Open All Night

Album: Nebraska (1982)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a man who drives all night just to see his girl. The original title was "Wanda."
  • This was released as a single, but did not chart. While no songs on Nebraska charted, Springsteen's next album, Born In The U.S.A., had 7 US Top-10s.
  • Some of the lyrics for this song were used on "Living On The Edge Of The World," which was recorded during The River sessions in 1979 and eventually released on Springsteen's Tracks compilation in 1998. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ken Thomson - Edmonton, AB
  • This is one of many Springsteen songs featuring car imagery. Springsteen's first car was a '57 Chevy with orange flames painted on the hood.
  • The title is the name of a popular Springsteen website.

Comments: 7

  • Jay from Central, New JerseyThis is a great song and one of my all time Springsteen favorites. But how does "It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives" then "I got a three more hours but I'm covering ground" work?
  • Jim from Long Beach, CaThis is my favorite from Nebraska. Gotta love the lyrics and imagery The Boss puts to it..
  • Steve from Ithaca, NyGreat song...I grew up in North Jersey..loved Springsteen.. first time I saw him was in 1977 at the Palidium (NYC) what a show..Patti Smith came out and did Becuase the Night with the boss it was unreal!! I drove a 70 442...that I used to work on all time...never lost a race ..and one of my friends said this song was "about me."
    Most my friends were to spoiled to work on cars
    but not me....miss those Glory Days!
  • Scott from Detroit, MiI often play this song to people who claim to Hate Springsteen...they always say "This song is awesome...who is that"
  • Wanda from Orlando, FlI was in college in NJ when I heard Asbury Park, his first album, and I was in awe. I went to a concert in PA at another college and while standing in line suffered a mild heatstroke. They let me wait in the air conditioned corridor. Someone came up to me and said , "Bruce saw you sitting out here and he wants to meet you." So I went backstage and met him and Clarence and the E Street Band and gave him a poem I had written about him and a personal gift. He said he would give it back someday so when I heard Nebraska I thought it might be me. Wish I knew? Maybe I don't because I will always have my dream that it was me.
  • Jim from Jersey City, Njhe describes North Jersey perfictly
  • Fred from Abilene, TxMan, I love this song. I used to have a a girlfiend in New Jersey, and driving home to Connecticut after seeing her--it really is like a "lunar landscape." The image of the speaker and Wanda wiping [their] greasy chicken fingers on a Texaco road map is just perfect.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."