Let It Go

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen is: transformation.  And I have to admit, I'm not sure why, but there's something so primal and beautiful in the song that it brings tears to my eyes.  It's a song about letting go of fear--about forging a new path, and learning how to be who you are without other people telling you who you need, or ought, to be.

The first time I heard the song, it reminded me of another song I fell in love with: "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.  This song, too, is about finding the courage to change--to transform and, as the lyrics say, to try defying gravity--the age old law that binds us.  I confess that this song, too, makes me cry.


But then, change is never easy, and letting go of who you were to become who you want to be is as important to us today as it was to those who imagined the phoenix, or to the people who first glimpsed the transition of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  It is a promise--that no matter how dark or how painful the world can be, we can change it.  We can change ourselves, and we can be stronger.  We can let go of fear and embrace the unknown.

That is why "Let It Go" is so powerful--why it has captivated audiences worldwide, won several awards, and even made a few of us cry.  We understand that struggle--to create our own truths and to leave behind those who, perhaps because of their love for us, are just as afraid of letting us go.  But there comes a time in our lives when we must break free of our cocoon--throw off our old cloak, defy the past, and embrace the transformation that comes from letting all of that go.


Let It Go
from Frozen

The snow glows white on the mount tonight--
Not a footprint to be seen;
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like
I'm the queen.

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside;
Couldn't keep it in--
Heaven knows I tried.

Don't let them in--don't let them see;
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Conceal; don't feel.
Don't let them know.

Well, now they know!

Let it go. Let it go--
Can't hold it back any more.
Let it go. Let it go--
Turn away and slam the door!
I don't care
What they're going to say;
Let the storm rage on--
The cold never bothered me anyway.

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small,
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!

It's time to see what I can do--
To test the limits and break through;
No right.  No wrong.  No rules for me;
I'm free!

Let it go!  Let it go!
I'm one with the wind and sky!
Let it go!  Let it go!
You'll never see me cry!
Here I stand!
And here I stay!
Let the storm rage on....

My power flurries through the air into the ground!
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around!
And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast--
I'm never going back!
The past is in the past!

Let it go!  Let it go,
When I'll rise like the break of dawn!
Let it go!  Let it go--
That perfect girl is gone!
Here I stand
In the light of day!

Let the storm rage on!

The cold never bothered me anyway.


Further reading:

"Let It Go": the wiki page -- here you can find all the awards, who wrote it, and who sings it
"Defying Gravity": the wiki page -- same as above, you can find awards, who wrote it, who sings it...