Frozen
We're About 9 Lyrics
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Featuring Jen Smith on cello and mandocaster
There’s a man with a gun in his hand on a hill in the snow—a thirty-year-old Alaskan
“How did he get there?” you may ask yourself. I ask that question again and again.
He just stands there in his overalls. Why does he look so content?
Is it faith in his aim? Were the timing and game chosen?
There’s a man with a pen in his hand on a stool in an apartment in Maryland
“How did he get there?” you may ask yourself. I ask that question again and again
to my carnivorous plant, the ash photo stand, second home of a thirty year old Alaskan
Is it faith in his aim? Were the timing and game chosen?
From his side of the frame do I look the same—frozen?
The lyrics to "Frozen" by We're About 9 paint a vivid picture of two individuals in very different situations. The first man is standing on a hill in Alaska with a gun in his hand, dressed in overalls and surrounded by snow. His expression is content or at least appears that way to the singer, who can't seem to understand why he would be so relaxed with a weapon in hand.
The second character is a man sitting on a stool in an apartment in Maryland, holding a pen. The singer poses the same question as with the first man - how did he get there? However, this man seems to have a connection to Alaska: he has a carnivorous plant, an ash photo stand, and considers it his second home.
The core question posed in the song is whether or not these two individuals, despite being in completely different situations, are frozen in time, in a sense. The repetition of the lines "Is it faith in his aim? Were the timing and game chosen? From his side of the frame do I look the same—frozen?" emphasizes the idea that the two of them could be seen as stuck in place, not moving forward or backward.
The song leaves the interpretation of the meaning up to the listener. It could be about feeling stuck in life, unable to move forward and feeling content with that, or about a moment in time that was so significant that it feels like everything after must be a form of stagnation.
Overall, the lyrics to "Frozen" emphasize introspection and analysis of one's own life and situation, and the idea that even if we feel like we're making progress, we could still be standing in one place.
Line by Line Meaning
There’s a man with a gun in his hand on a hill in the snow—a thirty-year-old Alaskan
There's a young Alaskan man standing on a snowy hill holding a gun.
“How did he get there?” you may ask yourself. I ask that question again and again.
The singer keeps wondering how the man got there.
He just stands there in his overalls. Why does he look so content?
The man in overalls looks peaceful and satisfied simply standing there.
Is it faith in his aim? Were the timing and game chosen?
Possible reasons for his calmness include confidence in his shooting ability and careful selection of the right moment to take action.
From his side of the frame do I look the same—frozen?
The artist wonders if the man sees him as similarly paralyzed or unresponsive in his own life circumstances.
There’s a man with a pen in his hand on a stool in an apartment in Maryland
Another man is now introduced: he is indoors in a different location and holding a pen instead of a gun.
“How did he get there?” you may ask yourself. I ask that question again and again
Once again, the question of how the man ended up where he is becomes the subject of the singer's attention.
to my carnivorous plant, the ash photo stand, second home of a thirty-year-old Alaskan
The artist reveals details about the surroundings, including a plant and a photo stand that belong to the Alaskan man from earlier.
Is it faith in his aim? Were the timing and game chosen?
Just like before, the possibility of calculated decisions leading to satisfaction is explored as a possible explanation for the man's demeanor.
From his side of the frame do I look the same—frozen?
The artist still wonders if the other man sees him as similarly immobilized or uncertain about his own choices and motivations.
Contributed by Lucas B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.