Antarctica
The Prayer Chain Lyrics

The song "Antarctica" by The Prayer Chain, presents the listeners with a first-person perspective of a man's love for someone he desires to marry. The first stanza of the song gives us a vivid image of the lovers' setting. They are sitting on rocks, surrounded by straw, rainy weather, and ivy buds. Their attire is muddy, and they are munching on sugarcane stalks. This imagery gives off a sense of restlessness and isolation, which couples well with the last line of the song "I already traded my soul for your ring of gold," which indicates that the man is prepared to give everything to be with his love, just like the extremities of this icy terrain. The next stanza speaks of his admiration for his lover's beauty, especially her eyes, which almost make him a fool. We can see that his love for her is passionate and beyond the physical appearance.

The repetition of "Be my love. Marry me," emphasizes his desperation for acceptance of his love proposal. The chorus of the song, "Antarctica, sunshine for you," portrays the lover's dedication to his lover, even amidst that difficult and vast terrain. The mention of Antarctica here is symbolic of the extremes that the man would go to be with his lover. However, the song's last line is somewhat intriguing, "Shirts versus skins; I don't care who wins." It is unclear who the competitors are, which gives the impression that the issues that surround him have loosened its grip on the man. This could suggest that all he cares about is being with his lover.