You're standing by your grey ice water
Out in the wind above ground out in the weather
You had yourself a crazy lover
Becoming frozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska

It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
At home on a boat, it's a fish trap
You took the path of least resistance
On the phone cutting out talking
Short to long distance

You're standing by your grey ice water
Out in the wind above ground out in the water
You had yourself a crazy lover
Become unfrozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska

It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast


Lyrics submitted by PLANES

Grey Ice Water Lyrics as written by Isaac Brock Eric Judy

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Grey Ice Water song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment

    yeah. this is a great song. to me this song has really special meaning. i go to a maritime academy and am training to become a engineer on trade ships. before i went off to school i broke up with my girlfriend. we had been having some problems and i thought instead of trying to maintain a long distance relationship it would be best just to break it off. looking back it is one of the wost mistakes i have ever made. now im basically out at sea without her and having a hard time getting over it. we've talked a few times but it always makes things worse for me and i feel like im stuck out here now. most people think this would be great becuase im learning a lot and when i get out i have a great job lined up but without her it seems a bit pointless.

    owen1391on October 04, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is about, forgetting the one you loved, but that person didn't really love you back, and now you move far away. just for you to forget about them. and you kinda are living with demons. and wanna go back but you know that person still wont love you the way you loved them.

    jra3ebon August 24, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Alaska carries a certain mystique to people in the northwest...it's the end of the world, a place to go to forget all of your troubles. Case in point.

    avuncularon December 22, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    beautiful song. grey ice water, alaska, arctic blast..you are trying to forget them so you isolate yourself and move north, maybe the cold will distract you from the pain in your heart.. but now you're "on the phone cutting out talking short to long distance" and the conversation is so stupid and futile but it happens anyways because we never can forget our crazy lovers

    colossal_youthon December 02, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    You all pretty much nailed it. It's about trying to forget someone that you loved and isolating yourself from everything in hopes that you can somehow forget the person. Such a sad concept.

    I love how his voice and the girl's voice mesh on this song. It's so sadly beautiful.

    SpineofaJellyFishon March 08, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Yeah, I'm agreeing. Forgetting that lover mentioned in the song.

    I love the way this song is so calm and relaxed, slightly sad maybe. The song seems to really capture the idea of leaving things behind, maybe starting anew is what I think of when I hear it.

    great song, this one.

    Eccentricityon April 05, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I picture the narrator of this song standing on the ice miles from shore on a frozen sea. The long Alaskan winter is ending and he will soon plummet to his death. In his last moments he is lamenting how he got here.

    TopleyBirdon February 10, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    No analysis, just god damn, the best band I ever saw live and I had the luxury of seeing them play this live, greatest band of this century and please someone fkn tell me otherwise.

    TomThumb681on May 10, 2019   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i like thisi song.

    Baileyroxon June 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is the greatest song on Building Nothing

    72telecasteron October 14, 2004   Link

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