'Anime Eyes' by Kacey Musgraves - Lyrics & Meaning

The fifth studio album to stem from global superstar Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well, hit all music streaming services on March 15.

Co-produced and co-written by the GRAMMY Award-winner, all 14 of its tunes are nothing short of sensational, focusing on the overall shift in her life after turning 27 years old: falling in love, finding her footing, stepping into her spiritual side and more.

With Deeper Well being praised for its diversity, arguably the most adventurous song to come from the album is 'Anime Eyes', an oh-so sweet love story that serves as the penultimate tune.

Comparing the feeling of being in love to the feeling of looking at the world through anime eyes – complete with color, sparkle and nature, with the latter serving as one of the major themes throughout the album as a whole – Musgraves evokes a sense of serenity from start to finish.

With lyrics that might leave fans with raised eyebrows, it is impossible to decipher whether or not Musgraves is in love or on drugs, making for a track that is truly as complex as can be.

Like numerous songs on Deeper Well, 'Anime Eyes' features acoustic noodling throughout the entirety of the track as Musgraves sweetly sings, introducing some percussion after the first chorus.

Harmonizing with her own voice in an otherworldly way, 'Anime Eyes' is extremely reminiscent of the Musgraves we know and love, with the exception of the bridge that seemingly steps out of her comfort zone.

With listeners comparing the bridge of 'Anime Eyes' to that of 'Keep Driving' by Harry Styles, Musgraves rattles off dozens of words during this bridge before returning to the sweet sound of the song as a whole.

The euphoric outro utilizes several synthesizers – all while channeling major Ariana Grande energy – as Musgraves softly sings three lines to close out the soon-to-be hit song.

"The moon is hanging over us
The wind is in the trees
We’ve got nowhere to be do we, baby?
On a piece of paper
You write out your love for me
Treasures I’m forever saving"

In the opening verse, Musgraves sets the scene for the story as a whole: a windy evening in what appears to be a forest. Given the nature themes that run throughout Deeper Well – exemplified the most in tracks like 'Heart of the Woods' – this is extremely on-brand for her fifth studio album.

She continues by painting the picture of her and seemingly her significant other sharing an intimate moment, passing love notes to one another underneath the night sky, something that she will cherish forever.

"Oh, you’re such a pretty thing"

In the pre-chorus, which consists of just one line that, Musgraves is praising what appears to be the appearance of her significant other, describing him as a “pretty thing” in this moment in particular.

"When I look at you
I’m always looking through
Anime eyes
A million little stars bursting into hearts in my
Anime eyes"

Fantasy begins to intertwine with the overall story in the chorus as Musgraves utilizes cartoon-centric terminology to describe the feeling of being in love.

In Japanese cartoons, anime eyes are known for having a great deal of life to them – in this case “a million little stars bursting into hearts” – meaning that enchantment and wonder are evident as Musgraves gazes at seemingly her significant other.

"Made it through the tears to see
a Miyazaki sky
Now it’s you and I
And we’re flying
Confidently I can say
I’d almost given up
Then you showed me how to love
Without trying"

The references to Japanese culture intensify in the second verse, referencing the work of Hayao Miyazaki – an animator, filmmaker and manga artist who serves as the co-founder of Studio Ghibli – in the opening line.

The mystical nature of 'Anime Eyes' also intensifies in the second verse, with Musgraves stating that she is “flying” alongside her significant other, implying that they are feeling on top of the world in regards to their relationship.

This verse is followed by a repeat of both the pre-chorus and the chorus, prior to diving into the special bridge of the tune.

"Ridiculous hazy crazy
Rainbow explosions of ecstasy
oh my god, the memories!
happy tears overflowing
lightning bolts so overwhelming
ugly crying
now I’m melting
turning into flowers blooming
angels singing
bells are ringing
baby, I’m a love tsunami
washing over both our bodies
Sailor Moon’s got nothing on me"

The bridge is where Musgraves sings her rapid-fire spoken interlude, the portion of the track that 'Anime Eyes' is best known for.

Using elements of nature – “lightning bolts so overwhelming,” “flowers blooming” and more – Musgraves continues to express the mystical elements of anime eyes, relating them to the feeling of being in love, concluding with an explicit reference to the Japanese cartoons: “Sailor Moon's got nothing on me.”

For those who are unfamiliar, Sailor Moon is one of the most prominent characters in the anime scene, and she has been for years.

"Since the first time that I saw you
You've given me anime eyes
Anime eyes"

With this bridge cascading into a synthesized outro, Musgraves admits that she has been infatuated by this love interest since the very beginning, softly singing the words, “Since the first time that I saw you / You've given me anime eyes / Anime eyes.”

The moon is hanging over us
The wind is in the trees
We’ve got nowhere to be do we, baby?
On a piece of paper
You write out your love for me
Treasures I’m forever saving

Oh, you’re such a pretty thing

When I look at you
I’m always looking through
Anime eyes
A million little stars bursting into hearts in my
Anime eyes

Made it through the tears to see
a Miyazaki sky
Now it’s you and I
And we’re flying
Confidently I can say
I’d almost given up
Then you showed me how to love
Without trying

Oh, you’re such a pretty thing

When I look at you
I’m always looking through
Anime eyes
A million little stars bursting into hearts in my
Anime eyes
When I look at you
A million little stars
Anime eyes

Ridiculous hazy crazy
Rainbow explosions of ecstasy
oh my god, the memories!
happy tears overflowing
lightning bolts so overwhelming
ugly crying
now I’m melting
turning into flowers blooming
angels singing
bells are ringing
baby, I’m a love tsunami
washing over both our bodies
Sailor Moon’s got nothing on me

Since the first time that I saw you
you’ve given me
Anime eyes
Anime eyes

––

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