Open Your Eyes
The Reds Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They told me mister you are free
Sang the little birds with so much glee
Look around enjoy the view
You know we're just so happy for you
But right behind the curtain hides
The secret that unveils
To be the captain of your sails
Feels like a chalk board to your nails
She takes a drag to clear her mind
The crow screams about the lies
The bunny always falls behind
Please mister don't open your eyes
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise
Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise
Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away
The hermit hides inside his shell
Trapped within his prison cell
You know the rich man likes to beg
He's been looking for his leg
And the ant only knows his crew
Until he meets the bottom of my shoe
And that's ok yeah that's alright
I'll find myself in another life
Just don't open your eyes
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise
Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise
Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away
They are so blissfully unaware
So blind I swear they don't even care
The truth will give you quite a scare
You're looking for clarity
So you're not trapped here for eternity
Please mister don't open your eyes
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise
Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away
Don't open your eyes
Someday there'll be a paradise




Where we won't worry about the rain
And all our fears will go away

Overall Meaning

The Reds' song "Open Your Eyes" is a commentary on the illusions that people live with in their everyday lives. The first two stanzas of the song are a cheerful contrast to the darker reality lurking behind the curtain. The "secret that unveils" refers to the fact that most people are not in control of their own lives; instead, their fate is controlled by external forces.


The chorus emphasizes the idea of being unable to handle the truth, as opening one's eyes would bring awareness to the pain and the injustices that exist in the world. The idea of an idyllic paradise arises in the chorus, indicating that the song's persona recognizes a need to escape this harsh reality.


The third verse alludes to people living in social isolation, emphasizing the point that those who are trapped in their shell are unable to see what is happening around them. The rich man who begs blindly assumes a stereotype of the wealthy, and his loss of leg might symbolize the powerlessness of those without money. The ant represents society, with the bottom of the author's shoe symbolizing the destructive end of society. The persona of the author distances themselves from the events they describe, believing that they may not eventually belong in the current reality.


Line by Line Meaning

They told me mister you are free
The little birds sang happily to me that I'm free.


Look around enjoy the view
Take a look around and appreciate the beauty.


You know we're just so happy for you
We're truly happy that you are free.


But right behind the curtain hides
There's a hidden reality behind the surface.


The secret that unveils
The truth that will be revealed.


To be the captain of your sails
To take control of your own life.


Feels like a chalk board to your nails
It's unnerving and uncomfortable.


She takes a drag to clear her mind
She smokes to calm down.


The crow screams about the lies
The crow warns about the deception.


The bunny always falls behind
The bunny is always left behind.


Please mister don't open your eyes
Don't look for the truth, it's better not to know.


Someday there'll be a paradise
One day, life will be perfect.


Where we won't worry about the rain
Where we won't have to worry about any problems.


And all our fears will go away
Where we won't be afraid of anything anymore.


The hermit hides inside his shell
The hermit isolates himself from the world.


Trapped within his prison cell
He is confined and trapped.


You know the rich man likes to beg
The rich man is always asking for more.


He's been looking for his leg
He's been searching for something he lost.


And the ant only knows his crew
The ant only knows his small world.


Until he meets the bottom of my shoe
Until his life ends suddenly.


And that's ok yeah that's alright
It's okay, it's just how life goes.


I'll find myself in another life
I'll start over in another life.


They are so blissfully unaware
They are happy but ignorant.


So blind I swear they don't even care
They are so blinded by happiness that they don't care.


The truth will give you quite a scare
The truth will be frightening.


You're looking for clarity
You're searching for the truth.


So you're not trapped here for eternity
So you don't stay stuck forever.


Please mister don't open your eyes
Don't search for the truth, remain ignorant.


Someday there'll be a paradise
One day, everything will be perfect.


Where we won't worry about the rain
Where we won't have to worry about problems or obstacles.


And all our fears will go away
Where we won't be scared anymore.




Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jacob Paugh, Luke Tesche, Stephen Ambrose

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions