This Night Has Opened My Eyes
At the Drive-In Lyrics

The first verse of this song tells a disturbing story of a baby being abandoned on a doorstep wrapped in a newspaper. The choice of "News Of The World" as the newspaper is significant, as it was known for sensationalizing news and spreading false stories. This could be interpreted as a commentary on how the media can shape our perception of reality and how we sometimes abandon our own values in favor of sensationalism. The use of the river being "the color of lead" also creates a bleak and desolate atmosphere, perhaps indicating a lack of hope or life in this situation.

The chorus of the song appears to be the singer processing the events they just witnessed. The line "This night has opened my eyes, and I will never sleep again" suggests a sense of awakening and realization, as if witnessing this event has permanently altered the singer's perception of the world. The following line, "You kicked and cried like a bullied child, a grown man of twenty-five" could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be the singer speaking directly to the person who abandoned the baby, expressing their disgust and disappointment. Alternatively, it could be the singer identifying with the abandoned baby, recognizing that even grown adults can be just as helpless as a child.

The final verse seems to be the singer reflecting on the bittersweet nature of this event. They acknowledge that while the baby being saved is a good thing, there's no way of knowing what kind of life she will have. The line "She could have been a poet, or she could have been a fool" suggests that the future is uncertain and that this event will have lasting consequences, both positive and negative. The song ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, with the singer acknowledging that they're not happy or sad about what they witnessed, but rather left with a sense of uncertainty and unease.