The Open Door - Music - Songs and Lyrics

Songs and Lyrics

"Sweet Sacrifice", the first song of the album contains "rumbling guitars" and a string section as stated by IGN's Ed Thompson. The main theme for the song is getting over from an abusive relationship which was also an inspiration to all the songs on Fallen. Both Jordan Reimer of The Daily Princetonian and Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone speculated that the song was written for Evanescence's former guitarist Ben Moody. "Call Me When You're Sober" is a rock song that starts as a piano ballad before quickly turning into an alternative metal song that uses elements of nu-metal, symphonic rock, and pop music. Lee openly revealed that she wrote the song for her ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan of the South African alternative metal band Seether. With no effort to hide her still-raw emotions, Lee accuses her lover, "Don't cry to me/ If you loved me/ You would be here with me/ Don't lie to me/ Just get your things/ I've made up your mind." Described as a "chick anthem", the protagonist in the song explains why the relationship between the pair won't work through the lyrics "Don't cry to me … If you loved me, you would be here with me / … How could I have burned paradise? How could I … you were never mine." "Weight of the World" is a mixture of pop and metal as stated by a writer of Stornoway Gazette. Inspired by the pressures of fame the protagonist has, it contains "Eastern motifs" and "distorted vocals" in the opening lines "Feels like the weight of the world / Like God in heaven gave me a turn / Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you" and in the chorus lines, "If you love me, then let go of me / I won't be held down by who I used to be."

"Lithium" is a slow-tempo rock song where the protagonist sings about the fear of lithium in a lower register while "embrac feeling over numbness." Its chorus was originally written on a guitar when Lee was 16 years old but the guitar was later changed to piano when the verses were written. Written about the choice between the comfort of sorrow and the possibility of happiness, the song shows the protagonist's sadness as an excuse to make music. Critics noted similarities between the "tinkling" piano intro in the song and the band's previous material, most notably their song "My Immortal" (2003). MTV News' Chris Harris compared "Lithium" with Tori Amos' songs. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield noted that the song was Lee's ode to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's song of the same name. "Cloud Nine" was inspired by a break-up which is present in the lines "If you want to live, let live/ If you want to go, let go/ What are we doing here?/ Because I can live without you." It uses strings, studio effects and Lee's "layered moaning." "Snow White Queen" was inspired after Lee had weird experiences with stalkers. She stated, "My privacy had been completely invaded and there were a couple of nights where I couldn't stay at my house. So I wrote a song about it through the eyes of the stalker, and with my perspective, too." Entertainment Weekly's Jon Dolan found similarities between the song and Tori Amos' "Me and a Gun". It uses several industrial beats into its composition.

"Lacrymosa" incorporates the Lacrimosa sequence from Mozart's Requiem (1791). It includes a 22-orchestra led by Dave Campbell and background vocals by The Millennium Choir. Inspired by the film Amadeus, the song contains electronic backing beats, symphonic string section, heavy guitar and a haunting choir. The choir backing track in the song makes a contrasting representation of light and dark. Jim Farber of Daily News compared the song with materials by English progressive rock band Renaissance. "Like You" is written in memory of Amy Lee's deceased sister, as was "Hello" on Fallen. Lee stated: "I can't help but be affected by that, and if it's my place to express myself and all the things that have been most deep and the most painful and have just touched me, I feel like it does honor her." One of the most personal songs on the album, "Like You" contains sad lyrics "I long to be like you/Lie cold in the ground like you" which are accompanied by heavy riffing guitars. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield found similarities between "Like You" and a song called "Helena" while other critics compared the song with Evanescence's earlier material on Fallen. "Lose Control" was inspired by Balsamo's loud guitar and it contains Portishead influences. The protagonist shows his anger through the lines "You don't remember my name, I don't really care."

"The Only One" was originally called "Tuna Afternoon" and it talks about Lee's experiences with close-mindedness and people around her which seemed lost in a world they didn't belong in. It starts with a piano intro similar to the band's Fallen era and songs by Sarah McLachlan. In the song, Lee "decries human guidance" with the chorus lines "All our lives / We've been waiting / For someone to call our leader / All your lies / I'm not believing / Heaven shine a light down on me." "Your Star" was inspired by Lee's loneliness during the band's tour in support of Fallen. She was inspired to write the chorus in Lisbon when she looked at the sky and she couldn't see the stars at night. Other inspiration came from the band Pantera. Guitars and piano provide its instrumentation, while Lee sings about "Lord Himself" as stated by Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone. "All That I'm Living For" was co-written by guitarist John LeCompt and it describes Lee's writing process at night which is present on the first line "I can feel the night beginning / Separate me from the living." It contains "power chords", elements of electronica, abrasive guitars and Lee's vocals. "Good Enough" was solely written by Amy Lee and it was put as the last song on the album because it symbolized a theme of the album and a theme in Lee's life. It features a string section and resemblance to Tori Amos' and Sarah McLachlan's songs. Inspired by her long-time friend and husband, Josh Hartzler, "Good Enough" has a similar composition to "My Immortal" because of their piano sound.