Miami native, Sammy Arriaga, is a 23-year-old country singer/songwriter who… Read Full Bio ↴Miami native, Sammy Arriaga, is a 23-year-old country singer/songwriter who made the 1,000-mile trip to Music City in 2011 to jumpstart his country music career. Although young, Sammy is no stranger to the music industry, as America witnessed his unique voice and style earn him a golden ticket to Hollywood during Season 10 of American Idol. Now calling Nashville home, Sammy has integrated his roots and influences into the country genre, creating a style all his own. When he’s not writing songs, Sammy can be found performing in musical venues throughout the city. He plans to release his debut albuam in the near future, filling a niche that country music hasn’t yet seen.

Cold in Miami
Sammy Arriaga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Standing out here on Biscayne Bay
Watching the sun sink and fade
It's perfect...
Damn! almost perfect

Palms trees wave and sigh with me
I'm not drunk but might as well be
It's beautiful

Almost criminal

But she's gone
It's all wrong
There's a chill comin' on

()
It's cold in Miami tonight
Mercury's droppin' without you by my side
Ain't no sunshine in this heart of mine
Since you said goodbye
Girl, I swear it's like you stole all the Farenheit
It's cold in Miami tonight

Man this scene sure burns bright
Love in this town is like walkin' on ice
And I'm drownin' in a sea of diamonds

When the moon wakes up, the streets come alive
The sweat and the sex and the chasing the high
I loved ya' like summer
Yeah, you and me though we'd never freeze

But...
()
It's cold in Miami tonight
Mercury's droppin' without you by my side
Ain't no sunshine in this heart of mine
Since you said goodbye
Girl, I swear it's like you stole all the Farenheit
It's cold in Miami tonight

It's December in my soul
Girl, you gotta know
I miss you
Just come on back
And bring that weather with you

()
It's cold in Miami tonight
Mercury's droppin' without you by my side
Ain't no sunshine in this heart of mine
Since you said goodbye
Girl, I swear it's like I'm dieing here in Paradise
It's cold in Miami tonight

So cold...
Ain't it crazy it's cold in Miami

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sammy Arriaga’s “Cold in Miami” are about a man who’s feeling the chill of heartbreak in the city. The song opens with imagery of the setting sun over Biscayne Bay, a picturesque scene that only highlights the singer's solitude. The palm trees that move with the gentle breeze act as a symbolic reminder of the movement of time while the sight of the sunset adds to the romantic melancholy of the song. The feeling of loneliness and the realization that the relationship is over hits hard with the line “But she's gone, It's all wrong.” The chorus comes in and repeats a theme that is a constant throughout the song - the singer's feeling of coldness, both in the atmosphere and within him/herself, that was once warm and filled with love but turned bitter with the memory of the lost relationship. The second verse gives us more insights into Miami’s vibrant nightlife and the hedonistic pleasures that the city offers but also serves as a sharp contrast to the emptiness the singer feels without his lover.

The song’s main theme is the melancholy feeling that comes after a break-up. The warmth and beauty of Miami’s weather and surroundings are meaningless when the person you love is not there. The lyrics make it clear that the singer and his lover shared a deep connection, once loved each other like summer but now finds himself disconnected from his surroundings and experiencing a great sense of loss. The song is full of descriptive imagery, which helps the audience visualize the setting and feel the singer's emotional state. Sammy Arriaga’s storytelling delivery elevates the words, painting a vivid picture in the minds of the listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Standing out here on Biscayne Bay
The artist is expressing his location in Miami, Biscayne Bay, while standing and observing the sun setting.

Watching the sun sink and fade
The artist is enjoying the view of the sunset and describing the movements of the sun as it goes down.

It's perfect...
The scene is currently perfect or ideal.

Damn! almost perfect
The artist is emphasizing how the scene is almost perfect and is expressing some dissatisfaction with it.

Palms trees wave and sigh with me
The palms trees surrounding the artist are moving to the wind, and the artist could be feeling sympathetic towards them.

I'm not drunk but might as well be
The artist is not drunk but feels like he is in a dream or semi-conscious state where anything is possible.

It's beautiful
The moment is beautiful and desirable.

Almost criminal
The artist is emphasizing how the situation is almost too good to be true and feels like committing a crime to extend his stay there.

But she's gone
The scene and the moment would be even better if the artist's significant other was there with him, but she's gone.

It's all wrong
The artist is feeling like something is missing, and the situation is incomplete or wrong.

There's a chill comin' on
The temperature is dropping, and the artist is feeling a sense of coldness around him.

It's cold in Miami tonight
The artist is emphasizing how the temperature in Miami has dropped, and it's currently very cold.

Mercury's droppin' without you by my side
The artist is feeling cold due to the absence of his significant other.

Ain't no sunshine in this heart of mine
The artist is emphasizing how he feels empty and sad without his significant other's presence.

Since you said goodbye
The artist is feeling hurt and affected by his significant other's decision to leave him.

Girl, I swear it's like you stole all the Farenheit
The artist is feeling like his significant other has taken all the warmth and heat away from him.

Man this scene sure burns bright
The scene around the artist seems attractive, vibrant, and lively.

Love in this town is like walkin' on ice
The artist is expressing how love in this town is uncertain and risky, similar to walking on thin ice.

And I'm drownin' in a sea of diamonds
The artist could be using 'Sea of diamonds' as a metaphor, meaning that he's overwhelmed by the bright lights and shiny appearances of the town.

When the moon wakes up, the streets come alive
The artist is describing how the streets of Miami become lively and busy as the night progresses.

The sweat and the sex and the chasing the high
The artist is using 'sweat and sex' as a metaphor to describe the upbeat and exciting nightlife in Miami.

I loved ya' like summer
The artist is expressing how he loved his significant other with enthusiasm, happiness, and warmth, similar to how he loves summer.

Yeah, you and me though we'd never freeze
The artist is reminiscing the good old days with his significant other and how they thought they would never experience any coldness.

It's December in my soul
The artist is emphasizing that he feels like it's winter and December, which could be a metaphor for his current internal emotional state.

Girl, you gotta know
The artist is expressing how much he wishes his significant other can realize his internal state and come back to him.

I miss you
The artist is stating his longing for his significant other's presence.

Just come on back
The artist is making a plea for his significant other to return to him.

And bring that weather with you
The artist is requesting his significant other to bring warmth, love and a sense of comfort and security back to him.

Girl, I swear it's like I'm dying here in Paradise
The artist is expressing how much he's feeling hurt and dying on the inside while being in a seemingly beautiful location like Miami.

So cold...
The artist is repeating and emphasizing how cold it feels in Miami right now.

Ain't it crazy it's cold in Miami
The artist is expressing how it's unexpected to feel cold in Miami, a place with a tropical climate.

Contributed by Christian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS