Kingdom of the Animals

These are really interesting lyrics. It’s too bad there aren’t more entries here. Anyway, here’s how I pieced my way through it:

"Jenny was gone, And the moon blooms all shining. As we dragged our panic up and down the riverbed, Sweating wild and weird in our Sunday clothes."

I assume “moon blooms” refers to some kind of moonflower. It is open at the beginning of the song and closes at the end. This stanza seems to indicate that Jenny suddenly disappeared. It sounds like they were dragging the lake for her body. I assume Jenny and the singer are young, so this was a “wild and weird” experience.

"Jenny was gone, though I thought that I knew her. And the rain came howling out of Virginia Blue tick blowing the water out her nose."

Blue tick refers to a Blue Tick Coonhound who was helping to find her. I guess he’s confused that she would disappear.

"Jenny and me in the front row And singing about how heaven calls The kingdom of the animals. All and all revealed to us one day."

These next two stanzas seem to take place in the past, before Jenny disappeared, when they were younger.

I think this addresses the confusion that can be found in religion (or simply of childhood). At some point someone wonders what happens to animals when they die. Is there a “Kingdom of the Animals” in the same way as a “Kingdom of Heaven”. They ask a lot of questions, but finally get the response that everything will be revealed to them, probably in the afterlife.

"Jenny and me on the hilltop And peeking at all their upturned bottles, Jumping like leopards Jaw harp teasing the brushfire in its rage."

Seems like Jenny and him were peeking in on a party where people were dancing after drinking a lot. Jaw harp (or “Jew’s Harp”) is twangy southern sounding instrument. This is the first of two references a brush fire. Perhaps when fields are burnt at the end of the year.

"Jenny came back, And the wet road still shining. In our eyes, an angel clear and coronal Clothed in all that's prodigal and strange."

Jenny wasn’t lost after all – she ran away. Since they thought she was dead, she appears like an angel. She’s different now and compared to The Prodigal’s Son.

"Jenny came back, And I thought that I heard her Murmur something about no men in Virginia. Spat on the ground like a letter tossed away."

I guess an indication that Jenny ran off with a guy who let her down. Again, she’s different now. The singer though that he knew her, but now he doesn’t.

"Jenny and me in my dead truck And turning over just where heaven calls The kingdom of the animals Scratching our heads where the wolf would go to lay."

I suppose this takes place after her return. They are older, but still wondering how “The Kingdom of the Animals” would work. Where would the wolf lay down? Next to the sheep?

"Jenny and me as the moon blooms were closing, And both her wide-eyed brothers Running like shepherds Dreaming the heat of the fields all in flames."

Jenny, the narrator, and her brothers running and dreaming about the brushfire. Time has past (the moon blooms close), and they remember the events of their childhood. It feels like the singer wants to go back to the times before Jenny left and everything changed.