Absolute Zero features: Bruce Hornsby (piano, drums, vocals, orchestration); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Peter Rotter (conductor), Howard Drossin (orchestration).
“Absolute Zero” is a meditation on the concept of cryonics, the science of preserving human bodies at extremely low temperatures with the hope of future revival. The song is inspired by Don DeLillo’s novel “Zero K“, which deals with similar themes, exploring the philosophical and emotional implications of attempting to escape death through freezing the body in order to be revived in a more advanced future.
Absolute Zero meaning of the song
Bruce Hornsby’s “Absolute Zero” delves into the ideas of cryopreservation, touching on themes of mortality, identity, and the desire for a second chance at life. The title refers to the temperature of absolute zero, which is 273.15 degrees Celsius below zero (or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit), the point at which all molecular motion theoretically stops. Bruce’s lyrics reflect a mix of scientific ideas and existential questions, as he imagines what it would be like to escape the passage of time through freezing.
Opening lines: disconnection from time and reality
“Time stopped
And I’m floating there on air
I can watch myself, my head is elsewhere
I’m suspended, suspended in mid-air
But surprise, surprise I’m still here, so there”
The opening lines capture a sense of detachment from the normal flow of time. The narrator seems to be in a state of limbo, neither fully alive nor dead, as if caught between moments. This could represent the experience of being cryogenically frozen, where time is halted for the body, but consciousness or awareness may remain. The phrase “I’m still here” suggests that while the body is preserved, the essence of the individual—thoughts, memories, identity—might still persist in some way.
Invitation to enter a new state of existence
“Let’s slip out of this life we know, into some timeless repose
Hey, come on, let’s go
Down to two seventy-three below”
Here, Bruce invites the listener to leave behind the life they know and enter a “timeless repose,” referring to the process of cryonics. The phrase “two seventy-three below” refers to absolute zero, the theoretical temperature where all activity ceases. This is where the song’s theme of suspension and freezing becomes most explicit, as it suggests that by reaching this extreme state, one can escape the gradual decay of the body and the certainty of death.
Scientific and biological references
“Robotize, enzymes, nucleotides, in time
Vitrification
Brain-edit, you will get it, if you let it frozen”
This section of the song uses scientific language to describe the process of cryopreservation. “Robotize” could refer to the automation of bodily functions or the control of the body through technology. “Enzymes” and “nucleotides” are biological molecules crucial for life, and their preservation in a frozen state would be necessary to maintain the integrity of the body for future revival. “Vitrification” is a real cryonics term, referring to the process of freezing without the formation of damaging ice crystals. The idea of a “brain-edit” may suggest altering or preserving the brain’s contents—memories, thoughts, identity—during the freezing process.
The promise of a new life
“Time re-starts
Another chance, it maybe better next time
We’ll be minus a hundred and ten
Maybe that’ll do just fine”
This verse speaks to the hope and fantasy that after being frozen, there will be a second chance at life, and perhaps this new life will be better. The temperature “minus a hundred and ten” refers to the conditions under which the body might be preserved, keeping it viable until it can be revived. The possibility that “it maybe better next time” touches on the desire to correct past mistakes and experience life anew, with the benefit of future advancements.
The fantasy of immortality
“For centuries end on end
Frozen to solid
For a hundred years and then emerge
You will re-encounter yourself
Oh, what a lovely fantasy turn”
This section reflects the fantasy of freezing oneself for centuries, only to emerge in a distant future, perhaps in a better world. The idea of “re-encountering” oneself suggests that while the body may be preserved, there is no guarantee that the same sense of identity or consciousness will remain intact. This notion echoes a key theme in “Zero K”, where the question of whether a person can truly remain the same after such a profound transformation is explored. The line “what a lovely fantasy turn” acknowledges that this dream of immortality might be more of a comforting illusion than a feasible reality.
Connection to Don DeLillo’s “Zero K”
In DeLillo’s “Zero K”, the characters are involved in a futuristic project where people choose to be cryogenically frozen, with the hope that science will advance to the point where they can be revived and live again in a better, more advanced future. The novel delves into the fear of death and the idea of immortality, questioning whether escaping death is even desirable. Bruce draws inspiration from this, using “Absolute Zero” to explore similar ideas of suspending life and identity, while recognising the uncertainty of what comes after.
“Absolute Zero” is a reflection on the possibility of escaping death through cryonics, exploring the tension between the scientific promise of preservation and the existential uncertainty of what it means to be frozen in time. Bruce draws on both scientific concepts and philosophical musings to create a song that questions the limits of human life and identity, blending the speculative nature of science fiction with the deeply human desire to transcend mortality. The song’s connection to Don DeLillo’s “Zero K” adds further depth, as both works engage with the same fundamental question: can we truly overcome death, and if so, at what cost?