sent the whole team roses. It’s one of those rare moments where the tribute actually landed with the person it was meant for.
Why It Still Matters Today
The song spent nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the biggest hit of 1981, beating out songs by stars like Diana Ross and Olivia Newton-John. But it’s not just a nostalgia trip.
If you look at modern pop, you can see the DNA of Bette Davis Eyes everywhere. The "slap-clap" percussion in the video (directed by Russell Mulcahy, who later did Highlander) influenced the aesthetic of MTV for the next decade.
Recently, JoJo Siwa released a cover in July 2025, which sparked a bit of a back-and-forth when Carnes reportedly told TMZ it was "a bit too close" to her version. It just goes to show that even 45 years later, the original is still the gold standard.
Actionable Insights for Music Fans:
- Listen to the 1975 Original: Go find Jackie DeShannon’s version on YouTube. It will give you a massive appreciation for how much a "producer's ear" and a single synthesizer can change a song's destiny.
- Check Out "Now, Voyager": If you want to see the "eyes" that inspired the lyrics, watch the Bette Davis films Now, Voyager or Jezebel. That’s where the "stand-off sighs" come from.
- Study the Synth: If you're a musician, look into the Prophet-5. It’s the same synth used on Michael Jackson's Thriller and by John Carpenter for his movie scores. It defines the "moody" side of the 80s.
The song isn't just a catchy tune; it's a masterclass in reinvention. It reminds us that a "bad" song is often just a good song with the wrong outfit on. Change the piano to a synth, change the "crow" to a "pro," and you might just make history.