Ice
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics


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The ice is thin, come on dive in
Underneath my lucid skin
The cold is lost, forgotten
Hours pass, days pass, time stood still
Light gets dark and darkness fills
My secret heart forbidden

I think you worried for me then
The subtle way that I'd give in, but I know
You like the show
Tied down to this bed of shame
You tried to move around the pain but, oh
Your soul is anchored

The only comfort is the moving of the river
You enter into me, a lie upon your lips
Offer what you can, I'll take all that I can get
Only a fool's here

Well, I don't like your tragic sighs
As if your god has passed you by
Well, hey fool
That's your deception
Your angels speak with jilted tongues
The serpent's tale has come undone
You have no strength to squander

The only comfort is the moving of the river
You enter into me, a lie upon your lips
Offer what you can, I'll take all that I can get
Only a fool's here to stay




Only a fool's here to stay
Only a fool's here

Overall Meaning

In Sarah McLachlan's song "Ice," the lyrics describe a sense of emotional vulnerability and instability. The metaphorical "ice" is thin and encourages the listener to "dive in" and explore the depths of the singer's emotions. The "cold" is forgotten as the singer's "secret heart" is unveiled, allowing the listener to see beneath the surface of their "lucid skin." The passing of time is emphasized, with "hours pass[ing]," "days pass[ing]," and "time stood still." The listener is then told that "light gets dark and darkness fills," indicating a sense of internal turmoil.


The chorus of the song provides some insight into the singer's relationship with another person. The listener is told that the person in question is "tied down to this bed of shame" and that they have "no strength to squander." It's clear that this person is struggling with something, and the singer is offering them a measure of comfort. The lyrics also seem to suggest that the relationship between the singer and this person is not entirely healthy; the person may be lying or hiding something with a "lie upon [their] lips." Despite this, the singer is willing to take "all that [they] can get."


The final verse of the song touches on themes of religion and spirituality. The listener is told that "your angels speak with jilted tongues" and that "the serpent's tale has come undone." These lines seem to criticize the hypocrisy and deception that can sometimes be present in organized religion. The chorus repeats the line "Only a fool's here to stay," indicating perhaps that the singer recognizes some of their own foolishness in remaining in this unhealthy relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

The ice is thin, come on dive in
The situation seems unwelcoming but it is necessary to face it and overcome fears


Underneath my lucid skin
Beneath the surface, there are hidden emotions


The cold is lost, forgotten
The harsh feeling of the issue has faded away


Hours pass, days pass, time stood still
Time seems to be frozen while going through a difficult period


Light gets dark and darkness fills
The situation is growing worse and worse


My secret heart forbidden
The person is keeping their true feelings hidden


I think you worried for me then
There was concern about the person's well-being


The subtle way that I'd give in, but I know
The person could easily be influenced but they are aware of it


You like the show
The other person enjoys or is entertained by the drama


Tied down to this bed of shame
Feeling trapped and held back by a shameful secret or past experience


You tried to move around the pain but, oh
Attempts to ease the pain have been unsuccessful


Your soul is anchored
Feeling stuck and unable to move on from the situation


The only comfort is the moving of the river
The only solace comes from the passage of time


You enter into me, a lie upon your lips
The other person is not being honest about their intentions or feelings towards the person


Offer what you can, I'll take all that I can get
The person will accept any help or support they can get, even if it is not enough


Only a fool's here to stay
Staying in the current situation is foolish, but the person feels stuck and unable to leave




Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sarah McLachlan

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

Morgana Rose

"Ice"

The ice is thin come on dive in
underneath my lucid skin
the cold is lost, forgotten
Hours pass days pass time stands still
light gets dark and darkness fills
my secret heart forbidden...
I think you worried for me then
the subtle ways that I'd give in but I know
you liked the show
tied down to this bed of shame
you tried to move around the pain but oh
your soul is anchored
The only comfort is the moving of the river
You enter into me, a lie upon your lips
offer what you can, I'll take all that I can get
only a fool's here...
I don't like your tragic sighs
as if your god has passed you by well hey fool
that's your deception
your angels speak with jilted tongues
the serpent's tale has come undone you have no
strength to squander
The only comfort is the moving of the river
You enter into me, a lie upon your lips
offer what you can, I'll take all that I can get
only a fool's here to stay
only a fool's here to stay
only a fool's here...



All comments from YouTube:

Cheri Berry

Best song in the album.

Inaya Urbanec

I tend to lose myself in this song......so beautiful and timeless I could listen over and over and over...and I do lol

VforVendetta07

My God I love this song. I wish she did more dark songs like this. I love the drums too.

BunnyBlackwell

I hadn't realised how deep this album ran for me until I found myself referring to the songs by number to others -- in my world this was THE album.

#2 on my five albums you could listen to forever with no others.

Kelly Flynn

perfection. words, music, orchestration, voice...sublime.

Pendragon__94

A brilliant masterpiece!!

katraylor

I loved her obsessively during middle and high school. Thank you for posting this.

Thomas Thedoubter

Tragic and melancholy. I'm sure it's more than one woman's life story.
"You enter into me, a lie upon your lips..." Hair-raising.

Molly Parker

I feel like this could be the theme song of victims of emotional abuse - or any abuse really. there's really no greater head trip than someone screaming at you all manner of names one minute then hugging you the next.

Allison C

This song is so beautifully, tragically, disturbingly dissonant.

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