This Catchy Love Song Held The No. 1 Spot The Longest In 1981

In 1981, Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes" ruled the Billboard charts, coming in at No. 1 for nine weeks (interrupted, for one week in June, by a Beatles cover medley released by a mostly-forgotten Dutch novelty group called Stars on 45). Carnes' raspy, ethereal delivery added even more mystery to the song, about an alluring woman, maybe even a man-eating femme fatale, whose appeal is described mostly with references to film stars of yesteryear: Greta Garbo's aloofness, Jean Harlow's platinum 'do, and of course, the big, expressive eyes that had made Bette Davis a star.

Carnes never made it back to the top of the charts, though she's worked too long, too well, and to consistently to be a real one-hit wonder. She got her piece of rock 'n' roll history before winning an Oscar for her work on the "Flashdance" soundtrack and moving to Nashville to focus on writing country songs. Plus, she even got to meet Bette Davis and look her right in those fabled eyes.

Carnes' recording of "Bette Davis Eyes" has become the definitive version and has inspired any number of its own covers (including a borderline-good Jojo Siwa recording), but Carnes herself picked the song up from songwriters Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss. Weiss and DeShannon wrote it partly as a direct tribute to Davis, whose work they loved, and DeShannon recorded a very different version for her own album "New Arrangement" in 1975. DeShannon's sassy, more energetic take, with a plink-a-plunk saloon-style piano backing her, has its own charm, but has a more brash, less sophisticated vibe, much more Mae West than Bette Davis.

DeShannon and Weiss sent the song around to other artists, and at some point it came to Carnes' attention. Carnes' blockbuster version carried the songwriters along with its success: DeShannon and Weiss won their own Grammy for the song, picking up Song of the Year to complement Carnes' Record of the Year.

But what of the woman behind the eyes? What did Bette Davis, she of the immortal peepers, think of Carnes' tune? Apparently, she loved it. In 1981, Bette Davis was still racking up credits and would continue working until shortly before her 1989 death. In a joint interview with Carnes for "People," Davis described having been asked about the song a number of times before someone delighted her with a recording. She went on to note that her eyes were her best physical asset, so she thought, and that as a young actress they'd saved her career when studio executives balked at dropping the girl with the gorgeous gaze. Davis was so invested in the song that when it won a Grammy, she sent  flowers to Carnes and the original songwriters. Carnes and Davis were friendly until the latter's death.

Davis referenced the track in later interviews, especially praising the lyrics. It seems she was especially thrilled to have been brought to the notice of the younger generation through her presence in a rock track, particularly since it impressed her grandson. Everyone thinks their grandmother is wonderful, but this lucky kid's grandmother ... well, she had Bette Davis eyes, and now the whole world remembered.