Summer Freeze
Unwound Lyrics

The lyrics to Unwound's "Summer Freeze" evoke feelings of shock and paralysis in the face of unforeseen circumstances. The song opens up with the artist recollecting a moment of being alive, only to later realize that they had become paralyzed by what seemed to be an overwhelming predicament. The lyrics go on to offer insight into the theme of the song. It appears that the artist is suffering a sort of emotional winter, represented by the summer freeze. The artist had been told that they could find their saving grace in someone, presumably a romantic love interest, but this person could not take away the feeling of isolation or coldness that had set in. The artist then finds a sense of escape, suggesting that he had died, but in his death, nothing is lost, and he and his love interest can reunite when she, too, finds herself susceptive to the summertime frost.

It's interesting to note that this song implicitly comments on the cyclical nature of summer followed by winter, and how it might be reflective of human relationships. Summer freeze could be a metaphor for the cold periods that relationships may go through, and it requires time and patience for these periods to pass. Additionally, the repeated refrain, "once I was alive, it took me by surprise, then I realized I was paralyzed" seems to describe the emotional paralysis someone may experience when they've lost something, such as a loved one or a job.