Open Up The Heavens

Album: Different Kinds of Light (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Jade Bird is "alone in the middle of the night" picking the bones of a toxic relationship. Her lover is putting no effort into the romance, leaving the singer feeling "completely drenched."
  • Jade Bird recorded the song for her second album, Different Kinds Of Light. She laid down the record at Nashville's famed RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb, known for his work with Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile, and also for the A Star Is Born soundtrack.
  • Jade Bird wrote and recorded this soaring pop-rock track two days before she had to fly back to England from Nashville. She'd heard stories about the last song you write for a record being the best, so she was searching for that in the vocal booth that evening. Bird told Apple Music she was hammering away on a riff when Cobb popped his head in and told her, "Oh, you really have to do something with that. It's a great riff."

    Encouraged, she quickly completed the song and sent it to him two hours later on a voice memo. Before Bird knew it, Cobb had brought all the musicians back in, and they raced through and tracked her favorite track on Different Kinds Of Light.
  • Bird first encountered Dave Cobb after working with his cousin, the country singer-songwriter Brent Cobb. Back in 2017, the then-little-known Bird opened some UK shows for Brent Cobb. The two became good friends and in 2019 recorded the duet "Feet Off The Ground."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.