Taylor Swift: Eyes Open Meaning
Song Released: 2011
Eyes Open Lyrics
Everybody's watching
Even when you sleeping
Keep your eyes open
A tricky thing as yesterday we were just children
Playing soldiers just pretending
Dreaming dreams with happy endings
In backyards, winning battles with...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:Besides the meaning linked to Hunger Games, which surely is what inspired this song,i think it can be interpreted as something more. I think it can be read as the general passage from childhood to adulthood and so to a new kind of life and dreams, inside a hostile world; and that's something that happens so fast. "but now we've stepped into a cruel world, where everybody stands to keep score" And you find out in real life everyone is there to judge you and trying to make you fall; suddenly you know you must look behind you, and all of your certainties fall down and you must be ready to let go of everything just to fight, and defend yourself because no one's going to do that for you, as when you were a kid.
I think this is a metaphor for what happens when you step into real life and you realize you're on your own and everything depends on you, while in your early years you had always thought you were strong enough to face it all and you were looking forward to that; and then suddenly it it turns cold and dark and it's pretty different from how you imagined it. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:This song wasnt just written to relate to the hunger games, it also relates to growing up, becoming someone new, or even being a celebrity. When your in the spotlight, like taylor is, everyone is watching your every move, and waiting for you to mess up. There are people out there that judge someone on the smallest mistake, but when your in the spotlight as much as taylor is, everyone in the world will know about it in two hours and youll have billions of people judging you. The song explains someones transition between being a carefree child, doing whatever you want, to becoming a role model, someone that everyone watches. It also shows that the world is full of suprizes, and sometimes you have to fight your own battles. This song relates to anybody, not just Katniss in the hunger games.
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:I think that the song is all about the fact that when they were younger, they would just play pretend (Katniss and Gale) but now, they are in the real world, kept strictly under the Capitol, and that when Katniss has stepped forward with Peeta, that from that point on, they wouldn't have a second alone, even when they were sleeping, they had to keep there eyes open, to watch out for the capitol, and any tricks they would try to pull to twist the arena and the game around! Eventually, Katniss learns to properly hunt, and to always be on guard, watching out for traps, but saying that everyone is waiting for you to breakdown, and that you HAVE to keep your eyes open to avoid being caught, especially after the games, when everybody is out to get her.
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This song is based on the world of the Hunger Games. When the song mentions being children and pretending, it refers to Katniss being younger, such as when she would sing the hanging tree and play with Prim. It also refers to the fun she would have with Gale in the woods. When the lyrics talk about her stepping into a cruel world where people keep score it refers to her becoming a tribute in the hunger games. Everybody is watching you, waiting for you to "break down" and waiting to see what happens ("the fallout"), you have to constantly be on edge and be aware of what is going on around you. Even when Katniss is asleep, she always makes sure she can keep herself alive in the games. Then the song talks about how Katniss is still there, on guard. Nobody expected a girl from District 12 to get as far as she has. She's keeping herself safe, even when she's surrounded. She has something nobody else does (her strength, her will to go home, her knowledge, her ability to act as a 'star crossed lover' with Peeta, etc) and that can keep her alive as long as she stays on guard and 'keeps her eyes open'. The bridge of the song is most likely about the ending of the games, when it turns to night and she has to keep herself and Peeta alive, just so they can win the games.
All in all, this song is a good way of explaining Katniss' head while the games are going on. This song also is a good metaphor for growing up, being a kid and growing up. How you start off happy, playing and then get pushed into a world where everybody is waiting for you to screw up, and how it is so hard but you can get through it. -
According to Swift, she wrote the song about Katniss's "relationship" with the Capitol. Swift describes the song as the opposite of the melancholic "Safe & Sound," stating that "[it is] more frantic and fast-paced, a completely different shade of music." wikipedia
~ Unruffled -
I think the song is for teens that are growing into young men/women for when they are coming from collage and they have to remember that there parents wont be there for them and they have to keep there EYES OPEN. At all times because they don't know how to trust people now and days are wanting you to mess up you cant even trust your own family you may no know but they are the main ones you need to look out for.
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Amazing how well this song correlates to the Hunger Games. Not that I should be surprised--Taylor's lyrics are all deep. The reason that it's about growing up is because The Hunger Games is about growing up (except in a more exaggerated pov of course). This song has no flaws. <3
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This is a very well written song it goes along perfectly with the hunger games. If you read the book then take one sentence of the lyrics and compare it with what happens in the book you will agree.
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I interpret this song two ways.
1.The Hunger Games. "The tricky thing is yesterday we were just children play in soldiers just pretending" it seems yesterday you were just a child and know you are a tribute. "Everbodys waiting for you to break down" the tributes and people in the districts waiting for you to die. "Everybody's watching to see the fall out" the cameras watching you. "Even when your sleeping keep your eyes open" people will kill you when you sleep.
2. You are growing up and everybody judges you -
I think this song explains how you grow out of childhood and experience the adult world. The lyrics " The tricky thing is yesterday we were just children playing soldiers, just pretending, dreaming dreams with happy endings," really explain childhood and how everything was so innocent and beautiful. But then the lyrics " But now we've stepped into a cruel world, where everybody stands and keeps score," is like when you grow up and people judge you a lot.
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I think that this song means that no matter where you go or what you do somebody is always going to try to make your life misetable. That whatever you do wrong there will always be someone there to crititize you. ( but now we stepped into a cruel world. Where every body stands and keeps score) . I also think that it kindof describes Katniss' life. Every bodies waiting for her to messup and all. Great song. Great books! I can' wait for Catching Fire!
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Everybody's waiting for you to mess up. It's about people who you thought were your friends but they just sort of threw you away. They're just waiting for you to mess up so they can judge you and make you small.
Hope this helps! -
It means that when you finally step into the real world people try to "break " you as in to make fall down and never feel confident. Or when your in high school and your the smart one everyone tries to make look like the weirdo and they actually surround but you need to look out for those and when she says. " keep your eyes open so here are two steps ahead and staying on guard they'd never thought you'd make this far look around they've surounded you its a showdown and nobody has come to save you now but u got somthing they don't." She means that ur smarter than them and you can use your brain to help u. And when she says nobodys gonna save u it means that's ur on you own.so you just gotta stay focused no matter what cuz when she says everybody is watching its those that want you to breakdown so stay on guard and just keep your eyes open so you never breakdown in front of those that want u to breakdown cause that's THEIR opprotunity to make it worse. That's what it means
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I believe it is talking about as one of the tributes.
"Keep your eyes open" means stay alive. Keep your eyes open to stay alive or a symbol of you will fight to survive. "Everybody's watching" Watch what you do because people in the district are literally watching you and you are under pressure. "Even when you're sleeping" It is true, the game makers keep the cameras rolling, meaning they are always watching you 24/7. Obviously it can be referred to the Hunger Games but also a lot more. -
I have two.
1. Its about Katniss facing the hunger games and not just watvhing it on tv.
2. Its about growing up with really high shoes to fill. -
besides the hunger games the song "eyes open" by taylor swift i think the song is about how the the past it all fun and games but as we get older life has change .their are chages in the world like being looked down at and being judged...so you have to keep your eyes open to the changing world.
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growing up is of course one meaning,but this song means more then that to me.some people are loners and not liked by alot of people and i find this song explains how they feel."everybodys waiting for you to break down",it means more then they want to see you mess up,it means they are waiting for something really bad to happen."but now we've stepped into a cruel world where everyone stands and keeps score"means everyone is mean and like bullys you and keeps score of like what happens or something like that.
i know what it means because im one of the loners who these things have happened to a d its not fun and songs explains how we feel.its like Taylor is singing it about us and not the hunger games sometimes.
i find this song a little bit of a comfort to me.i find it seems like Taylor knows what we have gone through and that feels good.
so next time you see someone sad and alone take the to say hello and be nice,it could just make their day. -
I think that yes, it does describe the hunger games. But it also says that there are always going to be tough times and that there is always going to be somebody who wants you to fall. But you cant let them have that satifaction. You have to keep your eyes open;)
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