Ice Cream

Ok, I have an unusual interpretation of this song. I did 2 weeks work experience at a first school a couple of years ago when I bought this album ( fumbling towards ecstasy ) and I had this song in my head on my last day there. I'm not a huge "kid-person" but I was really moved by all of the pictures I recieved from all of these 5 yr olds saying how much they loved me and were going to miss me. This song reflects the childish innocence of comparing feelings to treats such as chocolate and ice-cream and reflects how I was reminded that it really is a "long way down to the place where we started from", meaning that few people can recapture the innocence of being a child once they've lost it.

modnewt you are so very close...

Alright everybody here is the ultimate end all meaning of this song:

When Sarah sings this song live in concert, it is cute and light-hearted because that's what her fans have turned it into--no problem. But if you listen to the album version, especially to some key verses and Sarah's delivery and tone, you will notice that the song is indeed dark complex and painful.

"Everyone here knows how to fight." This means that the couple that the song is about has undergone fights, conflicts, a lot of them. So much so that they "know" how to fight. They've become good at it--at how to manipulate and hurt. How do you know they can hurt? Next key verse:

"Everyone here knows how to cry." Their relatoinship is scared with pain and anguish, quite possibly inflicted by and towards each other. So with all this fighting and crying why are they with each other? Next key verse:

"It's a long way down to the place where we've started from." They can't leave each other, they need each other too much because of the history they share. Even with all the fighting and crying their relationship is on a high place because of their love. A love that is better than chocolate and ice cream. It is on a pedestal as compared to the low place--"down to the place where we started from." A place void of love--when they were both alone.

Immediately after that last line is said, there are two chords masterfully delivered on the piano that really helps the listener tune in to the truth and angst behind the "down to the place where we started from" line. Awesome.

Sure, the "crying" may represent that they cry together and console each other. Sure, the "fighting" line may mean that they fought, and fight, for each other. But the tone of the song, of Sarah's voice, in the album version is a dead giveaway that the song is filled with a complex pain and ardor. The words are simple, even sophomoric, but those key verses with Sarah's incredible delivery make it her most complex and cherished songs among her fans. It reminds people of how love can be a glorious gift that without maintenance and humanity can become a terrible torture. So that's it, sorry if I went too long...

this song is simply about feeling good; and to me, that is what love is really all about- like a good ol' ice cream in a hot sunday afternoon :)

this is the ultimate love song. She obviously must love this guy ALOT in order to love him more then ice cream. Its a very sweet,mellow yet upbeat song.

This is another example as to why Sarah Mclachlan is so talented. This song mixes the complex emotion of love with the simplicity of ice cream, because it's something we all love and were raised on. It's a bit sad to me though, I fell for my best friend and he turned out to be gay, but I still think of him whenever I hear this song.

My friend played this at her wedding for the first dance with her husband. It was so cool! What a simplistic, goofy song...and then again...wow, such a great song

This song is so much more meaningful to me since getting involved with a friend of mine. He and I have had our ups and downs and now we're definitely on the up side! It is becoming "our song" because it really is a long way down to the place where we started from. I love this song because it accuratley describes that new feeling of being in love.

I love this song... This is my wedding song!!

I think this is one of sarah's most CHEESIEST songs...

i love this songs. its simple and sweet. the lyrics may be cheesy, but she turns it into something beautiful.