"Eyes Wide Open"
Single by Gotye
from the album Making Mirrors
B-side
Released5 November 2010
Recorded2010
GenreWorldbeat, alternative rock
Length3:07
LabelEleven: A Music Company
Songwriter(s)Wally De Backer
Producer(s)Wally De Backer
Gotye singles chronology
"Hearts a Mess"
(2007) 		"Eyes Wide Open"
(2010) 		"Somebody That I Used to Know"
(2011)

"Eyes Wide Open" is a song by the Belgian-Australian musician Gotye from his third studio album Making Mirrors. It was released as a digital download on 5 November 2010 in Australia and 4 June 2012 in the United States and United Kingdom. The song was written and produced by Gotye. It peaked at No. 55 on the Australian Singles Chart and was voted in at No. 25 in the 2010 Triple J Hottest 100.

The song features the Winton Musical Fence, a large fence with metal strings. Gotye sampled the Musical Fence in 2008 during a stay in Winton, Queensland.[1]

In 2018, Broods released "Eyes a Mess", a cover medley of "Eyes Wide Open" and "Hearts a Mess".

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Eyes Wide Open" was first released onto YouTube on 25 October 2010 at a total length of three minutes and seventeen seconds. The music video was created by Sydney production company pictureDRIFT and directed by Brendan Cook. It features stop-motion animation created by Darcy Prenderghast of creatures riding on spider-legged boats over several barren terrains, searching for water. Perhaps due to the lack of water, their faces crumble. Underneath, we see Gotye's face as he sings the song but the face gets hidden away due to the use of water. The singer's face is also shown when the creatures project it in holograms through their eyes.[2]

Track listing

Digital download
  1. "Eyes Wide Open" – 3:07
10" vinyl
  1. "Atimot ot Edo"
  2. "Eyes Wide Open"
  3. "Smoke and Mirrors"
  4. "Eyes Wide Open" (PVT Remix)

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2010–12) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 55
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 33
UK Official Streaming Chart Top 100[4] 78
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 96
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[6] 28
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[5] 22
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[5] 35

Radio and release history

Region Date Label Format
Australia 5 November 2010[7] Eleven: A Music Company Digital download
Germany 4 May 2012 Universal Music CD single
United Kingdom 4 June 2012[8] Island Records Digital download (re-release)

References

  1. ^ "Gotye @ Splendour in the Grass – ABC (none) – Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Gotye – Eyes Wide Open – official film clip" – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "Gotye – Eyes Wide Open" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  4. ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100 – 25th August 2012 the Official Streaming Chart Top 100 – Official Charts". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Gotye – Eyes Wide Open (Billboard chart history)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Gotye Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  7. ^ "iTunes – Music – Eyes Wide Open – Single by Gotye". iTunes.
  8. ^ "Gotye announces details of new single 'Eyes Wide Open'". Digital Spy. 25 April 2012.


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