Writer Braeden has mentioned that “Ice Cold Pool” was one of the longest tracks to write from "Nothing Happens".
Wallows explains the lyrical content of “Ice Cold Pool:”
"It’s made up of random ideas of youth and growing up, and looking back on your childhood and knowing that entering adulthood is the next step. It’s basically a song about leaving your youth and not being sure what comes next."
"That one has been around for a second, like the guitar lick in the beginning, that was just an idea I came up with awhile ago. It was one of those songs that was insanely hard to write. There’d be years that would go by without that song progressing. I didn’t know what pieces it should have, I didn’t know where it should go, what the lyrics should be about, what the melody should be. But I always liked the guitar part at the beginning. That was all that was around for like two years. I think I was overthinking the writing process of it. I thought it would be nice to put in a bunch of different parts that’d I’d written, just through them in together like a collage. That’s basically what that song is. Three or four random song ideas that we put in the one."
– Braeden Lemasters
Ice Cold Pool
Wallows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To heaven or Las Vegas
Bedroom rearranged again
Snow out on the pavement
Colors from outside
They've been orange and white
Let's invite your friends for a backseat drive
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
Standing outside of your house
It's pretty dark out
Good thing there's lights
It's pretty cold though
I just need you right here
To warm me up this time
What's done to work off?
You say I'll never get you off
Now when you stand in a crowd
Is your mind in the gutter?
Your head on the run
(Your head on the run)
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
The plant inside that never seemed to die
You cut it down before the leaves were brown
The gate was closed, we know that we're too old
The pool is cold, the pool is cold
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape this feeling
And when we tear down the walls completely
Are we left with the same old memories
There's a song that I still hear faintly
It's just a recipe for my love
It's just a recipe for my love
The opening stanza of Wallows’ song Ice Cold Pool is a poetic reference to the loss of innocence of two individuals, and their changing circumstances. The reference to heaven or Las Vegas symbolizes a complex choice, that could either lead to an idealistic or hedonistic path. The line “Bedroom rearranged again” reveals that the setting has changed, indicating perhaps a change in relationship dynamics. In the second line, “Snow out on the pavement,” the imagery of snow signifies a new beginning and the purity of life.
In the chorus, the lyrics suggest a constant struggle between desire and morality. The phrase “It's not a crime if you take what's given, it's just a crime if you're payin' for it” implies that they can indulge in what they want, as long as they don’t pay for it. They want to experience thrills and new sensations without any boundaries or consequences. The line “I don't want to escape it” reflects the idea that they are not running away from their lives, but merely trying to enhance their experiences.
The final verse of the song introduces the image of a plant that has been cut down before the leaves turned brown, which symbolizes how everything in life has a time limit, and things eventually come to an end. The phrase “The pool is cold, the pool is cold” echoes this idea of the ending of things, as the image suggests a pool that has gone cold, coinciding with the loss of innocence and the emergence of new feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
We both lost our innocence
We both became less naive and inexperienced
To heaven or Las Vegas
We had memorable experiences that could be compared to the excitement of a trip to Las Vegas or a spiritual awakening
Bedroom rearranged again
The room where we spend intimate moments has been rearranged once more
Snow out on the pavement
The ground outside is covered in a blanket of snow
Colors from outside
The hues of the world beyond our space
They've been orange and white
They have been shades of orange and white
Let's invite your friends for a backseat drive
Let's take your friends out for a ride in the backseat of a car
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's acceptable to accept what's offered to you
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
It's only illegal if you're paying for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
Where's the thrill if you're aware of what will happen?
I don't want to escape it
I don't want to avoid or run away from it
Standing outside of your house
I'm positioned outside your home
It's pretty dark out
The surroundings are fairly dim
Good thing there's lights
Fortunately there are sources of illumination
It's pretty cold though
However, it's quite chilly
I just need you right here
I just require your presence by my side
To warm me up this time
To provide me comfort and heat at this moment
What's done to work off?
What actions will dispel my negative emotions?
You say I'll never get you off
You imply that I won't be able to get over you
Now when you stand in a crowd
When you're among many people now
Is your mind in the gutter?
Are your thoughts lascivious?
Your head on the run
You are mentally feeling stressed and anxious
The plant inside that never seemed to die
The plant inside the house that appeared to have an everlasting life
You cut it down before the leaves were brown
You got rid of it before it had a chance to die, while it was still alive
The gate was closed, we know that we're too old
The gate to a place we wanted to go was shut, and we realized that we had become too old to gain admittance
The pool is cold, the pool is cold
The swimming pool is chilly
And when we tear down the walls completely
When we remove all barriers and restrictions
Are we left with the same old memories
Will we be holding onto the same recurring memories?
There's a song that I still hear faintly
There's a tune that I can still barely hear
It's just a recipe for my love
It's only a formula for how I love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Braeden Lemasters, Cole Preston, Dylan Minnette
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Luis De Guzman
We both lost our innocence
To heaven on Las Vegas
Bedroom rearranged again
Snow out on the pavement
[Pre-Chorus]
Colors from outside
They've been orange and white
Let's invite your friends for a backseat drive
[Chorus]
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
[Verse 2]
Standing outside of your house
It's pretty dark out
Good thing there's lights
It's pretty cold though
I just need you right here
To warm me up this time
[Pre-Chorus]
What's done to work off?
You say I'll never get you off
Now when you stand in a crowd
Is your mind in the gutter?
Your head on the run
(Your head on the run)
[Chorus]
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
[Bridge]
The plant inside that never seemed to die
You cut it down before the leaves were brown
The gate was closed, we know that we're too old
The pool is cold, the pool is cold
[Chorus 2]
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape this feeling
And when we tear down the walls completely
Are we left with the same old memories
There's a song that I still hear faintly
It's just a recipe for my love
It's just a recipe for my love
Mehdi Elkihel
We both lost our innocence
To heaven on Las Vegas
Bedroom rearranged again
Snow out on the pavement
Colors from outside
They've been orange and white
Let's invite your friends for a backseat drive
$It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
Standing outside of your house
It's pretty dark out
Good thing there's lights
It's pretty cold though
I just need you right here
To warm me up this time
What's done to work off?
You say I'll never get you off
Now when you stand in a crowd
Is your mind in the gutter?
Your head on the run
(Your head on the run)
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
The plant inside that never seemed to die
You cut it down before the leaves were brown
The gate was closed, we know that we're too old
The pool is cold, the pool is cold
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape this feeling
And when we tear down the walls completely
Are we left with the same old memories
There's a song that I still hear faintly
It's just a recipe for my love
It's just a recipe for my love
nicoandthepilots
♡ lyrics:
We both lost our innocence
To heaven on Las Vegas
Bedroom rearranged again
Snow out on the pavement
Colors from outside
They've been orange and white
Let's invite your friends for a backseat drive
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
Standing outside of your house
It's pretty dark out
Good thing there's lights
It's pretty cold though
I just need you right here
To warm me up this time
What's done to work off?
You say I'll never get you off
Now when you stand in a crowd
Is your mind in the gutter?
Your head on the run
(Your head on the run)
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape it
The plant inside that never seemed to die
You cut it down before the leaves were brown
The gate was closed, we know that we're too old
The pool is cold, the pool is cold
It's not a crime if you take what's given
It's just a crime if you're payin' for it
What's the fun if you know what's comin'?
I don't want to escape this feeling
And when we tear down the walls completely
Are we left with the same old memories
There's a song that I still hear faintly
It's just a recipe for my love
It's just a recipe for my love
Weird is the name
Wallows music makes me want to wear vintage clothes but I
remember I don't have the body for it. .-.
Nilora
body ? You are invisible? Man, you can wear everything and be pretty with what you want to wear.
New pen Land
Wear what ever you want girl your Beautiful!!
PurplePalmTree
Same, I love vintage fashion. That’s actually one of my dream outfits
Eli Haynes
Gotta think people who originally wore vintage clothes came from all shapes and sizes. You should be able to find something and you can always personalize them to your aesthetic
Gregory Dim
Vintage clothes are mostly buggy and their supposed to be worn with any body type but please love your body, everyone unique
Alicia BC
imagine singing along while theyre performing live
hailee pigsqueek
I'm going to see them in May and imma cry so hard
Mr Snoofers
Can only imagine
Toy Boy
Omg