10 Awesome Songs about Ice
Once upon a time, ice was a valuable thing. It enabled people to preserve food and drinks. However, the same properties that let it do so meant it couldn’t exist save under limited circumstances most of the time. As a result, people got their hands on ice in one of two ways. First, they could make ice using clever tricks, though the product was more slush than anything else. Second, they could transport ice from its natural environment, thus explaining the thriving international ice trade of the 19th century and early 20th century. Nowadays, ice is commonplace because we can make it in our refrigerators. Even so, it makes for powerful imagery. After all, it’s the most iconic symbol of winter, which matters because the cycle of seasons continues to rule our lives. Naturally, many artists have recorded songs about ice, some of which are better than others.
Here are ten of the best songs about ice ever released:
10. “Walking On Thin Ice” – Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono tends to be known for her relationship with John Lennon. However, it’s important to remember that she was a notable artist. For proof, look no further than “Walking On Thin Ice,” which received an enthusiastic response in the early 1980s. Sadly, it tends to be overshadowed by its circumstances. Ono and her husband were returning from finishing the recording when Lennon was murdered.
9. “Icehouse” – Icehouse
Icehouses are meant to store ice. They used to be popular because people who had ice shipped in needed places to put their purchases. Despite their innocuous nature, it’s easy to see why someone would interpret icehouses in a negative light. Here, it seems to be a stand-in for illusion, loneliness, and hopeless love because the focus character remains fixated on the person she’s interested in, even though he’s not showing up.
8. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” – Bruce Springsteen
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” was the second single from Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. Amusingly, no one’s sure what the song’s name means. Springsteen himself has said that he doesn’t know, which is critical when he’s the one who wrote it. However, the lyrics’ meaning is much better known. They’re essentially telling how the E Street Band came together.
7. “Rivers of Ice” – Simple Minds
It’s harder for rivers than for lakes to freeze. This is because their waters are constantly moving, meaning more of their waters need to reach the necessary temperatures before it becomes possible. Still, it’s very much possible for rivers to freeze, thus resulting in some very memorable sights. “Rivers of Ice” uses that vivid imagery to lend emotional power to its depiction of a failed relationship.
6. “Trapped Under Ice” – Metallica
“Trapper Under Ice” is one of those names that set a clear tone from the start. It’s a terrifying scenario. Humans don’t do well when we’re submerged in cold water. It’s several times more effective at sapping body heat than air. The ice completes the picture of a classic nightmare scenario. As such, this song’s name is well-suited for a work about the devastating effects of isolation. It won’t kill as fast as being submerged in cold water. Even so, there’s no doubt that isolation eats at our well-being. It’s particularly pernicious because it destroys people’s ability to escape such situations, thus making for a fitting comparison with cold water.
5. “Black Ice” – AC/DC
“Black Ice” is the title track of AC/DC’s 15th studio album. It isn’t about the road phenomenon that makes winter driving dangerous. However, it does use those connotations for a stronger impression on listeners.
4. “Fire and Ice” – Pat Benatar
This song’s title refers to two things that have nothing to do with one another but are often presented as opposites. That makes sense because they’re associated with extreme heat and cold. The song uses them as an easy way to describe a relationship that’s sometimes passionate and sometimes not. Those changes aren’t consequences of natural interactions. Instead, they’re a deliberate strategy on the part of the narrator’s significant other. Luckily, the narrator recognizes what he’s doing because she’s seen him doing it before. Thanks to that, she’s upset rather than taken in by it.
3. “Cold As Ice” – Foreigner
“Cold As Ice” is another well-known relationship song. Given the name, interested individuals should have no problem realizing that the narrator isn’t impressed by what he’s seeing. Specifically, the song describes someone who pursues personal advantage without regard for who they hurt on the way. Something the narrator warns will backfire on them one day.
2. “The Thin Ice” – Pink Floyd
It’s hard to tell ice’s thickness on sight. That’s a problem because thin ice is dangerous. It can send someone into cold water by failing to bear up under their weight. Something that can quickly impair people’s ability to escape. “The Thin Ice” is interesting because the titular subject is metaphorical. It’s about parents concerned about all the dangers their children can encounter as they grow up.
1. “Let It Go” – Idina Menzel
“Let It Go” is the best-known song from Frozen. Arguably, it’s one of the most famous Disney songs ever released. In Frozen, it’s empowering because it’s about Elsa abandoning the expectations dragging her down. However, it’s easy to imagine a world where it became the movie’s villain song instead. That’s because Elsa was meant to have an antagonistic role, which makes sense when Frozen was based on “The Snow Queen.” Movie-makers had a change of mind when they heard “Let It Go,” thus resulting in the character becoming a protagonist instead.
You can also read:
- The 20 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best Pat Benatar Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best Metallica Songs Of All-Time
- The 20 Best Pink Floyd Songs of All-Time
- The 10 Best Tucka Songs of All-Time
