Gabriel composed lyrics about a man whose unemployment causes stress in his domestic relationship. He had seen a TV program about the consequences of unemployment on family life, and said that it "played into my own problems at that time.

According to Song Meanings and Facts , According to Gabriel himself, the lyrics of In Your Eyes, which are inspired by the African tradition, can either refer to a romantic relationship between a man and a woman or a divine relationship between someone and his God.

The inventive music video definitely helped, but the song itself was the perfect blend of pop, soul, funk, and Gabriel's experimental studio techniques that defined his career. Undoubtedly the peak of his mainstream fame, the video for 'Sledgehammer' is consistently voted as one of the best of all time.

"In Your Eyes" is a song by American singer George Benson, released as a single in 1983. It entered the UK Singles Chart on 24 September 1983 and reached a peak position of number 7. The song remained on the chart for 10 weeks.