“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”: A Song for Every Broken Heart

Originally written in 1933 by Jerome Kern (music) and Otto Harbach (lyrics), “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” was reimagined into a timeless classic by The Platters in 1958. With their signature blend of smooth harmonies and emotive delivery, The Platters transformed this old standard into a soul-stirring Doo-Wop ballad that topped charts around the world.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 – 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬

The Platters’ version is elegant, dramatic, and deeply romantic.

Tony Williams’ lead vocal is hauntingly beautiful — his tenor voice soars, adding emotional weight to every word.

Backed by a gentle orchestral arrangement and the group’s trademark harmonies, the song has a dreamlike quality that made it stand apart from pop hits of the day.

The pacing is slow and deliberate, perfectly capturing the heartbreak woven into the lyrics.
The Platters’ version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 and was also a UK No.1, making it a global success.

Though the song was originally written by Jerome Kern (music) and Otto Harbach (lyrics) for the musical Roberta, it became most widely known through The Platters’ version.

“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” was controversial at first — some felt it was inappropriate to “modernize” such a respected standard. But The Platters’ rendition was so powerful that it eventually earned praise from both critics and fans.

The song has been covered by dozens of artists, but The Platters’ version remains the definitive recording.

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