Category Archives: 1980s songs

The best 500 songs from the 1980s. Lyrics, meanings and interpretations from the eighties. The Cure, Prince, Michael Jackson, Cindi Lauper, The Smiths, The Cars, REO…see what artist ranks highest in our greatest all-time songs rankings.

1980s songs, breakup songs

#463 Open Arms- Journey

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But now that you’ve come back/
Turned night into day/
I need you to stay.

The main strength of Journey’s “Open Arms” lies with the strong piano intro. The piano score throughout is quite good. It is so recognizable and so beautiful- very few songs are comparable. Maybe “You are so Beautiful” by Joe Cocker, but not many. “Open Arms” tells the story of a love taken for granted.

Open Arms Meaning
Journey

In the beginning, things seemed to be going great but the love was “blind”. The couple ended up drifting apart. He ends up living alone and doesn’t enjoy the cold nights and misses having her in his arms. And now he is reaching out to her. The theme of Journey’s “Open Arms” is “I’m sorry, take me back.” It is not clear whether or not his plea works but the song sounds hopeful.

Open Arms Lyrics

Lying beside you
Here in the dark,
Feeling your heartbeat with mine.

Softly you whisper,
You’re so sincere.
How could our love be so blind?

We sailed on together,
We drifted apart.
And here you are
By my side.

So now I come to you
With open arms,
Nothing to hide,
Believe what I say

So here I am
With open arms.
Hoping you’ll see
What your love means to me.
Open arms.

Living without you-
Living alone.
This empty house seems so cold.

Wanting to hold you,
Wanting you near.
How much I wanted you home.

But now that you’ve come back,
Turned night into day.
I need you to stay.

So now I come to you
With open arms.
Nothing to hide,
Believe what I say.

So here I am
With open arms.
Hoping you’ll see
What your love means to me.
Open arms.

written by Journey: Steve Parry, Jonathan Cain

1980s songs, words not needed

#441 Enjoy the Silence- Depeche Mode

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Vows are spoken/
To be broken.

There is a common trope in movies where two lovers are in bed and usually the woman will say to the guy just stop talking and come here (and have sex with me). Hinting that more words are likely to seal the deal in the wrong direction. Why? Because sometimes words get in the way of communication.

Enjoy the Silence Meaning
Depeche Mode

This can also take place in a loving relationship with a significant other. There are several songs written about this. “Enjoy the Silence” riffs on that motif. Martin Gore is saying “as long as I am holding you, nothing else needs to be said. I have everything I want.” But he is also saying “don’t ruin a good thing by speaking.

Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” is an 80s classic which means heavy on the synthesizer and drum machine. It works well with Depeche Mode’s somewhat unfeeling or monotonous vocal delivery. To be fair, the synthesizer is used much better here than in most songs. It is used as a supplementary instrument for the most part—except for the solo.

The use of the “choir” sound is especially good. The laser sounds are a bit over the top, but that was the time and place. Overall, the great melody holds together some of the idiosyncratic choices of production.

Lyrics Enjoy the Silence

Words like violence,
Break the silence.
Come crashing in
Into my little world.

Painful to me,
Pierce right through me.
Can’t you understand?
Oh my little girl.

All I ever wanted,
All I ever needed,
Is here in my arms.
Words are very unnecessary,
They can only do harm.

Vows are spoken
To be broken.
Feelings are intense,
Words are trivial.

Pleasures remain,
So does the pain.
Words are meaningless,
And forgettable.

All I ever wanted,
All I ever needed,
Is here in my arms.
Words are very unnecessary,
They can only do harm.

All I ever wanted,
All I ever needed,
Is here in my arms.
Words are very unnecessary,
They can only do harm.

All I ever wanted,
All I ever needed,
Is here in my arms.
Words are very unnecessary,
They can only do harm.

Songwriters: Martin Lee Gore

1980s songs, love songs

#435 The Rose- Bette Midler

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Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need/
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed.

“The Rose” by Bette Midler is a beautiful song written by Amanda Mcbroom. The lyrics are especially good. This song gets over-looked. Is it because we hear it on the radio too often? Is it because it is soft-rock? (I maintain that soft rock does not get its due as “serious” music for whatever reason.) Regardless this is beautifully sung by Midler, and a great song.

The Rose Meaning
Bette Midler

So, what is The Rose and what is McBroom trying to tell us? Midler starts off by telling us how some people can wrongly view love: as a hunger that needs or a razor that cuts. That isn’t love. Love is within us and is the ultimate culmination of our beings: like a seed become a flower, we grow Love.

In the final verse Midler talks about how the winter can challenge the seed. However, we know that with a little help from the sun, the seed will grow to become the rose. Similarly, with a little perseverance on our end, we can survive the tough times and spring will be right around the corner and we will blossom into a rose.

It is a message of hope in three verses with no bridge.  Not many pop and rock songs with such a simple structure, but it works. The piano and strings arrangement work perfectly.

The Rose Lyrics

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed, that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose

Songwriters: Amanda Mcbroom