Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Open Doors
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just the wind whisperin' through the pines
I haven't seen who I'm looking for
Just empty shadows in my open door
The empty closet where you hung your clothes
The empty hooks where you hung your coat
The cellar steps or the kitchen floor
They don't catch shadows like an open door
Do open windows keep the rain away?
Do open eyes keep the ghosts at bay?
I thought an open door would bring you in
Now I guess I'm gonna have to guess again
I find myself hoping for a storm
Each silver lining is a crown of thorns
I find myself hoping for the rain
You don't see shadows on a cloudy day
Go to the corner where the ghosts hang out
They'll all agree with what I'm talking about
They'd haunt your halls and walk through walls before
They'd ever set foot in an open door
Do open windows keep the rain away?
Do open eyes keep the ghosts at bay?
I thought an open door would bring you in
Now I guess I'm gonna have to guess again
I'm saving nickels and I'm saving dimes
I'm gonna kiss you where the sun don't shine
And all those shadows gonna kiss them too
Just as long as they come in with you
Do open windows keep the rain away?
Do open eyes keep the ghosts at bay?
I thought an open door would bring you in
Now I guess I'm gonna have to guess again
The lyrics of Josh Ritter's song Open Doors explore themes of longing, disappointment, and the haunting nature of absence. The song opens with the singer expecting someone's arrival, mistaking the sound of wind for the sound of a car pulling up outside. The lyrics continue to describe the empty spaces where the person used to be, the empty closet and hooks where they kept their clothes, and the shadows that linger in the open doorway where they once stood. The singer questions whether an open door, or open windows and eyes, can keep out the unwanted, ghostly presence of absence.
The chorus repeats a variation of the opening line, asking if open windows keep out the rain, and if open eyes keep ghosts at bay. The singer expresses disappointment that the open door did not bring the person back, leaving them to guess and hope for their return. The final verse reveals the singer's plan to save enough money to reunite with their loved one, promising to kiss them in a hidden, sunless spot, and even welcoming shadowy ghosts as long as they return with the person they long for.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I heard you pulling up outside
The singer believed their loved one was returning home but it was just the sound of the wind.
It's just the wind whisperin' through the pines
The source of the sound the singer thought was their loved one's arrival.
I haven't seen who I'm looking for
The singer has not yet found the person they were hoping to see.
Just empty shadows in my open door
The artist sees only shadows in their open door, indicating their loved one is not there.
The empty closet where you hung your clothes
The artist sees an empty closet where their loved one's clothes used to be.
The empty hooks where you hung your coat
The singer sees empty hooks where their loved one's coat used to hang.
The cellar steps or the kitchen floor
The singer has checked various areas of the house for their loved one.
They don't catch shadows like an open door
The artist notes that shadows are more visible through an open door than in other areas of the house.
Do open windows keep the rain away?
The artist questions whether an open window can prevent rain from entering.
Do open eyes keep the ghosts at bay?
The artist questions whether staying alert and aware can prevent supernatural entities from entering their space.
I thought an open door would bring you in
The singer believed that leaving the door to their home open would invite their loved one to return.
Now I guess I'm gonna have to guess again
The artist must return to the uncertainty of not knowing when or if their loved one will return.
I find myself hoping for a storm
The singer hopes for a natural event to distract them from their emotional pain.
Each silver lining is a crown of thorns
Even positive moments can bring emotional pain for the singer.
I find myself hoping for the rain
The singer hopes rain will come so shadows can't be seen.
You don't see shadows on a cloudy day
Clouds can obscure shadows and bring temporary relief for the artist.
Go to the corner where the ghosts hang out
The artist encourages others to visit the area where they can see supernatural entities.
They'll all agree with what I'm talking about
Others who visit the haunted corner will understand the singer's experience.
They'd haunt your halls and walk through walls before
The supernatural entities would not need an open door to enter the singer's home.
They'd ever set foot in an open door
The artist's loved one has not yet returned.
I'm saving nickels and I'm saving dimes
The artist is saving money for something important.
I'm gonna kiss you where the sun don't shine
The artist plans to show affection for their loved one in a special way.
And all those shadows gonna kiss them too
When the singer's loved one returns, they will kiss all the shadows together.
Just as long as they come in with you
The artist's affection and love for their loved one is unconditional, as long as they are there together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind