Open All Night
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, I had the carburetor, baby, cleaned and checked
With her line blown out she's hummin' like a turbojet
Propped her up in the backyard on concrete blocks
For a new clutch plate and a new set of shocks
Took her down to the carwash, check the plugs and points
Well, I'm goin' out tonight, I'm gonna rock that joint

Early north Jersey industrial skyline
I'm a all-set cobra jet creepin' through the nighttime
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
Gotta hit the gas, baby, I'm running late
This New Jersey in the mornin' like a lunar landscape

Now the boss don't dig me, so he put me on the night shift
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy
Radio relays towers, won't you lead me to my baby?
Underneath the overpass, trooper hits his party light switch
Good night, good luck, one, two power shift

I met Wanda when she was employed
Behind the counter at the Route 60 Bob's Big Boy
Fried chicken on the front seat, she's sitting in my lap
We're wiping our fingers on a Texaco road map
I remember Wanda up on scrap metal hill
With them big brown eyes that make your heart stand still

Woo-hoo, woo!
Ha!
C'mon now, hey

Well at five A.M. oil pressure's sinking fast
I make a pit stop, wipe the windshield, check the gas
Gotta call my baby on the telephone
Let her know that her daddy's coming on home
Sit tight, little mama, I'm a-coming 'round
I got a-three more hours but I'm covering ground

Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours
Sun's just a red ball rising over them refinery towers
Radio's jammed up with gospel stations
Lost souls calling long distance salvation
Hey mister deejay won't you hear my last prayer?
Hey ho rock 'n roll deliver me from nowhere

Hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da di da, di da da




Oh hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Bruce Springsteen's song "Open All Night" describe the singer's preparation for a night out. He has cleaned and checked his car's carburetor, resulting in it "humming like a turbojet." He has propped the vehicle on concrete blocks to install a new clutch plate and shock absorber. After visiting the car wash and checking the plugs and points, he declares that he is "going out tonight" and will "rock that joint." This establishes the central premise of the song – a journey through the industrial landscape of North Jersey during the night hours.


The second verse describes the journey itself. The singer, who is driving a "cobra jet," struggles to find a gas station and payphone on the New Jersey Turnpike. He is alone and must race to get to his destination on time. The imagery is of a somewhat post-apocalyptic landscape, with no other cars in sight and the radio only offering "gospel stations" and "lost souls calling long distance salvation." The landscape gradually becomes more surreal, with the rising sun depicted as a "red ball" and radio towers flickering in and out of reception. The singer's goal is to reach his lover's home, which is described as a place of shelter and familiarity in this eerie setting.


The chorus of the song repeats the title phrase, "Open All Night." This phrase can be seen as referring to the landscape itself, brutal and unforgiving, but also to the singer's state of mind. He is "open all night," a solitary figure driving through this desolate world, open to whatever experiences might come his way.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, I had the carburetor, baby, cleaned and checked
I've just made some changes to my car's engine to make sure it is in peak condition


With her line blown out she's hummin' like a turbojet
After repairing the car, the engine runs smoothly like a high-powered aircraft engine


Propped her up in the backyard on concrete blocks
The car is parked in the backyard and supported by concrete blocks for maintenance


For a new clutch plate and a new set of shocks
New clutch plate and shock absorbers have been installed to improve the car's performance


Took her down to the carwash, check the plugs and points
After maintenance, the vehicle was cleaned and the spark plugs and distributor points were checked


Well, I'm goin' out tonight, I'm gonna rock that joint
I'm going out tonight to have some fun and enjoy myself


Early north Jersey industrial skyline
The view of the North Jersey skyline, with its factories and chimneys, appears early in the evening


I'm a all-set cobra jet creepin' through the nighttime
I am driving my car confidently and quickly through the dark night


Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
I need to find a gas station to refuel my car and a pay phone to make a call


This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
Driving alone on this empty turnpike can be intimidating and eerie, especially at night


Gotta hit the gas, baby, I'm running late
I need to accelerate and go fast because I'm running late


This New Jersey in the mornin' like a lunar landscape
The landscape of New Jersey in the early morning appears otherworldly and surreal


Now the boss don't dig me, so he put me on the night shift
My boss doesn't like me, so I have been relegated to the night shift


It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
It takes me a long time to drive to my girlfriend's place after work


In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy
In the early hours of the morning, your brain becomes foggy and unclear


Radio relays towers, won't you lead me to my baby
I want the radio towers to guide me to my girlfriend's place


Underneath the overpass, trooper hits his party light switch
A police officer signals me to stop my car flashing his lights under an overpass


Good night, good luck, one, two power shift
After being pulled over by the police, I wish them goodnight and good luck and shift to first gear


I met Wanda when she was employed
I first met my girlfriend Wanda when she was working


Behind the counter at Route 60 Bob's Big Boy
Wanda and I met when she was working at a fast food restaurant called Route 60 Bob's Big Boy


Fried chicken on the front seat, she's sitting in my lap
We have food on the front seat of the car and Wanda is sitting on my lap


We're wiping our fingers on a Texaco road map
We are using a Texaco road map as a napkin to clean our fingers after eating


I remember Wanda up on scrap metal hill
I recall a time when Wanda and I were on a hill made up of scrap metal


With them big brown eyes that make your heart stand still
Wanda has big brown eyes that are so beautiful that they can stop your heart from beating


Well at 5 a.m. oil pressure's sinking fast
At 5 in the morning, the oil pressure of the car is quickly dropping


I make a pit stop, wipe the windshield, check the gas
I stop at a gas station to refill and check the car's fuel and also clean the windshield


Gotta call my baby on the telephone
I need to call my girlfriend on the phone and let her know that I'm coming home


Let her know that her daddy's coming on home
I want to inform my girlfriend that I'll soon be arriving at her place


Sit tight, little mama, I'm a-coming around
I tell my girlfriend to wait patiently because I'm on my way to her place


I got a three more hours but I'm covering ground
Although I still have three more hours of driving, I'm making quick progress


Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours
In the early morning, your eyes become dry and itchy


Sun's just a red ball rising over them refinery towers
The sun is rising over the refinery towers, and it looks like a red ball


Radio's jammed up with gospel stations
The radio is playing only gospel songs and nothing else


Lost souls calling long distance salvation
People who are feeling lost are seeking divine help and salvation


Hey mister deejay won't you hear my last prayer
I ask the radio DJ to play a song for me and fulfill my last prayer


Hey ho rock 'n roll deliver me from nowhere
I pray to rock and roll to provide me with relief and take me away from my current location


Hey da da di da, di da da
This is the sound of the music, which has no particular meaning


Oh hey da da di da, di da da
This is the sound of the music, which has no particular meaning


Oh hey da da di da, di da da
This is the sound of the music, which has no particular meaning


Oh hey da da di da, di da da
This is the sound of the music, which has no particular meaning




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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