Music Friday: Indie Star Briston Maroney Sings About the Girl With ‘Eyes of Gold’

Welcome to Music Friday when we feature wonderful tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, introspective indie artist Briston Maroney sings about achieving his life-long dream of dating a girl with “eyes of gold” and then comes to the realization that he still feels empty in his 2017 release, “June.”

He sings, “Well, I don’t know, but I’ve been told / My woman, she’s got eyes of gold / Well, I spend all day and I search all night / ‘Til I see ’em in that perfect light / Oh, I’m gonna see ’em in that perfect light.”

The term “eyes of gold” reflects songwriter’s perception that the girl was beautiful, precious, perfect, unattainable.

According to Maroney, most people believe the song is about a college romance that ends after graduation. Throughout the song, he repeats the line, “Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?”

But, in an interview with rockamag.com, Maroney revealed that the song actually reflects something “much bigger,” a time in his life when many important relationships were breaking down and he didn’t feel good about himself.

“I hated myself. I hated my friends, and my girlfriend at the time was so mean to me,” he said. “Life had always gone up and down, but that time in my life felt different. I wrote to disconnect from everything.”

A year after releasing “June” as the first track of his Big Shot EP in 2017, he broke up with his girlfriend and dropped out of Lipscomb University in Nashville, where he studied music.

Born in Jacksonville, FL, in 1998 and brought up in Knoxville, TN, Maroney got his first taste of stardom at the age of 15, when he tried out for the 13th season of American Idol. After showing off his talent at one of the show’s audition bus stops in his town, he was invited to perform in front of the American Idol judges in Salt Lake City. From there, he was sent to Hollywood as one of the 30 semi-finalists.

Maroney released his album Paradise in 2021 and followed it up with Ultrapure in 2023. The singer/songwriter will be making some high-profile appearances over the next few months: High Water 2024 (North Charleston, SC), Whale Jam 2024 (Boston, MA), Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI), Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL) and Osheaga Festival (Montreal, QC).

Please check out the video of Maroney performing “June” live at Studio C in Akron, OH, in August of 2023. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“June”
Written and performed by Briston Maroney.

Pick up the phone to calm me down
I never got used to that ringing sound
And drinking out of the same cup
When I run low, you fill me up
Yeah, when I run low, you fill me up

So dress up in your finer things
And the smile can’t hide anything
And pin the flower to my chest
And count the days that I’ve got left
Oh, I’ll count the days that I’ve got left

And I don’t know how we got so far away
From what I had in sight
Are you gonna sleep tonight?
And I don’t know where it’s gonna be a year from now
Or anyhow, how it’s gonna be tonight?

Ain’t it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain’t it funny how I got it here and it don’t seem right?
Ain’t it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?

Well, I don’t know, but I’ve been told
My woman, she’s got eyes of gold
Well, I spend all day and I search all night
‘Til I see ’em in that perfect light
Oh, I’m gonna see ’em in that perfect light

And I don’t know how we got so far away
From what I had in sight
Are you gonna sleep tonight?
And I don’t know where it’s gonna be a year from now
Or anyhow, how it’s gonna be tonight

Ain’t it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain’t it funny how I got it here and it don’t seem right?
Ain’t it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?

There you go, you let me walk away
With nothing left to say
Or think, or dream, or feel, or do, or be
Oh, but I give myself a week until I’m down on my knees
‘Cause I can’t find what I’m supposed to be

Ain’t it funny how I wanted this all my life?
Ain’t it funny how I got it here and it don’t seem right?
Ain’t it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain’t it funny how I wanted this, oh, all my life?
Ain’t it funny how I got it here and it don’t seem right?
Ain’t it funny how we all want to be someone new?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?
Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?

Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com / TheSummitFM.