By age 15, McKee was writing songs and performing in the Seattle area. A friend helped get her EP to Nic Harcourt, a popular disc jockey in Los Angeles and host of KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic". He helped spark a major record label bidding war after playing the song "Somebody" on his radio program for several weeks. After signing a recording contract at age 16, she moved to Los Angeles to begin work on her debut album with producer Rob Cavallo. Trouble was commercially released on September 28, 2004.
After ending her recording contract, McKee spent many hours in the recording studio and was introduced to music producer Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, by her manager. Gottwald had collaborated with McKee's longtime friend Katy Perry on her debut album One of the Boys. They (along with Max Martin and Benny Blanco) began writing songs together, ultimately producing the hits that would appear on Perry's second album, the worldwide multi-platinum, Teenage Dream. The singles "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" each topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold millions of copies around the world. Other successful collaborations between McKee, Gottwald and Martin include Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," Rita Ora's "How We Do (Party)," and Katy Perry's singles from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, "Wide Awake" and "Part of Me."
McKee recently signed a recording contract as a solo artist with Epic Records, and is currently at work on her second studio album, to be released in summer 2013. The lead single will be "American Girl," which McKee described as a "summer banger". "American Girl" was released in July 2013.
Open Your Eyes
Bonnie McKee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sky came a tumbling down
Smoke in the air all I want is truth
I am a light that's aglow, that's alive
That's a warm place in your heart
You kept turning me on and off
'Til I went out and you were standing, shivering in the dark
Open your eyes
And see me leaving
Closing the door
I won't think twice
When you come pleaing
Not anymore
Hope was a dream that I had of you
In the soft, warm slumber of dawn
I must keep in mind that reality
Can be painful if neglected too long
I am aware that I will soon be released
To the mercy of a concrete jungle
I thought that I could glide right in
But instead it's over loneliness and pride I stumble
Open your eyes
And see me leaving
Closing the door
I won't think twice
When you come pleaing
Not anymore, no, no, no
Open your eyes
And see that I am not afraid of
Saying goodbye
Your strikes are up, I'm gone
So don't even try
'Cause I'm telling you right now
That I'm a free young woman
And I gotta be moving on
Once I was lost in my strife
And getting you off was my life
I was in doubt, now I know
That getting rid of you was all I needed to grow
Once I was lost, now I'm found
With my Adidas on the ground
Once I was blind, now I see
The negative effect that you were having on me
Open your eyes
And see me leaving
Closing the door
I won't think twice
When you come pleaing
Not anymore (not anymore), no, no
You're not the man
That I remember
Tell me your name
Cold empty seat
That long November
You never came
Open your eyes
And see me
See me leaving
The opening lines of the song "Day after day all I saw was you, And the sky came a tumbling down, Smoke in the air all I want is truth" reflect the lyrics' underlying theme of breaking free from a toxic relationship. The singer acknowledges that her partner was essentially her entire world before, but still felt like she was suffocating with him. This is reflected in the metaphor of the sky coming tumbling down, a familiar line used to describe a catastrophic event. She tries to find truth in the smoke-filled air, but ultimately realizes that it's time to move on.
The lines "Open your eyes And see me leaving, Closing the door I won't think twice When you come pleading Not anymore" reflect the singer's resolution to move on from the relationship. She implores her partner to open their eyes and see that she is no longer going to be a part of their life, and that they should not even try to plead. She has made up her mind that the relationship is toxic and has had a negative effect on her life. The line "Your strikes are up, I'm gone" is particularly powerful, emphasizing that the singer will no longer tolerate any harmful behavior from her partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day all I saw was you
I was focused only on you every day
And the sky came a tumbling down
It all started to fall apart
Smoke in the air all I want is truth
I want honesty amidst the chaos
I am a light that's aglow, that's alive
I bring joy and vitality into your life
That's a warm place in your heart
I hold a special place in your heart
You kept turning me on and off
You played with my emotions
'Til I went out and you were standing, shivering in the dark
Until I left you alone and vulnerable in the dark.
Open your eyes
Pay attention and become aware
And see me leaving
Notice that I am leaving
Closing the door
I am closing the door on our relationship
I won't think twice
I am certain about my decision
When you come pleaing
When you try to beg or change my mind
Not anymore
I am done with this
Hope was a dream that I had of you
I had hoped for good things from you
In the soft, warm slumber of dawn
Early morning, a time of peacefulness and restfulness.
I must keep in mind that reality
I must remember that the truth is important
Can be painful if neglected too long
avoiding the truth can lead to further hurt
I am aware that I will soon be released
I know I am about to experience a change
To the mercy of a concrete jungle
To the harshness of reality
I thought that I could glide right in
I thought it would be easy
But instead it's over loneliness and pride I stumble
But instead I find myself struggling with feelings of isolation and self-importance.
And see that I am not afraid of
And realize that I am fearless
Saying goodbye
ending our relationship
Your strikes are up, I'm gone
I won't tolerate your bad behavior anymore.
So don't even try
Don't bother attempting to change my mind
'Cause I'm telling you right now
I am being upfront and honest
That I'm a free young woman
I am independent and unrestricted
And I gotta be moving on
And it's time for me to move forward
Once I was lost in my strife
I used to be struggling and confused
And getting you off was my life
Removing you from my life was my main goal
I was in doubt, now I know
I had uncertainty, but now it's clear
That getting rid of you was all I needed to grow
I understand that removing you from my life was important for my personal growth
Once I was lost, now I'm found
I was lost before, but now I have direction
With my Adidas on the ground
I am grounded and comfortable in my own skin
Once I was blind, now I see
I understand the things I couldn't see before
The negative effect that you were having on me
I recognize that you were holding me back.
You're not the man
I realize you are not the person I thought you were
That I remember
I am starting to forget who you were
Tell me your name
I don't even remember your name anymore
Cold empty seat
You are no longer here, and it's just an empty space
That long November
Those distant and dreary times
You never came
You never showed up for me when I needed you.
And see me
Pay attention to me and what I am doing.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Bonnie Leigh McKee, Mark Baston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bria901
I absolutely am in love with song and have been for the past year! I can't wait untill she tours in Florida so she can sign my Trouble album!
@bonniemckeevideos5653
amazing
@iloveyou41312
i like this song
@jharachase1140
love u no joke ur awesome
@nina4uuu
damn....
@jharachase1140
me to lol