Icy Blue Heart
John Hiatt Lyrics
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His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes
She sat on a stool, he said, "What do you want?"
She said, "Give me a love that don't freeze up inside."
He said, "I have melted some hearts in my time, dear
But to sit next to you, lord, I shiver and shake
And if I knew love, well, I don't think I'd be here
To melt your icy blue heart
Should I start
To turn what's been frozen for years
Into a river of tears?
"These days we all play cool, calm, and collected
Why, our lips could turn blue just shooting the breeze."
But under the frost, well, he thought he detected
A warm blush of red and a touch of her knee
He said, "Girl, you're a beauty like I've never witnessed
And I've seen the Northern Lights dance in the air
But I've felt the cold that can follow the first kiss
And there's not enough heat in the fires burning there."
To melt your icy blue heart
Should I start
To turn what's been frozen for years
Into a river of tears?
"Icy Blue Heart" is a song by John Hiatt that speaks about the fear of commitment and the possibility of melting a woman's icy heart. The song's title refers to a person whose heart has been frozen and incapable of loving for so long that it feels like ice. The lyrics in the first verse are a metaphor. She came onto him like a slow-moving cold front, meaning that she approached him slowly and distant. His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes; he felt more warmth in his drink than in her gaze. She sat on a stool, he said, "What do you want?" She said, "Give me a love that doesn't freeze up inside," which means she wants a romance that doesn't become cold-hearted or loveless.
The second verse reveals that the man has a history of breaking women's hearts, but the woman next to him intimidates him, making him wonder if he has what it takes to love her. He confesses to her that if he knew love, he would not be asking himself if he was up for the challenge. In the chorus, he asks if he should start melting her icy blue heart, turning what had been frozen for years into a river of tears. The man detects a warm blush of red on the woman's knee and believes that there is a chance to melt her heart, but he's cautious about getting too close. The man says that he's never seen anything as beautiful as the woman he's talking to, but he's been cold-hearted and knows the danger that the first kiss holds.
Line by Line Meaning
She came onto him like a slow movin' cold front
She approached him in a gradual manner, but with a chilliness that made him uneasy.
His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes
Her eyes conveyed a coldness that was even more frigid than the warm temperature of his drink.
She sat on a stool, he said, 'What do you want?'
As she sat down, he asked her what she desired.
She said, 'Give me a love that don't freeze up inside.'
She expressed her need for a warm and genuine love that would not turn cold over time.
He said, 'I have melted some hearts in my time, dear
He acknowledged having previously won over some lovers.
But to sit next to you, lord, I shiver and shake
However, being close to her gave him the shivers and made him nervous.
And if I knew love, well, I don't think I'd be here
He doubted his own understanding of love and questioned why he was even in this situation.
Askin' myself if I've got what it takes.'
He was internally questioning if he was capable of meeting her needs.
To melt your icy blue heart
His goal was to warm and thaw her emotionally cold heart.
Should I start
He was contemplating where to begin in this task.
To turn what's been frozen for years
He sought to transform her long-standing emotional coldness.
Into a river of tears?
He wondered if the process of emotional thawing would bring about tears.
'These days we all play cool, calm, and collected
He noted that people habitually act reserved and emotionless.
Why, our lips could turn blue just shooting the breeze.'
Even simple conversation could further numb one's emotional warmth.
But under the frost, well, he thought he detected
Despite her emotional chill, he sensed that there was still some warmth deep within her.
A warm blush of red and a touch of her knee
He observed a slight physical reaction that indicated a spark of romantic interest.
He said, 'Girl, you're a beauty like I've never witnessed
He acknowledged her physical attractiveness as something unique.
And I've seen the Northern Lights dance in the air
He even noted that her beauty surpassed the splendor of the natural world.
But I've felt the cold that can follow the first kiss
His prior experiences of emotional coldness stemming from intimacy made him wary.
And there's not enough heat in the fires burning there.'
He had doubts that the passion between them could ever overcome the chilly demeanor of her heart.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind