Following the commercial success of their debut studio album "Fallen" (2003) and its accompanying tour (2003–04), Evanescence returned to the studio to work on material for a new album. During that time, guitarist Ben Moody left the band and the group sued their previous record manager. In addition, the replacement guitarist for Moody, Terry Balsamo suffered from a stroke during the final stages of recording, which further extended the time needed to release and finalize the album. "The Open Door" was eventually finished and set for release in October 2006 with "Call Me When You're Sober" announced as its first single. When the song was first released, it was speculated among the public that it was dedicated to lead singer Amy Lee's recent ex-boyfriend at that time, Shaun Morgan, the lead singer of the rock band Seether.