Christian’s “Just Close Your Eyes” remains one of the more enduring WWE entrance themes of its era, and guitarist and backing vocalist Phil Sneed has now recalled the unexpectedly modest circumstances behind Story Of The Year’s version of the track.
Speaking on The Rizzuto Show, Sneed looked back on the band being approached by WWE in 2009 to record a new take on the song. The original “Just Close Your Eyes” had been performed by Waterproof Blonde in 2004, but WWE turned to Story Of The Year for the version Christian debuted five years later.
For Sneed and the rest of the band, it was a straightforward assignment at first. They were on the road, unfamiliar with the wrestler connected to the request, and did not anticipate that the finished recording would become closely associated with a fan-favorite WWE star.
“When we did the WWE thing, the office called us and said, ‘There is a song, can you record it for a WWE guy?’ ‘Yeah, which one?’ At the time, we were touring and I didn’t know anything about WWE. ‘It’s a guy named Christian.’ We had never heard of him.”
For more background on this topic, read John Cena Says CM Punk and Cody Rhodes May Be Carrying Pressure They Do Not Need.
Rather than treating the recording as an elaborate studio production, Story Of The Year handled it through a friend’s studio while they were touring. Sneed said the payment offered to the band was $1,000, a figure that makes the subsequent reach of the song all the more striking.
“We recorded this thing, they gave us $1000. ‘We’ll just do it at our buddies studio.’ We did it, passed it on, and all of a sudden are numbers are jumping everywhere. We had no idea.”
The band soon learned why people were responding to their work. Wrestling listeners embraced the updated theme, while Christian’s supporters viewed the song as a fitting soundtrack for his return to WWE programming and his push up the card. Sneed recalled fans making it clear that they considered the track one of wrestling’s standout entrance songs.
“Wrestling fans are like, ‘This is one of the coolest entrance music ever. Christian is about to take the belt.’ ‘Oh my God, this guy is good?!?!?!’”
An Entrance Theme That Found Its Audience Quickly
Entrance music has always occupied a unique place in professional wrestling. A theme is not simply background music before a match; it provides an immediate emotional signal for the audience, establishes the performer’s personality, and can become inseparable from a particular period in that wrestler’s career. That relationship is especially strong when the music catches on organically with fans.
Story Of The Year’s version of “Just Close Your Eyes” arrived in 2009, when Christian was back in WWE. The song carried a clear rock sound and gave Christian a distinctive presentation from the instant the opening played. For audiences who connected with the performer, the music became a major part of the response. Fans were not just reacting to a recognizable song; they were responding to what it represented for Christian at that moment.
Sneed’s recollection underlines how often that connection can take musicians by surprise. Bands can be brought in to provide a recording without having extensive knowledge of the wrestler, the promotion’s audience, or the larger history attached to a theme. Once the song reaches television and live events, however, it can acquire a life far beyond the recording session.
In this instance, the band’s streaming or listening numbers began climbing after the track was released, alerting its members that the WWE audience had discovered their version. That reaction introduced Story Of The Year to wrestling fans who may not have otherwise encountered the band, while giving Christian a theme that listeners continued to associate with him.
The Evolution Of “Just Close Your Eyes”
The 2009 recording was not the first time “Just Close Your Eyes” had been used for Christian. Waterproof Blonde performed the original version in 2004, establishing the song’s connection to him before Story Of The Year recorded its updated interpretation.
That continuity mattered. WWE did not replace the idea of the theme entirely; it presented a new performance of a song that was already part of Christian’s musical identity. For fans, the Story Of The Year recording retained the title and central association while delivering the track through a different band’s sound.
The shift also illustrates an important aspect of wrestling music: the same theme concept can take on a different character depending on the performer and arrangement. A new recording may be commissioned for practical reasons, but the audience’s response ultimately decides whether it becomes meaningful. Story Of The Year’s version resonated strongly enough that it has remained a notable part of the discussion around Christian’s WWE presentation.
For Sneed, the process began with a phone call that supplied very little context. He said the band did not know Christian when WWE first asked them to take part. Yet that lack of familiarity did not prevent the recording from becoming an effective fit. The band accepted the work, made the track at a friend’s studio, sent it in, and watched the response grow.
Christian’s Long Association With The Theme
Christian continued using Story Of The Year’s version of “Just Close Your Eyes” until his 2014 retirement. Across that stretch, the song was a consistent part of his WWE identity and remained a familiar cue for the crowd.
That longevity is a significant part of why the song has maintained its reputation. Wrestling audiences attach memories to theme music over time: returns, title pursuits, matches, crowd reactions, and the anticipation created when a wrestler’s entrance begins. A song that stays with a performer through multiple years can become a shorthand for an entire chapter of that person’s career.
Sneed’s comments also provide a reminder that those memories can have an impact outside wrestling itself. Story Of The Year did not enter the project expecting a large crossover response. The group was touring, took on the assignment, and accepted what Sneed described as a $1,000 payment. The reaction from WWE fans later showed the reach of a theme song when it finds the right audience and becomes linked to a popular performer.
There is an inherent unpredictability to that process. Plenty of songs are created for wrestling, but only some develop the level of attachment that leads fans to revisit them long after their initial use. “Just Close Your Eyes” is remembered because of both versions in its history, but Story Of The Year’s 2009 take has its own distinct place among WWE entrance themes of that period.
A Modest Session With A Lasting Wrestling Legacy
The story behind the recording is notably unglamorous: a touring band, a request from WWE, a wrestler they did not know, a friend’s studio, and $1,000 for the work. It is precisely that contrast which makes Sneed’s account compelling. What felt like a small side project became a song recognized by a substantial wrestling fan base.
It also speaks to the passion fans bring to entrance music. Sneed recalled supporters praising the track and discussing Christian as someone who could be headed toward championship success. Their reaction gave the band an immediate education in how deeply wrestling audiences can invest in the music attached to performers they support.
For Christian fans, the Story Of The Year version represents more than a licensed recording or a routine production choice. It is part of the sound of his WWE run from 2009 through 2014. For the band, it became an unforeseen connection to an audience that responded enthusiastically after the track reached WWE programming.
More than a decade after Christian last used the theme before retiring in 2014, Sneed’s recollection has put fresh attention on the song’s unlikely creation. A recording made during a tour for a comparatively small fee ultimately became one of the best-known pieces of music associated with Christian’s WWE career.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.