Greatest love songs ever: #47 “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”

By Tom Quiner

The songwriting team of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio wrote songs that delighted we Baby Boomers for more than four decades. Younger generations became acquainted with this talented songwriting duo with the hit Broadway musical, Jersey Boys. Entry #47 in Pulse Life Advocate’s countdown of ‘The Greatest Love Songs Ever’ series is the ultra romantic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” immortalized by Frankie Valli’s soaring vocal stylings.

If you’re new to this series, Pulse believes that love songs are important to softening the hearts of a hardened culture, one that accepts human abortion as a fundamental right.

What characterizes a good love song?

Love songs like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” are characterized by lovely, catchy melodies and a lyric so right that you can’t imagine it being sung to any other tune.

Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons introduced the song in 1967, one of many hit songs written by bandmate Bob Gaudio and his writing partner, Bob Crewe.

Their collective efforts helped to sell some 100 million records worldwide. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100.

There’s no question that Franki Valli’s soaring falsetto helped to sell records for the Four Seasons. But it really helps to have a great song as a starting point. And the writing partnership of Gaudio and Crewe had the touch, writing gem after gem for the Four Seasons, such as “Sherry”, “Walk Like A Man”, “Bye Bye Baby”, and “Connie O.”

Great lyrics!

This is a song with wonderful, romantic lyrics that actually rhyme (something with which too many contemporary song writers like to dispense). Take a look at verse 1:

You’re just too good to be true,

Can’t take my eyes off of you,

You’d be like Heaven to touch,

I wanna hold you so much.

At long last love has arrived,

And I thank God I’m alive,

You’re just too good to be true,

Can’t take my eyes off you.

Isn’t it nice to hear the Almighty invoked joyously in a song, rather than profanely, as is the style today? And isn’t it nice hearing love equated with Heaven, instead of being characterized as something base and ugly, as is the style today?

It’s interesting, the title of the song is invoked in the second line of the first verse. It doesn’t use the hook from the refrain, “I love you, baby.” 

It doesn’t use the first line of the song, “You’re just too good to be true.” Gaudio and Crewe picked the perfect song title for this beautiful song. It’s so beautiful, so catchy that dozens of artists have covered it over the decades. And it’s still requested at weddings. Here’s how the song is presented in the movie, “Jersey Boys”:

Jersey Boys Scene

Today’s culture blathers bromides such as “love is love.” What they mean is that love is all about the sex act with whomever you want (regardless of gender) without commitment and without self-surrender. Pope John Paul II warned us that this is the exact opposite of love:

“Take away from love the fullness of self-surrender, the completeness of personal commitment, and what remains will be a total denial and negation of it.”

Without commitment and self-surrender, the consequence of sexual union is corrupted by a disregard of the other (the child) in favor of the self.

We need good old-fashioned love songs to soften and expand our hearts. We need a little romance in our lives! “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” does exactly that! Just look at this delightful interpretation of the song by the Stunnig Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra, backed by youth choir and soloists. Awesome! (I think they’re from Slovonia.):

Next week’s entry is the only song on my list written by a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. You’re going to love it!

Thanks for checking in to this week’s installment of the 52 Greatest Love Songs ever. We’re counting down these songs a week at a time to spread a little love. Love is the greatest antidote to abortion, so be sure to encourage your friends to subscribe to our blog.

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