Boiled Frogs

Boiled Frogs is the fourth song and second single off of Alexisonfire's third studio album, Crisis. "It's an analogy," lead vocalist George Pettit begins. "I wrote it inspired by my father who worked at a job where he designed refrigerator parts for 26 years. He was coming up to his pension the last three years and I guess when people are coming up to their pension they really put the screws to them. They're up for review all the time, trying to get them to quit so that they forfeit their pension. It really makes it a stressful last three years. The song is kind of about that, about there being no loyalty in the workplace. "And my mother went to this conference talking to different generations in the workplace and they referred to her generation as 'boiled frogs.' The analogy is that if you take a frog and put it in boiling water, it will jump right out immediately, but if you put it in cold water and then you slowly turn the heat up, they'll just eventually fall asleep and die. Same way with people in the workplace. If it's too hectic when they first get there, they'll just quit and get another job, but if you slowly up the workload, lower the pay, they're more likely to sit there and just boil." The video appeared on the MuchMusic Countdown in December 2006 and peaked at #10.

[Verse 1: George Pettit] A man sits at his desk one year from retirement And he's up for review, not quite sure what to do Each passing year the workload grows [Pre-Chorus: Dallas Green & George Pettit] I'm always wishing, I'm always wishing too late For things to go my way, it always ends up the same Count your blessings I must be missing, I must be missing the point Your signal fades away and all I'm left with is noise Count your blessings on one hand [Chorus: Dallas Green] So wait up, I'm not sleeping alone again tonight There's so much to dream about, there must be more to my life [Verse 2: George Pettit] Poor little tin man still swinging his axe Even though his joints are clogged with rust [Pre-Chorus: Wade MacNeil & George Pettit] My youth is slipping, my youth is slipping away Safe in monotony (so safe!) day after day Count your blessings My youth is slipping, my youth is slipping away Cold wind blows off the lake and I know for sure that it's too late Count your blessings on one hand [Chorus: Dallas Green] So wait up, I'm not sleeping alone again tonight There's so much to dream about, there must be more to my life [Bridge: George Pettit] Can't help but feel betrayed Punch the clock every single day There's no loyalty, and no remorse Youth stole for a pension cheque And it makes him fucking sick He's heating up, he can't say no [Chorus: Dallas Green] So wait up, I'm not sleeping alone again tonight There's so much to dream about, there must be more to my life (So wait up...) So wait up, I'm not sleeping alone again tonight Between the light and shallow waves is where I'm going to die [Outro: Dallas Green] Wait up for me Wait up for me Wait up for me