The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Empty factories to the east and all our waste
The shape of things that came show on the broken worker's face
To the west you'll find a silicon promised land
Where machines replace our minds for systematic profit plans
Course of human progress staggers like a drunk
Its steps are quick and heavy, and its mind is slow and blunt
I look for optimism, but I just don't know
Its seeds are planted in a poison place where nothing grows
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
One nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light
Plastic and florescent energy robbing us of sight
Set in our way, content with our decay
We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
Ever ask yourself, "Where's my place in this hell?"
But no one's there to tell you, 'cause they don't know that themselves
Well-rehearsed lines from our elated politicians
No longer offer solace, we can see the self-destruction
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
(Let's go)
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Static and division is increasing like a storm
We are shelter
We are forewarned
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
The shape of things that came show on the broken worker's face
To the west you'll find a silicon promised land
Where machines replace our minds for systematic profit plans
Course of human progress staggers like a drunk
Its steps are quick and heavy, and its mind is slow and blunt
I look for optimism, but I just don't know
Its seeds are planted in a poison place where nothing grows
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
One nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light
Plastic and florescent energy robbing us of sight
Set in our way, content with our decay
We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
Ever ask yourself, "Where's my place in this hell?"
But no one's there to tell you, 'cause they don't know that themselves
Well-rehearsed lines from our elated politicians
No longer offer solace, we can see the self-destruction
It's 1989, stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension, it seems, is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another
Every hour shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
(Let's go)
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Just one political song, just one political song
To drop into the list that stretches years and years long
Static and division is increasing like a storm
We are shelter
We are forewarned
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
Nothing can be changed except ourselves
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
There's a freeze up coming
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(Freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up
(There's a freeze up coming)
There's a freeze up coming
Lyrics submitted by emoJustin, edited by DannyFnCarey
Freeze Up Lyrics as written by Jesse Michaels David M Mello
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I absolutely love this song, everything about it is so awesome. I listen to it whenever I can. I suggest you hear it, definitly.
Yep. This song rules. "We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade." Greatness. OpIvy was great.
So true, so many great bands have covered this song too. The porkers, Reel Big Fish, etc. At warped this year it was a huge surprise when Area7 who were headlining the Australian leg played freeze up for their second last song, was pretty schmick
Yeeeehhh QUALITY song!
YEEEE!!!!! man this song kicks soooo much ass..... My fav OPIV tune.......pretty sad tho how true it actually is.
ahhhhhhh this song is so good. Op Ivy is just...right. I know if they had not broken up we would not have rancid...But seriously...OP IVY WE LOVE YOU.
also the hippos do a great cover of it. kinda goin into a little rap in it. good stuff.
this song is about the cold war(freeze up aka cold aka nuclear winter) which was still going on at the time it was written and the united states foreign policy. Its about how the U.S is hypocritical. fighting a war conquering and invading in the name of freedom. It is also very anti-capitalism as it jabs at consumers. It also says that revolution could be coming hence the line about the broken down worker.
This is one of my favorite Operation Ivy songs. The lyrics miss the spoken part during the bridge, though (the best part!):
Static and division is increasing like a storm! We are sheltered, we are forewarned! Nothing can be changed except ourselves! NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED EXCEPT OURSELVES!
my favorite passage from this song is:
one nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light plastic and fluorescent energy robbing us of sight set in our way, content with our decay we wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade
great great great.