open arms journey

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Open Arms by Journey

Songfacts®:

• Written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain , this song is about a couple who drifted apart but found each other again and realized how much they love each other. >> Suggestion credit : James - Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
• According to the liner notes in Journey's Time3 compilation, Jonathan Cain came to Journey with this melody already written. It could have been a song for the Babys, his previous band, except that Babys vocalist John Waite rejected the melody as "too syrupy." He sheepishly showed the tune to Perry on his portable Wurlitzer keyboard and Perry immediately wanted to do it. The rest of the band wasn't so sure. "They were opposed to the ballad," said Perry. "Neal hated the idea and Jon Cain thought maybe John Waite was right." The third single from Escape not only went on to become the band's highest charting single and sent album sales into orbit, but pioneered the entire concept of the power ballad. "Now everybody's got to have one," said Perry. Waite came around as well: his big hit as a solo artist was the ballad " Missing You ."
• " Don't Stop Believin' " has become Journey's most popular song, but it only charted at #9 in America; "Open Arms" was the group's biggest hit on the Hot 100, reaching #2, where it stayed for six weeks, first behind " Centerfold " and then " I Love Rock And Roll ."
• Mariah Carey recorded this for her 1996 album Daydream . Her version hit #4 in the UK.
• This was used in the 1981 animated movie Heavy Metal . It also appears in these films: Daddy's Home 2 (2017) I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) Date Movie (2006) The Last American Virgin (1982)
• More songs from Journey
• More songs about reconciliation or forgiveness
• More songs from 1981
• Lyrics to Open Arms
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Comments: 13

• Luna Loud from Royal Woods, Michigan Armin from Fort Worth/Dallas: It's not in a minor key, dude. It's in D major. But, yeah, I wouldn't classify it a "monster ballad" or "power ballad", because there's really no, well, "power CHORDS" being played. IDK I guess that's how I've always defined the word "power ballad", though there is definitely power in the melody, lyrics, and emotion, so I guess you could call it that. And Frank from Canada: real men cry. Don't be afraid to let it out, bro.
• Armin from Dallas/fort Worth I have trouble thinking of this song as a power ballad but after reading the cooments, I think I understand. It doesn't seem to fit the mold of a typical power ballad: sensitive passages driven home by a power-rock section---a light-to-heavy transition. Think Stairway to Heaven or Aerosmith's Dream On. Separate Ways seems all power, no ballad. They lyrics are deeply sentimental, especially as delivered by Steve Perry's crooning, but the constant charge in the music sounds more like power pop. I understand now that it's really the intense emotions in the lyrics and the minor key that set the prevailing mood and this song is just a little too unique to classify so conveniently.
• Mckinzie from United States I love this song so very much! I want to dance to this song with my future husband at my future wedding.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On October 28th 1977, Journey appeared in concert at Bill Graham's Old Waldorf in San Francisco, California... It marked Steve Perry's first concert appearance as the lead singer of the West Coast-Bay Area group... Just over five months later on April 2nd, 1978 the group's first charted record, "Wheel in the Sky", would enter Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #89, five weeks later on May 7th it peaked at #57 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 8 weeks... Between 1978 and 1985 the group had twenty seven Top 100 records; six made the Top 10 with "Open Arms"* being their biggest hit, it peaked at #2... {See next post below}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On January 10th 1982, "Open Arms" by Journey entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 21st it peaked at #2 (for 6 weeks) and spent 18 weeks on the Top 100 (and 10 of those 18 weeks were on the Top 10)... It also reached #2 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart... The first three weeks it was at #2, the #1 record was "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band and the last three weeks it was "I Love Rock 'N Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts was at #1... Was track 5 on side 2 of the group's seventh studio album, 'Escape', and on September 6th, 1981 peaked at #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart... Three other tracks off the album also made the Top 100; "Who's Crying Now" (#4), "Don't Stop Believin'" (#9) and "Still The Ride" (#19)...
• Hannah from Ottawa, On Steve Perry has such a beautiful voice. This song is definitely one of the greatest songs of all time!
• Gina from Springfield, Mo This song came out just before my husband & I was married in March of 1982; always been a very special song to me!
• Aimee from Plant City, Fl One of the most special songs ever written!
• Megan from Stevenson, Al This song is so sweet! Beautiful...<3 Makes me cry everytime!
• Joe O from Schenectady, Ny an absolutely gorgeous song, I am learning to play this one on my keyboards. Surprisingly enough, it's not that difficult. I've become a bigger fan of Journey thru this and also from knowing about the history of Journey. Thanks to Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry for this song and the entire Journey catalog of great hits.
• Richard from Houston, Tx It's easy for a song to do that. Think about it - the singer and/or writer has poured their heart into the song, and there's obviously emotion behind it. Just a matter of finding it.
• Stu from Philly, Pa It's not stupid for a song to make you cry. Sometimes a song just hits you in the exact right spot. Something so beautiful. Frank, that's one of my favorite songs, and if you think it hits you when you hear it, try playing it. whoo! what a powerful experience it is to play that song.
• Frank from Brampton, Ontario, Canada As with any other sad song I hear, this one makes me cry alot. Hey... I know that may seem really stupid on my part, but you know.... heartfelt songs like this one really do make ppl cry. Trust me, if such powerful ballads like this make you cry, then you know it really is a good song.

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How a Rejected Babys Song Becomes Journey’s Signature Ballad

The song that would become Journey 's signature ballad was not received with open arms when Jonathan Cain initially presented it to the Babys . So he shelved "Open Arms" for another time.

"My understanding is that he had most of it sketched," former Journey frontman Steve Perry told Classic Rock Revisited . The two had been discussing song ideas one day at Perry's house, not long after Cain left the Babys for Journey.

As Cain recalls, Perry was interested in writing a different kind of material. "He was talking to me about his solo album and wanting to do ballads, wanting to do soaring melodies with ballads," Cain said in 2019 . "I said, 'Steve, there's no reason for you to go do a solo album. You know, you could do it here in Journey.'"

Cain went out to his car to retrieve his Wurlitzer piano, which had had brought along "just in case" and showed Perry the half-conceived song he originally offered to the Babys. It needed work: Cain had the melody down, but no lyrics. Perry, however, immediately recognized the song's potential.

"I asked him what that was," Perry remembered, "and he said, 'This is just a song that I started. I played it for my wife and I played it for [Babys frontman] John Waite but he said it was too syrupy.' I told him, 'Too bad for him and good for us.'"

The pair promptly set to work finishing "Open Arms." "That particular one kind of wrote itself. It went that quick," Perry told Classic Rock Revisited. " Escape  was not easy; it still was hard. Jonathan and I had a lot of moments writing lyrics where there was difficulty between us. He would make a suggestion and I would say that I would try to sing it but then I would not be able to believe it, or own it for myself, so I would have to throw in a couple of changes or make additions to it to make it mine. That was fine with him; that is basically collaboration."

Watch Journey Perform 'Open Arms' in 1982

Cain and Perry were ultimately excited about what they had come up with. "I just remember just sitting there going, 'Oh, wait til the world hears this,'" Cain said in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music .

When they brought the song to Journey, however,  Neal Schon was at a loss. "It's not that I didn't like the song when I heard it," he said in the same VH1 episode. "It was just so far removed from anything we had ever attempted to record before. It's just like, 'What am I gonna do on this?'"

Cain said, "you're gonna be an orchestra, that's what you're gonna do." In addition to bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith 's tracks, Cain added rhythm guitar and everyone contributed backing vocals.

Years later, when revisiting footage for Live in Houston 1981 , memories of constructing the song with Cain and the emotional significance from decades ago surfaced again for Perry.

"I had to keep my head down on the console when 'Open Arms' was on," Perry told Classic Rock Revisited. "There is one line in the song that I always wanted to be a certain way. I have ideals about certain things. The line ' wanting you near ' – I just wanted that line to go up and soar. I wanted it to be heartfelt. Every time it would come by, I would just have to keep my head down and try to swallow the lump in my throat. I felt so proud of the song that I had written with Jonathan."

Released in January 1982, "Open Arms" made its way to No. 2 on the charts, becoming one of Journey's most recognizable songs and a set list staple. A missed opportunity for the Babys had turned into a phenomenal hit, penned between two bandmates who had only just begun working together.

"[Perry's] idea melded with what I always had been wanting to find in the song lyrically," added Cain, who credited Perry with "championing" the tune through its completion. "You never give up on a song. No matter what anybody says about your song, there's something there."

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Lyrics submitted by WhT LytEniN

Open Arms Lyrics as written by Jonathan Cain, Stephen Perry

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Cloud9

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

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My fiancee and I fell in love in high school to Journey, and this specific song, 25 years ago. We broke up and then got back together last fall. This song, and Faithfully, both remind us of those days and how lucky we are to have found each other again. We'll be playing Journey songs at our wedding reception for sure!

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One of the great love songs of all time!!!!

no, i think its about the relationship steve perry had with this girl and he was deeply inlove with her, but they seperated and he was utterly broken hearted, to the point where the linbe between livin and dying was blurred.. then, one glorious day she came back to her, and he never wanted to let her go ( metaphorically), i guess you dont know what u got until its actually gone...

i wish i had told you kristy that i loved you, before you had to kill yourself........ i know i sound all like "oh feel bad for me" but im sorry this beautiful beautiful song forced me to say that...... and i love you and there is no one that will ever measure up to your beauty

This is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. -Mega Huge Journey Fan- Oh, and the way he says the word 'share' is so nice. I think this song is self-explanitory, they sailed together and drifted apart, and here she is by his side, and so now he's welcoming her back with open arms. So simple, yet such an amazing song, and the simplicity of it and nt have to dig for a hidden meaning makes it even more beautiful. I think this is the ultimate song for after you've broken up and gotten back together.

This song is about true love.

They had time apart, and now they are together again, despite all of their past troubles. Nothing is hidden between them anymore. They've grown up and realized that they need each other.

as a man it's weird to listen too this song. because it just like a serious relationship. my girl was in califronia and we just got our relationship started and she had to go. and when she came back it was the greatest day ever. a walk on the beach a romantic dinner and then 2 weeks later she died in a accident with a drunk driver...i'll miss ya Angie Romeo

This song is so preaty, i think its about meeting the person you like for the first time and hoping it would work out. "Lying beside you, here in the dark, feeling your heart beat 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"

I think this talks about the first time he spends with the girl and how its just perfect for him.

"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"

I thin this is him tellinh her how he feels about there relationship and how he wants to move forward.

"Living without you, living alone, this empty house seems to 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"

I think this means, that the girl only wants to stay friends and not move on, and he is really upset about it

this song will make me sad for a long time, it was playing wen my boyfriend ended our relationship. maybe if we get back together it'll mean even more to me "we sailed on together, we drifted apart, and here you are by my side"

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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 want to bring 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

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Formerly incarcerated man earns degree at 60

When Anthony Phillips was a young man, he was skeptical of things like caps and gowns and college class rings.

“When you don’t graduate high school and you walk around with negative bravado, right? You’re like ah, that doesn’t mean anything,” Phillips said.

But over the course of a life filled with missteps, challenges, and setbacks — including twenty years in prison — his attitude changed.

What You Need To Know

Anthony phillips earned his bachelor’s degree from cuny’s lehman college last month it wasn’t an easy journey — he spent 20 years in prison and later experienced homelessness he says lehman college offered him the support he needed and welcomed him with open arms.

He proudly wears a Lehman College class ring, and last month, thirteen years after he first enrolled at Lehman, he donned a cap and gown to earn his bachelor’s degree at sixty years old.

“It makes me feel like a boy again,” he said. “And I’m like, wow, man, this is my high school, like this is my journey all over again. You know, like my graduation ring, my honors here, my president’s badge, my two dean’s list badges, finishing great, you know, with a 3.766 this semester. I just feel like a kid. It’s just fulfilling. You can be born again and be a child.”

Phillips wants to use his education to help young people avoid the serious mistakes he made as a young man.

“I’m formerly incarcerated. I had six attempted murders on some New York City law enforcement officers when I was very young, about 23-years-old,” he said.

State prison records show he was convicted of attempted murder and attempted assault in the second degree. He was sent upstate in 1988 and was paroled into a different world in 2007.

“I went in at 23 and came home at 43 — two decades. So, I really came home anonymous to anyone, lost to just society. And it was just my, maybe, education that kept me focused. If I didn’t have anything, I had that,” he said.

A year after he enrolled at Lehman, his home in New Jersey was hit by Hurricane Sandy. He left school, but was inspired to return after racial justice protests surrounding the 2020 death of George Floyd.

“I saw that [incident]. I saw that maybe I could, you know, continue my education. I was halfway there, and I said, maybe it’s the time like, to go back to school,” he said.

Phillips says the staff at Lehman College welcomed him back with open arms. Richard Finger, vice president for enrollment management at Lehman, has known him since he first enrolled in 2011. 

“Anthony’s a good guy. And I mean that because anybody I’ve encountered on campus has met him. He left a positive impression on them. Our faculty members, our administrators, our counselors. Anthony is going to make a big mark on the world as he graduates,” Finger said.

He’s not done learning: Phillips says he’d like to earn his master’s in social work. But first, he’s going to take some time to enjoy his accomplishment.

“It’s a long time coming. This wasn’t a journey that was straight through,” he said. 

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Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded. During that period, the band released a series of hit songs, including 1981's "Don't Stop Believin'", which became in 2009 the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. Its parent studio album, Escape, the band's eighth and most successful, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". Its 1983 follow-up, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching No. 2 and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's ap… more »

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Written by: Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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Missing lyrics by Journey?

Know any other songs by journey don't keep it to yourself, image credit, the web's largest resource for, music, songs & lyrics, a member of the stands4 network, watch the song video, top hot 100 songs 1982, billboard #2, more tracks from the album, don't stop believin': the best of journey.

• #1 Don't Stop Believin'
• #2 Who's Cryin' Now
• #3 Be Good to Yourself
• #4 Open Arms
• #5 Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
• #6 Faithfully
• #7 Only the Young
• #8 Ask the Lonely
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• #10 Wheel in the Sky
• #11 Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
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• #13 The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)
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• #15 Still They Ride
• #16 Only Solutions
• #17 Send Her My Love
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• #20 Girl Can't Help It
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• #22 Mystery Mountain
• #23 Message of Love
• #24 Can't Tame the Lion
• #25 If He Should Break Your Heart
• #26 All the Way
• #27 Of a Lifetime
• #29 On a Saturday Night
• #30 I'm Gonna Leave You
• #31 Spaceman
• #34 Chain Reaction

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