The Devil Never Sleeps Lyrics

Lyric discussion by krackerdog 

Cover art for The Devil Never Sleeps lyrics by Iron & Wine

The first stanza is about a boy going to war.

The second stanza is about the same boy reminiscing about his own father being off at war, and wondering whether he would come home or not.

The third stanza is the boy's mother telling him that his dad is dead, and reveals her extreme bitterness at the world.

Overall, I think the song is about two generations of soldiers, more likely WWI and WWII than the Iraq War.

My Interpretation