Open Arms is a love ballad that was originally penned by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain for the rock band Journey. It was released in 1982 as part of their number one album Escape, and it has since gone on to become one of Journey’s most popular and enduring tracks.
The song features emotionally evocative lyrics set against a soaring melody, which tells the tale of reconciliation, vulnerability, and unwavering devotion as the singer yearns to rebuild a relationship with “open arms.” Written in the early 1980s, the song’s lyrics are brimming with emotional sincerity and passion that struck a chord with millions, cementing it as an undying classic for years to come within the soft rock library.
Biography Table of “Open Arms” Lyrics
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Song Title | Open Arms |
| Written By | Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain |
| Performed By | Journey |
| Album | Escape |
| Release Year | 1982 |
| Genre | Soft Rock, Power Ballad |
| Theme | Love, Reconciliation, Vulnerability |
| Notable Lyrics | Featured in numerous movies and TV shows, and covered by many artists |
| Chart Performance | Peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 |
| Significance | One of Journey’s most iconic love songs, known for its emotional depth |
| Composition Style | Piano-driven melody with powerful vocals |
| Cultural Impact | Featured in numerous movies and TV shows and covered by many artists |
| Production Team | Produced by Mike Stone and Kevin Elson |
| Legacy | A timeless anthem for love and reconciliation in the soft rock genre |
Open Arms Lyrics
Intro: Norma Rowe]
When you do your best you ca—, I done told you
When you do your best, hell, that’s all you can do
You and me and anybody else
So they always start talkin’
[Verse 1: SZA]
Runnin’ away from where I’m from
Never can stay with no one
Lovin’ you almost feels like something
When no one’s around me
You lost and found me
I was surrounded
With open, open, open
[Chorus: SZA & Travis Scott]
Open arms (Ooh)
Open arms
You keep me open, I’m so devoted
You keep me open (Ooh)
Open arms
I’m so devoted to you, to you, to you
[Verse 2: SZA]
Spent your life bein’ hopeless
Chokin’ on insecurity
I know ownership’s bad
But please put a leash on me anyway
Who needs self-esteem anyway?
I hate myself to make you stay
Push me away, I’ll be right here
With open, open, open
[Chorus: SZA & Travis Scott]
Open arms (Ooh)
Open arms
You keep me open, I’m so devoted
You keep me open
Open arms
I’m so devoted to you, to you, to you
[Verse 3: Travis Scott]
No matter what come between us, yeah, I decided
I’m forever ridin’, we forever guided
Pull up on an opp, hit his curb up, slide it (Brr)
Notice when you mad, ain’t no words, just silence
Drew my favorite color, now you seein’ every shade of me
You say that I’m trippin’, I hit back like, “Where you takin’ me?”
Locked in for life, on God, no replacin’ me
Consequences, repercussions, karma keep on changin’ me
For you, I try
Face card, valid ID
C’est la vie, go to Paris
It ain’t five-star, it ain’t me
Over-solid, keep it concrete
I’ma bet it on you, a whole fee
Just don’t switch sides
I could fire piece your wrist, AP
Through the ups and downs and all the heat
Take a turn and tell you what it be
Backshots make you feel relief
Anything, just don’t you ever leave
[Outro: SZA, Travis Scott, & Both]
I guess I gotta go (Ooh)
I guess it’s time to go
I gotta let you go
(I’m so devoted)
You keep me open
Gotta let you go, gotta let you go
I gotta let you go, I must
But you’re the only one that’s holdin’ me down (Ooh)
You’re the only one holdin’ me down (Only one)
‘Cause you’re the only one that’s holdin’ me down
