Barbed Wire Boys
Rural Echoes: Unveiling the Unspoken Saga of Barbed Wire Boys
Lyrics
Well I come from the rural Midwest
Expressing the singer's origin in the rural Midwest.
It's the land I love more than all the rest
Declaring a deep affection for the singer's homeland.
It's the place I know and understand
Describing a strong connection and familiarity with the place.
Like a false-front building
Comparing the knowledge to a false-front building, suggesting a facade or surface-level understanding.
Like the back of my hand
Emphasizing a profound familiarity, like knowing the back of one's hand.
And the men I knew when I was coming up
Referring to men from the singer's past.
Were sober as coffee in a Styrofoam cup
Highlighting the sobriety and seriousness of those men.
There were Earls and Rays, Harlans and Roys
Naming individuals from the past, possibly representing a certain type of person.
They were full-grown men
Stating that these men were mature and experienced.
They were barbed wire boys
Referring to them as "barbed wire boys," possibly indicating toughness or resilience.
They raised grain and cattle on the treeless fields
Describing the agricultural activities of these men.
Sat at the head of the table and prayed before meals
Depicting a traditional family setting where prayers were offered before meals.
Prayed an Our Father and that was enough
Noting a simple form of prayer, suggesting humility.
Pray more than that and you couldn't stay tough
Implying that showing vulnerability through extended prayer wasn't considered tough.
Tough as the busted thumbnails on the weathered hands
Emphasizing physical toughness through the imagery of weathered hands.
They worked the gold plate off their wedding bands
Describing the wear and tear on their wedding bands, symbolizing sacrifice.
And they never complained, no they never made noise
Highlighting their stoicism by noting their lack of complaints.
And they never left home
Indicating a sense of rootedness and reluctance to leave home.
These barbed wire boys
Reiterating their tough and resilient nature.
'Cos their wildest dreams were all fenced in
Explaining that their dreams were confined or limited.
By the weight of family, by the feeling of sin
Attributing this limitation to family responsibilities and a sense of sin.
That'll prick your skin at the slightest touch
Describing the consequences of reaching beyond these boundaries.
If you reach too far, if you feel too much
Warning against expressing too much emotion or desire.
So their deepest hopes never were expressed
Suggesting unexpressed hopes, held internally.
Just beat like bird's wings in the cage of their chest
Comparing these suppressed hopes to bird wings in a cage.
All the restless longings, all the secret joys
Alluding to unfulfilled desires and secret joys.
That never were set free
Expressing the idea that these aspirations were never realized.
In the barbed wire boys
Reiterating the theme of being confined or restricted, in this case, emotionally.
And now one by one they're departing this earth
Noting the passing of these men.
And it's clear to me now 'xactly what they're worth
Reflecting on the value and significance of their lives.
Oh they were just like Atlas holding up the sky
Comparing them to Atlas, the mythical figure carrying the weight of the world.
You never heard him speak, you never saw him cry
Emphasizing their silent strength, with no visible signs of emotion.
But where do the tears go, that you never shed
Raising questions about unshed tears and unspoken words.
Where do the words go, that you never said
Posing questions about the unexpressed emotions of these men.
Well there's a blink of the eye, there's a catch in the voice
Noting subtle signs of emotions like a blink or a catch in the voice.
That is the unsung song
Describing the untold stories or emotions through the metaphor of an unsung song.
Of the barbed wire boys
Concluding with the overarching theme of the resilience and unspoken struggles of these "barbed wire boys."
Comment