What does Let It Go mean?

Idina Menzel: Let It Go Meaning

Album cover for Let It Go album cover

Song Released: 2013


Let It Go Lyrics

The snow glows white on the mountain 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've tried

...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    CloserLook
    click a star to vote
     Jan 8th 2014 !⃝

    This song is Elsa's theme: I think Elsa's powers symbolize a person's true personality: the part of a person s/he feels s/he needs to hide or else s/he’ll hurt someone or be rejected. Like the troll said in the movie, “powers” (personality) can be beautiful, but can also bring danger, which is true about a person’s true self.

    The first verse describes the "cold" which represents loneliness as implied by "not a footprint to be seen". The "swirling storm inside" symbolizes how complicated things got when her powers were revealed (which parallels someone's true personality being revealed, the side of someone that the world would rather not see). The storm inside can also refer to her intense feelings of fear or maybe even the anger or pain of keeping everything inside. Then she sings "conceal, don't feel, don't let them know" because she was taught to keep it in, "but now they know" so there's no point in holding it in (hiding) anymore since the world already knows what she’s hiding, so she blossomed with power in solitude, "letting it go", which parallels the people's need to be who they really are “can’t hold it back anymore” (but in the movie, Elsa feels [like a lot of people] she needs to be in solitude to be free to be herself so she won’t hurt anybody).

    The second verse says "it's funny how some distance makes everything seem small" which actually symbolizes people distancing themselves from something or someone, making whatever they're running from seem less significant. Elsa distances herself from society (although in the movie it seems she’s referring to the other mountains, looking smaller and smaller as she walked away) suggesting that she’s sees society as “small” or unimportant to her anymore.

    The part of the chorus “turn your back and slam the door” obviously means turning away from society while closing the door means never returning to the life of “being the good girl you always have to be” and being judged by others. “I left a life behind” so she’ll never have to go through that again: trying to be “normal” to be accepted. She likes her new life and knows not to go back, implied when she sang “here I stand and here I’ll stay”.

    In the movie, she sings “let the storm rage on”. She could referring to the “swirling storm inside” mentioned earlier in the song, the storm she couldn’t keep in “Heaven knows I tried” but she can’t “hold it back anymore” so she’ll “let the storm rage on” (meaning she released everything she was holding back and revealed everything she had concealed before). The storm could also mean the source of cold while being isolated. It’s ok for her if there’s a storm because she mentions the cold doesn’t bother her; it wouldn’t matter to her if she’s always been by herself.

    The last sentence of the song “the cold never bothered me anyway” relates to Elsa growing up in solitude, trying to “perfect” herself. It sort of connects to cold being the absence of heat; therefore the cold symbolizes absence of people, or the cold feeling of being outcasted. Since she was always alone, it wouldn’t bother her if she were alone again because this time: she can be free to be herself instead of trying to please everyone. “That perfect girl is gone.”

    In conclusion, the song describes being yourself after being rejected by society.

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Oct 24th 2021 !⃝

    I think this is kind of coming out song.
    ''The snow glows white
    On the mountain tonight
    Not a footprint to be seen
    A kingdom of isolation
    And it looks like I’m the Queen'' is a part about how a person is lonely, alone, with their feelings, and they have to manage them.

    ''The wind is howling
    Like this swirling storm inside
    Couldn’t keep it in
    Heaven knows I tried…'' is literally about staying in the closet, and how it's hard and might be mentally painful.

    ''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!'' is about hiding your sexuality/gender identity, and others opinions can change your opinion. you are forced to hide it, but it will come out sooner or later.

    ''Let it go, let it go
    Can’t hold it back anymore
    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'' is about how you come out and realize it's much better, you don't care about what others are going to say/think.

    ''It’s funny how some distance
    Makes everything seem small
    And the fears that once controlled me
    Can’t get to me at all!'' is how you are now very happy and proud of yourself, as well as confident.

    ''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!'' is how you are now starting to experience your new self/sexuality/gender identity and, for example, finding a partner.

    ''Let it go! Let it go!
    I am one with the wind and sky!
    Let it go! Let it go!
    You’ll never see me cry!
    Here I stand and here I’ll stay
    Let the storm rage on…'' is, again, about indepence.

    ''My power flurries through the air into the ground
    My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
    And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
    I’m never going back
    The past is in the past!'' is about you are not going to be closeted ever again, and how powerful you are, no matter what.

    ''Let it go! Let it go!
    And I’ll rise like the break of dawn!
    Let it go! Let it go!
    That perfect girl is gone!'' you are finally realising how far away you are from your time in the closet, and everything is changed. You have also broken the stereotypes.

    ''Here I stand in the light of day…
    Let the storm rage on!!!
    The cold never bothered me anyway'' is about how proud and full you are now, and stereotypes, homophobia etc. don't bother you as much by now.

    Grammarly says this is very good.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Mar 23rd 2019 !⃝

    I loved that song it’s very cool and also it had some snowflakes around the castle. But the video looks like beautiful magical castle. But me and the Jonas brothers are working on outfits. But I’m wearing the blue dress and so. It’s very pretty, with some stars and shining bright necklace, and Jonas brothers are wearing blue leather shirt.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Dec 11th 2018 !⃝

    I just loved that song from frozen! It’s very cool with snowflakes. It’s very attractive and very cold, especially when it’s very cold.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jun 20th 2017 !⃝

    Let it go is a very popular song among people of all ages; adults and, especially, children.

    The song is about Elsa, the Ice Queen, having powers that supposedly can't be controlled until the end.

    Elsa's song, Let it Go is about letting go of her past and feelings and letting it all out. Her 'conceal don't feel' rule can finally be broken and she can use her powers freely rather than impressing the society, making 'that perfect girl is gone'

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jan 5th 2015 !⃝

    " the snow glows white on the mountain tonight not a footprint to me seen" means there is a whole ton of snow on a mountain that gives the illusion of glowing and nobody stepped on it so there is no footprints. A kingdom of isolation means a castle or palace where she couldn't do what she needed to do. And it looks like I'm the queen means she just had a coronation to be crowned queen. The wind is howling like the swirling storm inside means the wind is blowing really fast and it's rushing like her ice powers and how confused she was inside of her. Couldn't keep it in heaven knows I tried means she couldn't control herself. The rest is about how she is free and can do whatever she wants without hurting anyone like how she hurt anna. She is testing what she can do so she can see how beautiful she can make things. Let it go means she is letting everything out.

  7. CloserLook
    click a star to vote
     Jan 8th 2014 !⃝

    This song is Elsa's theme: I think Elsa's powers symbolize a person's true personality: the part of a person s/he feels s/he needs to hide or else s/he’ll hurt someone or be rejected. Like the troll said in the movie, “powers” (personality) can be beautiful, but can also bring danger, which is true about a person’s true self.

    The first verse describes the "cold" which represents loneliness as implied by "not a footprint to be seen". The "swirling storm inside" symbolizes how complicated things got when her powers were revealed (which parallels someone's true personality being revealed, the side of someone that the world would rather not see). The storm inside can also refer to her intense feelings of fear or maybe even the anger or pain of keeping everything inside. Then she sings "conceal, don't feel, don't let them know" because she was taught to keep it in, "but now they know" so there's no point in holding it in (hiding) anymore since the world already knows what she’s hiding, so she blossomed with power in solitude, "letting it go", which parallels the people's need to be who they really are “can’t hold it back anymore” (but in the movie, Elsa feels [like a lot of people] she needs to be in solitude to be free to be herself so she won’t hurt anybody).

    The second verse says "it's funny how some distance makes everything seem small" which actually symbolizes people distancing themselves from something or someone, making whatever they're running from seem less significant. Elsa distances herself from society (although in the movie it seems she’s referring to the other mountains, looking smaller and smaller as she walked away) suggesting that she’s sees society as “small” or unimportant to her anymore.

    The part of the chorus “turn your back and slam the door” obviously means turning away from society while closing the door means never returning to the life of “being the good girl you always have to be” and being judged by others. “I left a life behind” so she’ll never have to go through that again: trying to be “normal” to be accepted. She likes her new life and knows not to go back, implied when she sang “here I stand and here I’ll stay”.

    In the movie, she sings “let the storm rage on”. She could referring to the “swirling storm inside” mentioned earlier in the song, the storm she couldn’t keep in “Heaven knows I tried” but she can’t “hold it back anymore” so she’ll “let the storm rage on” (meaning she released everything she was holding back and revealed everything she had concealed before). The storm could also mean the source of cold while being isolated. It’s ok for her if there’s a storm because she mentions the cold doesn’t bother her; it wouldn’t matter to her if she’s always been by herself.

    The last sentence of the song “the cold never bothered me anyway” relates to Elsa growing up in solitude, trying to “perfect” herself. It sort of connects to cold being the absence of heat; therefore the cold symbolizes absence of people, or the cold feeling of being outcasted. Since she was always alone, it wouldn't bother her if she were alone again because this time: she can be free to be herself instead of trying to please everyone. “That perfect girl is gone.”

    In conclusion, the song describes being yourself after being rejected by society.


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