Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open is the first single from Gotye's third album, released in early 2011. The Eyes Wide Open Songfacts explains the bassline that underpins this ecologically themed song is made up of samples of Gotye playing The Winton Musical Fence, which is a musical instrument installation consisting of five huge metal strings attached to fence posts, and connected to a wooden resonant chamber. The fence is located in Winton, Queensland and Gotye took the opportunity to record sounds from the unusual instrument on his portable stereo recorder.

[Hook] With our eyes wide open, we... With our eyes wide open, we... [Verse 1] So this is the end of the story Everything we had, everything we did Is buried in dust, and this dust is All that's left of us left of us And only a few ever worried While the signs were clear, they had no idea You just get use to livin' in fear Or give up, when you can't even picture your future We walk the plank, with our eyes wide open [Chorus: Call and (response)] We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we (Walk the plank, with our eyes wide open, we) Yeah we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we (Walk the plank, with our eyes wide open, we) [Verse 2] And some people offered up answers We made out we like we heard They were only words They didn't add up, to a change in the way we were living (it) And the saddest thing, is all of it could've been avoided But it was like to stop consuming's to stop being human And why'd I make a change if you won't We're all in the same, boat, stayin' afloat for the moment moment moment [Chorus] We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we (Walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we) Yeah we walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we (We walk the plank with our eyes wide open, we) We walk the plank with our eyes wide, we We walk the plank with our eyes wide, we We walk the plank with our eyes wide, we Mmmm hmmm mmm [Hook] (With our eyes wide open) We, walk the plank, we walk the plank (With our eyes wide open) We, walk the plank, we walk the plank, we walk the plank (With our eyes wide open) We, walk the plank, we walk the plank (With our eyes wide open) And that is the end of the story