Open Up
Lydon Lyrics

Lydon’s song “Open Up” was a collaborative piece with electronic group Leftfield. While it is not clear who inspired the lyrics, it appears that they were meant to call out a cheating and deceitful person. It is clear that Lydon is not pleased with this person as he uses the words “lied,” “faked,” and “cheated.” He also addresses the unfairness in the situation by accusing the person of “changing the stakes.”

The line “magnet toss that pie in the sky” is metaphoric for making big promises that cannot be kept. When Lydon then sings “unrehearsed, let the bubbles burst,” it is probably his way of saying that the person did not think through the consequences of their actions. The ensuing line, “a dreaming circus,” could then mean that the situation was so bizarre, it was like a dream. The last few lines of the first verse, “a fuel in the tea with parody, tragedy or comedy, probably publicity” could be Lydon hinting about the person’s situation being publicity stunts gone wrong.

The chorus of the song is a repeated call for space to be made, presumably by the person that Lydon is calling out. The repetition of “open up, make room for me” is probably a call for the person to listen and make amends. Overall, the song can be interpreted as a warning to a deceitful and dishonest person to stop their ways before they are exposed.