Open Wounds by Skillet

Album: Collide (2003)

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Songfacts®:

This song is about an abusive parent that is treating his child very badly, which leads to the child's insanity: "You can't stop me from falling apart, 'cause my self-destruction is all your fault." This could mean suicide, or cutting themselves (open wounds).
John Cooper, Skillet's lead vocalist and bassist, wrote this about his fractured relationship with his father, which grew strained after Cooper's mother died and his father remarried shortly after. "It just became a bad situation, from that point me and my dad just fought and fought," he explained to Listenin.org. "I think the reason it was so hard is that everyone looked at our family like we were model family, even though it was actually really bad, haha... terrible, and I just felt betrayed by my dad and stuff. The reason I finally wrote a song about it, honestly, is because things are going well with my relationship with my dad. It's a relationship that has been healed in the last few years and so I thought okay, it's time to write a song about it 'cause I know there are lots of people out there that feel the same way but is under the pretense of a really great family, and that's what always bothered me so bad, was that it really wasn't all that great."
Downstairs the enemy sleeps
Leaving the TV on
Watching all the dreams we had turn into static

Cooper explains the above lyrics: "My dad and my stepmom fought and he would sleep on the couch, and when I was growing up we didn't have all night TV, haha. You'd go down stairs and the TV at midnight would just go to static or go to those little colors and I remember just thinking anything to get away from him."

Comments: 9

HelloThis song is everything I've ever wanted to tell my sister, I need a way to get away from her, but I simply can't
Peyton from Indiana, InI always thought this song was about a person being trapped in a relationship they couldn't get out of, and he/she was always getting caused pain.
Jeffrey from Lockport, Ilactually this is about his relationship with his father, but in an interview he says he was never beaten by his dad, they just never had a good relationship...
Jonathan from Dunn, NcThis is actually about the lead singer's (John Cooper) relationship with his own father, who, in an interview, was described as very abusive.
Stephanie from Adelaide, AustraliaWOOO go the Stephs =]
awesome song vy the way i am addicted.
Cutting yourself is bad tihnk of all the good things you have had and life its self dont just go throwing them away
Steph from Commack, Nyawww please dont cuts yur self!! dont lisen to those low lives!! God Luvs yu!! ANd thats what matters. Cutting is not what yu do i agree its NEVER the answur. i remember alll thats bad and good in my life too when i lisen to this!! lol i luv this song. and skillet is awsum!
Janet from Orlando, FlI love this song.
Janet from Orlando, FlHey dude don't listen 2 those nerd's!Cutting is not ur awnser at times wen I listen 2 this song I remeber evrything bad and good in my life.I love em like i said I cant wait until skillet comes!^^[Im a normal gurl who happens 2 like rock my family well cuzins judge me 4 that!Lol all wellbye!]
Nik from Anywhere, OhThe part of the song that says "You can't stop me from falling apart, 'cause my self-destruction is all your fault" actually made me cry, because I used to cut myself when I was made fun of by a bunch of kids at school. That sounds like something I would tell them.

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