Ian Hunter: Open My Eyes

(Ian Hunter/Darrel Bath)

(Transcribed by Colin Ford)

On the Avenue of dead umbrellas
In a place where nothin' sleeps
No one's pickin' up the pieces - no one speaks
Snow falls down - God dusts funky town
For once this place looks pure
Tell that to the people who live in the wind - they ain't so sure

In the middle of a violent night - in the glare of a naked light
In the middle of a nightmare
At the bottom of the deepest well - in the middle of a private hell
Shit scared - out there - nowhere

Then I open my eyes - ice on the window - the sun is tryin' to break through

Then I open my eyes - in the land of the livin' - and it's all right
Seen a man rattle in a battle that no one could win
I had to turn my soul away
Shit's gonna happen - whether you like it or not
S' just the way it is

Then I open my eyes - boats on the river - headin' down the east side
Then I open my eyes - and the trash(?) slips away
Soft and supple - like some alibi
You been walkin in her sleep - there ain't no cure for the secrets you hide

In the middle of my wildest dream - in a place where nothin's what it seems

At the time of a great loss
From the hoods and the broken homes - this danger's got a smell of it's own
In the middle of c-c-chaos
In the valley of the shadow of death - the Bellevue boys out kickin' ass
In the middle of fire
Inside the belly of the beast - in a place where wonders never cease
You go higher, higher, higher

Then I open my eyes - life in a nutshell - it's over 'fore you know it
Then I open my eyes

And the city wakes up - puts coffee in cups - when I open my eyes
And the kids go to school - Imus rules - when I open my eyes
I love you n' you love me
N' it rains so I buy an umbrella from the guy on 23rd and Second Avenue