Lyric Writing Tools #6: The Open Ending

It’s the final day of our Week of Lyric Writing Tools. This time, we’re going to look at utilizing open endedness in lyrics.

Open Endedness

What is the first thing you talked about when walking out of Inception?

The ending.

Masterful. This is why I strive for the Christopher Nolan principle of creativity.

But, if your friend group is anything like mine, you spent a long while discussing whether or not that top was going to fall over. 

Was he still in a dream or was it reality?

To this day, the masterful ending to a masterful movie comes up. And, to this day, discussion will ensue on whether we think it’s reality or dream. 

Nolan’s choice to leave the ending open-ended gives us more to think about. It asks questions like the following:

• If he believes that he’s home, in reality, does it even make a difference if it is or isn’t?
• Is perception reality?
• Why does he not bother to watch the top until the end?
• Does he care if it’s reality or not? 
• Is he choosing this to be his reality, regardless of whether it is or not?
• In this reality, did Jack get on the piece of wood since there is clearly room for him?
• Does Nolan still have a smile on his face about that ending?

Nolan made an incredible-looking, well-scripted, exciting, and interesting film, and then decided to take it one step further with the end. 

We can do the same thing with our music. 

We don’t have to end on a I chord. We don’t need to give a resolution. 

We can leave the song open-ended to allow discussion, interpretation, and to leave the listener with questions. 

You know what’s better than a satisfied listener? One that has their mind racing with questions and wants to listen again to see if they can find the answer.

A great example of a song making use of this is “Two Lights” by Five for Fighting.

The song is about a man whose son is away at war. He hears that someone in his son’s troop was “down in a fire fight”, but doesn’t know if it is his son or not.

Let’s dive into the lyrics.

What is courage

Is it brave

What are lions

I’ve only seen them in parades

How is love supposed to read

In a footnote of history

What’s a tap on your shoulder

That you’re afraid to look over

A soldier’s down in a fire fight

No one can look me in the eye

This is what it means to be alone

The main takeaway for us here is the “down in a fire fight” line. This is how we know what has him worried – his son might have been hurt or killed. 

Let’s look at the chorus.

Tear out my heart

Feed it to lions

For this one wish I beg you this tonight

Show me no mercy

But spare me my pride

I’m going for a drive

And if you find out he’s coming home

When I come around the corner

I’ll know that it’s all right

Just leave me two lights

So he’s going on a drive to deal with his fears and worries. He’s asking someone, presumably his wife, to turn on two lights if she finds out their son is alright. 

2 lights and he’s coming home safely. No lights and he might not be coming home at all.

He was young just 23

Didn’t have to go

But it was the man he wanted to be

Like every son he was an only one

One day he came to me, said

Freedom’s nothing to look over

Till each man can stand upon its shoulder

I’ll write you mountains of letters

Each one a little bit better

And know I’ll never be alone

In this second verse we get a little more background on the man’s son. He was only 23 and wasn’t drafted, nor was it his only option. He chose to go and serve his country. He wanted to defend our freedom. 

After this, the chorus is sung again, and we get to the bridge and then final verse.

Silent Angels

Light the road up ahead

As the sentries guard the way

On the avenue of borrowed time

I’m almost home

The sun’s to rise

I got to know

I’ve been driving all the night

There’s our corner up ahead

I’m alive and I am dead

I drive right through the stop sign

I turn my head

As I lift my eyes

My eyes burn

We’ll discuss this after finishing with the final chorus.

Tear out my heart

Feed it to lions

For this one wish I beg you this tonight

Show me no mercy

But spare me my pride

I’m going for a drive

Wait. So the son survived right? When the dad looks and he says his eyes “burn”, that’s because he is looking at 2 lights, right?

Or do they burn because they have filled with tears due to there being no lights?

And why is he going for a drive at the end again? Why would he go on a drive if there were two lights? Because it seems that a drive is how he deals with pain.

Before you tell me I’m overthinking this, the songwriter confirmed in interviews that the song is meant to be open ended.

We can create this same intrigue by utilizing an open ended finish to our song. Try it out!

I like darker endings, but I do think the son survives at the end. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!