“Open A Window” is the third single from Rex Orange County’s 2022 album ‘Who Cares?.’ The song also features vocals by Tyler, The Creator. The song explores feelings of being choked by the walls closing in on you. A small window seems to be the only escape route or breathing space available.
Rex Orange County announced his fourth studio album ‘Who Cares?,’ expected to release in March 2022. So far, we have seen two singles from the album, “Amazing” and “Keep It Up.” Rex Orange County has collaborated with Tyler, The Creator on two songs before; “Foreword” and “Boredom.”
“Open A Window” might have been inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. People were forced to be in house arrest to help prevent the spread of the virus. However, this took a massive toll on some people’s mental health. Being locked inside the same four walls for days and days can cause some severe stress on one’s psyche.
Listen to “Open A Window” by Rex Orange County & Tyler, The Creator
Rex Orange County “Open A Window” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Rex Orange County dives into the feelings of being stuck inside his four walls and the toll it has on his head.
Stuck here and I never seem to get away but I’ll hang on
Rex has no other options. He has to hold on until tomorrow to see what it has to offer him. Maybe some kind of freedom? Or more of the same.
Rex could also be talking about mental shackles with no reference to being forced to lockdown physically. He could be in the most open place in the world and still feel like the whole world is closing in on him.
Can I open a window?
Can somebody open the door?
Rex reaches out for help. Can someone help him out? He is not entirely sure that he can help himself in this situation. Rex talks about someone who can always make his day better. When everything around him changes, this person seems to be the only constant. And he would do anything to hold on to constants in his life.
Rex could also be talking to his fans. When everything else changes, his fans have stuck around him throughout his career, supporting him. So, it makes sense that he feels at home when he creates music and shares them with his fans.
In the second verse of the song, Rex sings something that compliments the above idea. Some people want him to change or evolve. But his fans have only wanted him to stay true to himself. Rex Orange County has a very unique style of music that has attracted its own fanbase.
stuck
Like the middle car on freeway pile up with semi-trucks
In the third verse of the song, Tyler, The Creator adds on his own experiences of being stuck. He uses a metaphor of a vehicle stuck in traffic in the freeway surrounded by semi-trucks. The trucks tower over your mini sedan and you cannot move forward or sideways. The trucks block the sunlight to your car. It’s a scary feeling.
they quiet like that last E in “Silence”
A little play on words to end Tyler’s veres. The last ‘e’ in the word silence is actually silent — as in not pronounced specifically. Tyler much rather stay away from all the drama and be silent when he is not needed to be included.
Let us hear what you think about the song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.