The Boxer (Paul Simon cover) Lyrics

Lyric discussion by popper93 

Cover art for The Boxer (Paul Simon cover) lyrics by Mumford & Sons

I think this song is about a young man moving far from home and struggling to make ends meet. In the last stanza the song references a boxer. I think the boxer is an analogy. The young man had many times he wanted to go back home, many times he was hurt, and many times he even said he was leaving, yet he stayed and kept fighting.