Keep the Frost Inside

[Intro] [Low bass slide, silence; two clipped guitar chugs; drums lock in] [Verse 1] You said the line was sweating; now it’s white with frost The compressor coughs, the cold’s already lost I wrap both hands around the valve till feeling leaves You count the spoiled pallets on the phone and breathe [Chorus] Hold that valve—don’t let the whole room thaw Cold slipping out through a split we never saw You count the loss; i keep my hands in place One stubborn turn between the milk and waste [Verse 2] The gauge climbs red while the pipes turn hard and pale I work the ice loose with a rag and thumbnail Your voice comes thin through the office phone-line hiss I say, “keep counting. i’ve got this.” [Chorus] Hold that valve—don’t let the whole room thaw Cold slipping out through a split we never saw You count the loss; i keep my hands in place One stubborn turn between the milk and waste [Guitar solo] [Distorted guitar solo over the cycling bass riff] [Bridge] A crate tips over. labels stick to the floor. The motor catches—then it stalls once more. I lean my weight in. the valve gives a turn. You stop counting long enough to hear it return. [Chorus] Hold that valve—don’t let the whole room thaw Cold slipping out through a split we never saw You count the loss; i keep my hands in place One stubborn turn between the milk and waste