A 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
A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that?s how she knows
That God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the Earth
A boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans
Then making a wish he tossed in the sea
Walked to a town that all of us burn
When God left the ground to circle the world
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
A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that?s how she knows
That God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the Earth
A boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans
Then making a wish he tossed in the sea
Walked to a town that all of us burn
When God left the ground to circle the world
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His wish was to die (after realizing his life was meaningless), and he tossed himself into the sea to achieve this. Because christians believe suicide makes you go to hell, this is what is meant by "walking to a town that all of us burn". This also implies that humanity in general deserves to burn in hell and why God abandoned us to "circle the world"
Did you see the video??? Perhaps it's about SEX, becoming a woman.
A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that's how she knows
If God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the earth
Does anyone remember the story titled "The Scarlet Ibis"?
The bird she found in the snow, drip drip, it flew up her dress - PERIOD!
If god made her eyes only for crying at birth, then it would be truly a horrible world if that was the only thing a woman was good for.
Perhaps its just a bare reference to coming of age - not rape. Not so nefarious.
Seriously, I don't think Sam Beam intended the second verse to be a rape verse. It's probably just a song about coming of age and growing up. Same with the boy verses.
Sam Beam seems to contemplate the universe and the utter lack of a monotheistic "god" other than the life spirit that connects all living things.
I could be wrong.
As you mentioned, the boy is cramming this inheritance in his jeans. This implies some sort of discomfort with it. It's almost forced on him. This would represent the new generation trying to make it work with the broken system that has been left to them. It obviously won't work out, as we see the boy throw the coin to the sea. He returns to the city we burn. There is implied hope in this last action. As opposed to remaining by the sea or walking away completely, the boy returns to society to start again and start new. Or there is implied futility: Beam may be implying instead that he will start new and inevitably fail, tough to say which is the case.
One thing that Beam wants to portray about this fresh start is that it will once again be without "god". The circling the earth I believe is in reference to the second coming of Christ--if I am correct, Beam would be implying (in a facetious sense) that Jesus was here, abandoned us, but will be back--there is an air of disdain to his line. In any case he is certainly asking the question "Where is God in all of this?"
I'm not sure about the second verse, but I'll side with those saying it is a subtle picture of rape. If that were the case, I think it too would be a very apt and moving picture for what he is trying to present. Beam is a poet indeed.
Mike, I just wanted to say it's encouraging to see your passion for sharing God's love. I too am a Christian, and I know that the only real answer to these problems is found through Jesus. And I too have a hard time listening to man's many attempts to defy God.
It may not seem to be a big deal but I believe that such a simple change/correction, definitely reinforces the idea that the little girl has been raped.
She feels God has forsaken her, since (as she probably views it) God allowed her to be raped, to her this must mean THAT God made her eyes for crying.