Beneath the Balcony Lyrics

Lyric discussion by jdeppsfavfan1 

Cover art for Beneath the Balcony lyrics by Iron & Wine

could it be abuse?

And then for the kid beneath the balcony Behind the garbage can Who waits for the king to come And hold his sweating hand"

a boy literally hiding from an abusive person. waiting for the "king", could be god, jesus, etc. to hold his sweating hand, to help him, save him, make everything ok

@jdeppsfavfan1 in a manner of speaking. I think the “abuse” is a societal one, stemming from the lack of trustworthy leaders, and that the song is about dogmatic, power-seeking religious leaders and those so anxious to follow verses the powerless, whose spirituality is genuine and leads them to long for peace—like the old woman in the end—but to whom very few listen or are willing to be led by