The daughter of a Mexican-born father and South African Jewish mother, Martinez says music was always part of family gatherings. Travelling to Mexico gave her a feel for the jazz, Latino and AfroCuban music scene in which she's been performing professionally since 2001. "I grew up listening to a lot of my dad's musical collection, which had a huge influence on me," she says. "Music is in my blood".
Currently, Martinez hosts a Latin music program on the CBC radio network and performs regularly.
Frozen
Amanda Martinez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He’s surrounded by pine and the scent of the one
As he looks forward the snowflakes blind his despair
Days growing shorter, the shadows unwind
Each simple task seems to go on for miles
He feels himself falling and soon he’s recalling her name
Bring me my life left behind
The sweetness I squeezed from my mind
But our belief in what could be
Rich fragrant spices of cinnamon clove
Bubbling beside her, time simmers on low
Feeding the memory of faces and places unknown
Together their silhouettes, dancing in time
Soon she’s beside him, watching eyes wide
He catches her smiling, surviving her once youthful glow
Bring me my life left behind
The sweetness I squeezed from my mind
When nothing was sure but we believed in what could be
Bring me my life behind
The sweetness I squeezed like a lime
When nothing was sure but we believed in what we could be
Feeding a memory
She won’t recognize
Dancing in time
The Amanda Martinez's song, Frozen, is a poignant story of a man who is missing the love of his life during the winter season, surrounded by the aroma of pine trees and the sight of snowflakes. The opening line, "The cold winter air burns his chin in the sun", demonstrates a sense of longing and the emptiness he feels. He's yearning for the return of his life, which he left behind, and the joyful moments he shared with his love. The man's loneliness is highlighted in the line, "Days growing shorter, the shadows unwind, each simple task seems to go on for miles". These lines illustrate how the man's world seems to be falling apart since the departure of his love. As the song progresses, we learn more about the man's memories of his love, and how he savours them, even though they're fleeting.
The line, "Rich, fragrant spices of cinnamon clove, bubbling beside her, time simmers on low", alludes to some of the flavors of life that represent the spice of their love. These spices serve as a catalyst to trigger memories of their time together, the moments where nothing was certain, but their belief in the promise of their love. The words, "Feeding the memory of faces and places unknown", tells us that precious memories of past events have been restored, connected to images of places and faces that are unknown. Together, the man and his love used to dance in time, but she's now gone. The final lines, "Feeding a memory she won't recognize, dancing in time", illustrates the man's hope that one day, his love will come back, and they will dance together once more.
Line by Line Meaning
The cold winter air burns his chin in the sun
Despite the sun shining brightly on this cold winter day, he still feels the sting of the frigid air on his chin.
He’s surrounded by pine and the scent of the one
He finds himself engulfed by the aroma of a familiar scent, blended with that of the surrounding pine trees.
As he looks forward the snowflakes blind his despair
Looking ahead, he is blinded by the falling snow, which seems to deepen his level of sadness.
Days growing shorter, the shadows unwind
As the winter days pass, he's increasingly consumed by darkness and shadows that seem to stretch without end.
Each simple task seems to go on for miles
Even mundane, everyday tasks feel as if they are dragging on endlessly, amplifying his feelings of weariness and despondency.
He feels himself falling and soon he’s recalling her name
As his mood lowers, he innately turns to his memories of her, thinking back fondly at the sound of her name.
Bring me my life left behind
He wants to retrieve and re-embrace that version of himself that he felt he had lost. That version that’s inspired by his memories of her.
The sweetness I squeezed from my mind
He treasures the sweet and loving moments he shared with her from the depths of his memories.
When nothing was sure
But our belief in what could be
During uncertain times, the only surety he ever held was his belief and optimism about their future together.
Rich fragrant spices of cinnamon clove
Bubbling beside her, time simmers on low
The pleasurable smells of cooking cinnamon and clove spices permeate his nose, as he thinks of her standing by the oven, taking the time to cook for him.
Feeding the memory of faces and places unknown
As he savors the sweet cooking aroma, he reminisces and nostalgically wonders about past moments of shared intimacy, wild and unexplored places, and new adventures they might have had.
Together their silhouettes, dancing in time
As he steeped in the reverie of memories and possibility, so too he sees the vision of their silhouettes side-by-side, moving in perfect harmony to the beat of their love.
Soon she’s beside him, watching eyes wide
He catches her smiling, surviving her once youthful glow
Then suddenly, just when he needs her the most, she appears and it feels like all his worries fade away. He notices her sparkling eyes and her youthful glory, like as if time has healed her from all past personal struggles.
Feeding a memory
She won’t recognize
Dancing in time
As they dance, he revisits memories that are close to his heart, knowing that she is unaware that these memories they share are being re-kindled and replayed in his mind.
Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.