Freezing
Linda Ronstadt feat. Philip Glass Lyrics


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If you had no name
If you had no history
If you had no books
If you had no family

If it were only you
Naked on the grass
Who would you be then?
This is what he asked

And I said, I wasn't really sure
But I would probably be cold





And now I'm freezing
Freezing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Freezing" by Linda Ronstadt feat. Philip Glass express a certain sense of existentialism as it questions the very nature of human identity in the absence of external stimuli. The questions posed in the song force the listener to consider who they would be if everything that currently makes up their identity was stripped away. The idea of being "naked on the grass" creates a very raw and vulnerable image, emphasizing the idea of being stripped down to one's essence.


The line, "But I would probably be cold" speaks to the idea that without all of the trappings of identity, we are left with a sense of discomfort and uncertainty, much like one would feel if they were physically cold. The repetition of "freezing" at the end of the song serves to reinforce this idea.


Overall, "Freezing" is a thought-provoking song that encourages the listener to reflect on their own sense of identity and the ways in which it is shaped by external factors.


Line by Line Meaning

If you had no name
In an imaginary scenario where you do not possess a name


If you had no history
If you do not have a past as a point of reference for your identity


If you had no books
If you are devoid of literature that might shape your perspective and enhance your knowledge


If you had no family
How would your life look if you were alone in the world without any relatives to rely upon?


If it were only you
In a context of isolation and singularity


Naked on the grass
Lying bare on a lawn, vulnerable and exposed


Who would you be then?
Who would you become without any external factors shaping your identity and personality?


And I said, I wasn't really sure
The artist admits uncertainty with regards to their self-identity


But I would probably be cold
The coldness is a metaphor for the loneliness and lack of human connections that would make the individual feel numb and empty, lost in a meaningless existence.


And now I'm freezing
The artist feels a sense of coldness, not necessarily literal, but more of a despair and existential emptiness.


Freezing
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize and stress the intensity of the feeling.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILIP GLASS, SUZANNE VEGA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@animaletnew5145

T R A C K L I S T 🎵► 00:00 Changing Opinion 09:57 Lightning 16:39 Freezing
19:55 Liquid Days (Part 1) 4:41 Open the Kingdom (LD, Part 2) 31:40 Forgetting
-------------------------------------------- L Y R I C S --------------------------------------------
A1 Changing Opinion 🎵 Lyrics By – Paul Simon 🎵 Vocals – Bernard Fowler

Gradually we became aware of a hum in the room, an electrical hum in the room... It went... Mmm
We followed it from corner to corner We pressed out ears against the walls
We crossed diagonals and put our hands on the floor It went ....Mmm
Sometimes it was a murmur Sometimes it was a pulse Sometimes it seemed to disappear
But then with a quarter-turn of the head It would roll around the sofa a nimbus humming cloud Mmm
Maybe it's the hum of a calm refrigerator Cooling on the big night mmm
Cooling on the big night Maybe it's the hum of our parents' voices
Long ago in a soft light Mmm Long ago in a dimmed light Mmm
Maybe it's the hum of changing opinion Or a foreign language In prayer... Mmm
Maybe it's the mantra of the walls and wiring Deep breathing In soft air... Mmm...
------------------------------------------
A2 Lightning 🎵 Lyrics By – Suzanne Vega 🎵 Vocals – Janice Pendarvis

Lightning struck a while ago and it’s blazing much too fast
But give it rain of waiting time and it will surely pass...
Blow over
And it’s happening so quickly as I feel the flaming time
And I grope about the embers to relieve my stormy mind...
Blow over...
Shaken this has left me and laughing and undone
With a blinding bolt of sleeplessness that’s just begun
And a windy crazy running through the nights and through the days
And a crackling of the time Burned away...
Now I feel it in my blood All hot and sharp and white
With a whipcrack and a thunder And a flash of flooding light... Oh...
But there’ll be a thick and smoky silence in the air
When the fire finally dies Who’ll be left there Oh...
In the ashes of time Burned away...
-------------------------------------------------
A3 Freezing 🎵 Lyrics By – Suzanne Vega 🎵 Vocals, Backing Vocals – Linda Ronstadt

If you had no name If you had no history If you had no books If you had no family
If it were only you naked on the grass Who would you be then? This is what he asked
And I said, I wasn't really sure But I would probably be cold
And now I'm freezing...
-------------------------------------------
B1 Liquid Days (Part I) 🎵 Lyrics By – David Byrne 🎵 Vocals – The Roches

Oh round desire Oh red delight The river is blood The time is spent
The river is blood The time, the time is spent...
Love likes me Love takes it shoes off and sits on the couch
Love has an answer for everything Love smiles gently and crosses its legs
Well here we are... Sleep....
Being in air Turning to speak Losing our way Pour it all out
We are old friends I offer love a beer Love watches television
Love needs a bath Love could use a shave
Love rolls out of the chair and wiggles on the floor
Jumps up I'm laughing at love...
Drink me.....
Drive Breaths Drive Sleep
Why do you ask? Still is the Night
It is much further than we thought
--------------------------------------------------------------------
B2 Open The Kingdom (Liquid Days, Part II) 🎵 Lyrics By – David Byrne 🎵 Vocals – Douglas Perry

Days of fishes Distant roar
Turning to speak Turning to hear...
Open the kingdom... In my way...
Being most uncertain and this remains
Still for better birds of voices The field of living I am asking...
In my way... Being most uncertain and this remains
Still for better birds of voices The field of living I am asking...
Open the kingdom... Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)...
Returning love Returning with love Then it was written with love...
-------------------------
B3 Forgetting 🎵 Lyrics By – Laurie Anderson 🎵 Vocals – Linda Ronstadt 🎵 Backing Vocals – The Roches

A man wakes up to the sound of rain
From a dream about his lovers who pass through his room.
They brush lightly by, these lovers. They pass. Never touching
These passing lovers move through his room.
The man is awake now. He can't get to sleep again
So he repeats these words over and over again:
Bravery Kindness Clarity Honesty Compassion Generosity
Bravery Honesty Dignity Clarity Kindness Compassion



All comments from YouTube:

@LaurenceGalian

The night Philip Glass performed this at the Brooklyn Academy of Music will go down as one of the most unforgettable nights of my entire life. No other concert, before or since, has rivaled it.

@ANFeuerstahl

Lucky man, you.

@AZJuggling

I have probably listened to this piece at least 1000 times.

@rfilipe62

+1

@michaelkaufmann8830

Ein absolutes Meisterwerk. Die Stimmen, die Instrumente, das Zusammenspiel klassischer Stimmen mit Elektropop - und dieser Sound!!! Seit über 30 Jahren besitze ich diese CD und bin jedesmal aufs Neue ergriffen, wenn ich sie anhöre.

@williamgrant9262

This album to me is perfection the music, lyrics, voices just work so beautifully I just lose myself in it completely, wonderful

@ninabrzoradova5120

The pulse of life! Like waves on the water, ebbing and flooding, like the moon, waxing and waning... The liquid mystery of birth, into infinity. Thank you for letting me fall asleep, enveloped in your fluid artistry, With Humility... Nina Brzorad

@derekpascal3749

No honor to Glass can approach the gratitude felt by his most devoted addicts. This music exceeds all human talent, combined. The performers, well chosen, have made cosmic history that may never be outdone. I feel so lucky to have become one with this utterly peerless Masterpiece.

@povertyspec9651

He is a super cool guy. I hope you had a chance to meet him! He loves his fans, believe me!

@TarunoNafs

Strange that I can fall asleep peacefully while listenig to this. I thought music with lyrics and (some) strong beats would wake me instead.

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