Tropical Ice-Land
The Fiery Furnaces Lyrics

Goat's head in the deli case
Seeing a goat's head on display in the deli case

Oh sweet angel-angel-bearded face
Expressing surprise or shock at the sight of the goat's head

Paper mache parade on at night
A parade made of paper mache happening at night

That's what you do with no sunlight
Finding ways to entertain oneself in a place with little sunlight

In the tropical tropical
Referring to a place that is supposed to be tropical

Tropical ice-land
Expressing irony in the fact that the place is supposed to be tropical, but is actually icy

Bleak church on a cold tundra
A church in a barren, cold landscape

Mountain-glacier-glacier-glacier-stream
Describing a landscape with mountain peaks, glaciers, and streams

Black stone beach and a black death bottle
A black beach and a bottle of alcohol called 'Black Death'

Is all me and my baby'll need
Suggesting that the artist and their partner don't need much to enjoy themselves in this landscape

Take intermission at the movies
Taking a break during a movie

Freeze outside for one quick smoke
Going outside in the cold to smoke a cigarette

Take a klondike bar from the pop machine
Getting a Klondike bar from a vending machine

Hey it's ice cream, no not coke
Correcting someone who may think the Klondike bar is a coke (cocaine) reference, when it is just ice cream

Let's meet in Kristiana next summer
Making plans to meet in a place called Kristiana in the next summer

Let's get out before we melt away
Leaving the place before it becomes too warm

I've seen enough stray ponies and puffins
Having seen enough of the unique wildlife in the place

To get me through till the end of May
Suggesting that seeing the wildlife will be enough to remember the trip until the end of May

In the tropical tropical
Reiterating the irony of the landscape being tropical when it is actually icy

Tropical ice-land
Reiterating the ironic name of the place