The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Harvester of eyes, that's me
And I see all there is to see
When I look inside your head
Right up front to the back of your skull
Well that's my sign that you are dead
And my list for you checks off as null
I'm the harvester of eyes
I'm the eye man of TV
With my ocular TB
I need all the peepers I can find
Inside the barn where you find the hay
Well just last week I took a ride
So high on eyes, I almost lost my way
I'm the harvester of eyes
Harvester of eyes, that's me, harvester of eyes
And I see all there is to see, harvester of eyes
When I look inside your head, harvester of eyes
Right up front to the back of your skull, harvester of eyes
And I see all there is to see
When I look inside your head
Right up front to the back of your skull
Well that's my sign that you are dead
And my list for you checks off as null
I'm the harvester of eyes
I'm the eye man of TV
With my ocular TB
I need all the peepers I can find
Inside the barn where you find the hay
Well just last week I took a ride
So high on eyes, I almost lost my way
I'm the harvester of eyes
Harvester of eyes, that's me, harvester of eyes
And I see all there is to see, harvester of eyes
When I look inside your head, harvester of eyes
Right up front to the back of your skull, harvester of eyes
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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According to Buck Dharma, "Harvester Of Eyes" is about former U.S. Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas. The following is from Compuserve's American Academic Encyclopedia: Abe Fortas, b. Memphis, Tenn., June 19, 1910, d. Apr. 5, 1982, was a prominent Washington, D. C., attorney and presidential advisor when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965. Johnson's subsequent nomination of Fortas as chief justice was blocked by Senate foes of his activist stand on civil liberties, and the nomination was caught up in a clash between the executive and legislative branches. In 1969, following charges of questionable ethics and conflict of interest, Fortas resigned from the Court. His arguments in GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1962) established the right of the poor to legal counsel.
What's all that got to do with "Harvester Of Eyes"? Not much. However, it was Fortas' senate nomination hearings which inspired Richard Meltzer to write the song's lyrics. When Fortas' avoidance of service in World War II was questioned, he responded that he had ocular tuberculosis -- which inspired the lyric, "I'm the eye-man of TV, with my occular TB".
@RedKing Wow, I am really surprsed the Cult would support and play a politically motivated song. I don't know of any other songs they have done that have anything to do with politics, It really is off track of their regular, mystical, alien symbolism music.