God made the automobile to pass all the pretty girls
The smoke by the side of the road, the blues lovin' boys in tow
To drive to the end of the day and bow to a borrowed flag
To ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind

To pass all the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one will tell the truth, and no one will hide it from you
Like birds around the grave

God made the automobile and I made a little boy
To pass on the blissfully young, the snake with a forked tongue
To praise on the wanting for time, and makes in the sleepless waves
The fear of the Black and the Jew, and blood for the camera crew

And passes the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you
Like birds around the grave

Overall Meaning

In "God Made the Automobile," Sam Beam of Iron & Wine offers a melancholic reflection on the social and environmental impacts of the automobile. The song begins with the assertion that God made the automobile "to pass all the pretty girls." The imagery of girls being passed by cars creates a sense of fleeting beauty and a desire for speed and movement. The next lines introduce the idea of smoke and blues music accompanying the cars, suggesting a romanticized sense of coolness and freedom associated with driving. However, the song quickly turns to darker themes, with the line "To ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind" implying that the car has become a symbol of reckless masculinity and a lack of empathy or responsibility towards others.

The second verse shifts focus towards the singer's own role in the world, with the line "God made the automobile and I made a little boy" evoking a sense of personal responsibility for the impact of the car. The following lines suggest a desire to pass on a legacy of youthful beauty, but also darker elements like the "snake with a forked tongue" that represents deceit and manipulation. The verse ends with a particularly cynical line, "blood for the camera crew," which suggests a media culture that glorifies violence and conflict perpetuated by cars.

The chorus of the song repeats the idea that God made things and never bothered to name them, which can be seen as a metaphor for the way cars have become ubiquitous and taken for granted in modern society. The final lines of the song, "no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you / like birds around the grave," suggest a sense of despair and hopelessness, pointing towards the idea that we are all complicit in the harm caused by cars and unable to escape their influence.

Line by Line Meaning

God made the automobile to pass all the pretty girls
The automobile was created by God as a means for men to be able to pass by and impress the beautiful girls they see.

The smoke by the side of the road, the blues lovin' boys in tow
The smoke that can be seen on the side of the road, as well as the boys who love the blues, are following the automobile religiously.

To drive to the end of the day and bow to a borrowed flag
The purpose of driving the automobile is to continue throughout the day, and to show respect to a flag that was borrowed by others.

To ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind
It is intended to be used by anyone who is brave or blind, as well as people who are not concerned about gender norms.

To pass all the things He made and then never bothered to name
The automobile surpasses many things that God has crafted, but never took the time to assign a name to.

And no one will tell the truth, and no one will hide it from you
There is a level of dishonesty surrounding the automobile, but it is not being hidden from anyone.

Like birds around the grave
It is symbolic of birds that hover around gravesites, but in the context of the song, represents elusive and mysterious qualities.

God made the automobile and I made a little boy
Both an automobile and a boy child were created, but by different entities.

To pass on the blissfully young, the snake with a forked tongue
The boy was born with the intention to carry on the blissful nature of youthfulness, but may also have deceptive tendencies.

To praise on the wanting for time, and makes in the sleepless waves
The boy will celebrate the desire for more time, and will show creativity and motivation even in sleepless nights.

The fear of the Black and the Jew, and blood for the camera crew
There is an underlying intent by some people to create fear and mistrust against black and Jewish individuals, and not hesitate to direct violence on camera.

And passes the things He made and then never bothered to name
Similar to the automobile, the boy also has the ability to surpass unnamed things created by God.

And no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you
The same level of dishonesty and transparency mentioned before, persists with the boy as well.

Like birds around the grave
This line is repeated from earlier, and again represents elusive and mysterious qualities.

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