White's haunted blues quickly found a home on Oakland's Double Negative Records with them only hearing her four-track demo. Fooling around with music since pre-school, White started on piano around the same time she learned to read, eventually picking up the guitar during her college days.
After graduation White moved to Bordeaux, France, where she performed with a bevy of independent French artists further honing her songwriting skills. Upon returning stateside, she moved to SF and began recording four-track demos formulating the songs that would ultimately become her debut album, Dark Undercoat.
Her second album entitled Victorian America was released in 2009 in France (and in 2010 in the U.S.). it was written largely in San Francisco and Oakland.
Her third album entitled Ode to Sentience was released in 2011.
www.emilyjanewhite.com
FROZEN GARDEN
Emily Jane White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How the waves break
Sometimes they're kind
Sometimes they take lives
Often in living hell
A giver's life dwells
I watched this state
So lead me down to the dusty garden
Overgrown, aged and rotten
And here they lie, Children forsaken
And I see myself as one among them
Shields there never were
I love you more than words
But now we're in this state
And it cracks and breaks
For it lives, it lives inside my skin
And sometimes I feel I'll never win
And often I feel I'll never win
Someday I'll forgive
Emily Jane White's "Frozen Garden" is a song that effectively captures the complicated emotions that surface when one is dealing with loss and grief. The lyrics paint a picture of a tumultuous sea, where waves can either be kind or take lives. This image can be interpreted as a metaphor for life's unpredictability, where we often face unexpected challenges that can either make or break us.
The song then shifts its focus to the theme of sacrifice, with the lyrics describing the struggles of a giver's life, and how it can lead them to a living hell. The reference to a cracked and broken state could either be an allusion to emotional breakdowns or a symbolic representation of the inevitable hardships life presents us with. The chorus "lead me down to the dusty garden" implies a journey to a place of isolation, where one can face their demons alone. The garden is old and rotten, which could represent the decay of one's inner self. The reference to "children forsaken" further emphasizes the feeling of abandonment that comes with grief. The idea of the singer seeing themselves among the forsaken children highlights their feeling of being lost and alone among the chaos.
The song continues to explore the theme of love and how it can be tested in tough times. The line "shields there never were, I love you more than words" implies the singer's vulnerability in a state of grief. The fractured state they find themselves in makes them feel powerless and unable to control their emotions. The song ends on a note of determination, with the singer stating that they will forgive someday, despite feeling like they'll never win. Overall, "Frozen Garden" is a powerful song that explores tough themes with a sense of honesty and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a complicated state
The situation is complex and difficult to handle.
How the waves break
Refers to the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of events.
Sometimes they're kind
There are times when the events are favorable.
Sometimes they take lives
There are times when the events have disastrous consequences.
Often in living hell
In difficult and unpleasant situations.
A giver's life dwells
Those who give often have to endure the consequences of their actions.
I watched this state
The singer has observed this situation for some time.
Crack and break
The situation is deteriorating, and there are signs of it falling apart.
So lead me down to the dusty garden
Desire to escape or find solace in a neglected or forgotten place.
Overgrown, aged and rotten
Describes the abandoned and desolate condition of the garden.
And here they lie, Children forsaken
The garden is a metaphorical graveyard for lost and abandoned hope.
And I see myself as one among them
The artist identifies with the loss and despair in the garden.
Shields there never were
The singer feels vulnerable and exposed to the harsh reality of the situation.
I love you more than words
Despite the difficulties, the singer values the relationship they have.
But now we're in this state
The situation has affected the relationship in some way.
And it cracks and breaks
The stress of the situation has put a strain on the relationship.
For it lives, it lives inside my skin
The emotional toll of the situation is deeply ingrained within the artist and difficult to shake off.
And sometimes I feel I'll never win
There are moments of doubt and despair when things seem impossible to overcome.
And often I feel I'll never win
The ongoing nature of the situation reinforces the feeling of defeat.
Someday I'll forgive
Eventually, the artist hopes to find forgiveness and closure.
Writer(s): emily jane white
Contributed by Kennedy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arío Rojas
This is so incredible. I am mind blown. I have to give a huge thanks to @Talitres for putting out stuff with such incredible taste.
Talitres
Thanks to you for the kind words, we're honored !
leswoodies2
Arío Rojas maybe you'll also like Mariee Sioux. There is something vibrating in the californian folk scene... And maybe also Augustus Pablo Vibrate On for some vintage stuff
Art Animation
love this song!
Franco Federici Ambricca
loved her music since hers first wild tigers. hope she keep on releasing new song.
ROCKERY LANDSCAPES LTD
Just beautiful. Sad I'm just learning about your music just now.
Tamy Juhl
LOVE this song!! thank you :) 🌹❤️🎶
Marion Fiedler Music
Very beautiful song, and video! Thanks for sharing.
Gnosis Aetherna
Masterpiece
Transmission / Transmisja
Piękne! Korespondencja obrazu z muzyką zachwyciła mnie <3