Frozen Heart facts for kids

"Frozen Heart" is an exciting song from the 2013 Disney animated movie Frozen. The music and words were created by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. In the film's opening scene, a group of icemen sing this powerful song.

How "Frozen Heart" Was Made

The songwriters, Kristen and Robert Lopez, wanted to create a song that felt like classic Disney movie openings. They thought of songs like "Song of the Roustabouts" from Dumbo and "Fathoms Below" from The Little Mermaid.

Kristen explained that she wanted a song to show that ice is both beautiful and dangerous. Robert added that the strong, masculine energy of the song helps set the stage for a big story. He said it tells viewers that Frozen isn't just a princess movie. It has lots of action, fun, and adventure for everyone. "Frozen Heart" even hints that there will be some exciting challenges in the story.

The song acts like an old fairy tale prophecy, giving clues about what might happen later. Early ideas for the movie included a more obvious prophecy. But the filmmakers decided to use the song to hint at things in a more subtle way.

What Happens in the Song

The song "Frozen Heart" introduces young Kristoff and Sven and hints at important themes in the movie.

The song is sung by a group of ice harvesters. They are busy cutting huge blocks of ice from a frozen lake. During the song, young Kristoff and his reindeer Sven try to join the adult workers. But they are too small to help. By the end of the song, they do their best to copy the grown-ups.

The harvesters pile the ice onto a giant sled pulled by a horse. Then, they ride off into the night. The sky above them is lit up by the beautiful Northern Lights. The rhythm of the song comes from the sound of their saws cutting through the ice. This beat gets faster and faster as the song goes on.

Hints for the Future

Many of the lyrics in "Frozen Heart" give clues about what will happen later in the movie. These hints are especially important for the actions of Anna and Elsa.

• When Elsa accidentally strikes Anna's heart with ice, you can hear a small musical hint. An oboe plays the melody from "Frozen Heart" in the background. It matches the lyrics: "Cut through the heart, cold and clear / Strike for love and strike for fear!"
• The line "And break the frozen heart" at the end of the first part of the song is a big clue. It hints at Anna freezing solid near the end of the movie. But she saves herself by choosing to help Elsa instead of getting a kiss from Kristoff.
• The words "So cut through the heart, cold and clear / Strike for love, and strike for fear" also hint at a key idea. They suggest that only true love can melt a frozen heart.
• The final warning, "Beware the frozen heart...", hints at the dangerous ice in Anna's heart. This ice was put there by Elsa by accident. This line also makes you wonder who should "beware." Is it those who know someone with a frozen heart (like Elsa)? Is it the person with the frozen heart (like Anna)? Or is it someone who is cold-hearted (like Hans)?

Musical Style

"Frozen Heart" is the very first song you hear in Frozen. It sets the mood for the whole movie. It's sung by workers cutting ice. The song uses a special musical scale called Dorian mode.

A short musical tune, or motif, from "Frozen Heart" plays again later. You hear it right after Elsa accidentally strikes Anna's heart with ice. This helps to remind you of the idea of "frozen hearts." The opening song warns us to "beware the frozen heart." This idea comes up in many ways throughout the movie.

Some people say this song is like other opening songs in movies. These songs often feature a group of people singing a work song. Examples include "Virginia Company" from Pocahontas and "Fathoms Below" from The Little Mermaid.

One writer noted that "Frozen Heart" is different from other songs in the movie. It's like the chorus in an ancient Greek play. The unnamed characters come onto the screen and introduce the main ideas of the story. The line "And break the frozen heart" is very important. It clearly hints at the frozen hearts of Elsa and Anna. The line "Strike for love and strike for fear" is also key. Love and fear are two main ideas that balance each other throughout the story. This is the core theme of the movie.

One director described "Frozen Heart" as a "surprisingly violent song" to start a Disney Princess film. But it's a song that means much more than it seems at first. It hints at the beauty and danger of ice. It also shows the struggle between love and fear in people.

International Versions

When Frozen first came out in 2013, "Frozen Heart" was translated into 42 different languages. In the years that followed, 3 more official versions were added, making a total of 45.

The Korean version of the song was sung by Kim Cheol-han, Park Sang-jun, Lee Sang-ik, and Lee Jae-ho. It appeared on the Gaon Music Chart for downloads. The Italian version of the song, along with the rest of the Italian movie dub, was even named the best foreign dubbing by Disney around the world!

     Highlighted versions were released later than 2013

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