What does Boy with a Coin mean?

Iron and Wine: Boy with a Coin Meaning

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Album cover for Boy with a Coin album cover

Boy with a Coin Lyrics

Boy with a coin he found in the weeds

with bullets and pages of trade magazines

close to a car THAT flipped on the turn

when God left the ground to circle the world



Hey--- Oh----



Girl with a bird she found in the...

  1. anonymous
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    Oct 25th 2021 !⃝

    It is about the rapture.
    It all happens suddenly.
    Even the bird tries to rise up from it's dead state, getting caught under a skirt.
    Everyone is haulted at that moment in time, exactly where they are...from then on...the planet burns.

  2. anonymous
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    Jan 11th 2020 !⃝

    The separate curses of men and women after the fall of the human race starting with Adam and Eve. Read in Genesis. This will open up the very fascinating and artistic lyrics of the song.

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 26th 2013 !⃝

    I think it's more that, the girl is the innocence in ourself. Even the bird is corrupted by our world. It doesn't not rape her. He raped her innocence to corrupt her to, and that's how she learn about the corruption of the world.

    Correct if i'm wrong. I do not pretend to have the right answer but just my view of it so far

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 17th 2011 !⃝

    i agree with everything except the girl with a bird she found in the snow. i have read and myself pictured it as the snow meaning her virginity, the bird being something that took her innocence. because of that one time, she became pregnant, cried and god was not around to help her when she needed it. basically i see it as she was raped and abused as many women are. and her innocence was forcefully taken from her.

  5. anonymous
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    Oct 13th 2011 !⃝

    *Boy with a coin*- innocent child playing. The coin is a symbol for hope, for dreams.
    *with bullets and pages of trade magazines
    close to a car THAT flipped on the turn* - this is the picture of the world, bullets- war, trade magazines - material world, corruption, there is no space for art, love, kindness...
    *when God left the ground to circle the world* - where is God? How can a innocent boy play next to bullets and a car that flipped? Why is the world so violent when there is a God? I thing it's about questioning the existence of God. And about kids who should be surrounded with fairy tales and music, art, not bullets and crashed cars.

    *Girl with a bird she found in the snow* - again, innocent child playing, the bird is a symbol for freedom (but she found the bird in the snow, it means it was frozen - that is why the girl is crying) , the snow is a complex symbol, it is white like innocence, but cold.
    *that flew up her gown, and that's how she knows
    that God made her eyes for crying at birth* - God gave us eyes for crying, because the world is a horrible place.
    *then left the ground to circle the earth* - again, it means, this is the key of the song. God LEFT, we are on our own.

    *Boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans
    then making a wish, and tossed in the sea
    then walked to a town that all of us burned* - the boy wishing that the world becomes a better place, and then going to a town that burned him - could be: he was killed, or "burning his soul", he becomes corrupt, in a big town.
    *when God left the ground to circle the world* - well, I think he blames God for many problems in the world... :)

  6. anonymous
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    Jun 6th 2011 !⃝

    Boy- an innocent human
    finds a coin in the weeds- finds hope in chaos
    bullets- war, violence, destruction
    trade magazines- the business world
    the fact that he connects the bullets with the trade magazines could suggest corruption in the business world
    since the bullets, the trade magazines, and the coin were found in the weeds suggests that they are all bad, all corrupt but that the innocent still finds hope
    a car that flipped on the turn- death, accidents, something on the right track but lost its way which lead to destruction
    God left the ground- a godless world leads to destruction
    to circle the world- theres a lot going on in the world

    girl- innocence
    bird- hope, freedom
    snow- misery
    the innocent girl found a bird that represents freedom and nature, stuck in the snow, in the misery and coldness of the corrupt world
    flew up her gown- even the bird (the most free and peaceful animal) has been corrupted by the snow, the harsh world, and harms other innocent creatures
    god made her eyes for crying at birth- she has no meaning, she is alone. god only made her to cry, or to do nothing, did god make her to do anything? is god there at all? she is lonely and hopeless, meaningless

    boy with a coin, he crammed in his jeans- he has hope, but the material world is overpowering, he disregards hope
    making a wish- he wants his life, the world, to be better
    tossed in the sea- gives up hope
    walked to a town that all of us burned- more corruption of people in a godless world




    this is my interpretation, it may be wrong, i don't know
    I'm still a little confused about some parts of the song (particularly the second verse) but this is what I've got so far


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