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The Jeweler
Pearls Before Swine Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The jeweler has a shop on the corner of the boulevard
In the night, in small spectacles, he polishes old coins
He uses spit and cloth and ashes
He makes them shine with ashes
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

The coins are often very old by the time they reach the jeweler
With his hands and ashes he will try the best he can
He knows that he can only shine them
Cannot repair the scratches
He knows that even new coins have scars so he just smiles
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

In the darkest of the night both his hands will blister badly
They will often open painfully and the blood flows from his hands
He works to take from black coin faces the thumbprints from so many ages
He wishes he could cure the scars
When he forgets he sometimes cries
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

Overall Meaning

"The Jeweler" by Pearls Before Swine is a poignant ballad about a jeweler who runs a small shop on the corner of the boulevard. The jeweler is seen at night, with small spectacles on his nose, polishing old coins with spit, cloth, and ashes. The use of ashes is significant in the song as the jeweler uses them to make the coins shine while also worshipping God with them. The coins that reach the jeweler's shop are often ancient, and they carry the marks of time and use. Using his hands and ashes, the jeweler tries his best to shine them but knows that he cannot repair the scars or scratches on them. Even new coins have marks, so he smiles in acceptance of them.


The jeweler's hands blister badly due to his work at night, and they often open up painfully, causing blood to flow from them. He works tirelessly to take the thumbprints and scars from the black coin faces from so many ages, attempting to bring them back to their pristine condition. He wishes he could cure the scars, but when he forgets, he cries. The jeweler knows the use of ashes, and he worships God with them, signifying a deeper spiritual connection with his work.


The song is a beautiful showcase of the jeweler's dedication to his craft and his pursuit to restore the coins' beauty, despite the marks of time that are beyond his control. The lyrics and the melody paint a vivid picture of a man who holds a deep respect for his work and the connective forces that drive him.


Line by Line Meaning

The jeweler has a shop on the corner of the boulevard
The jeweler has a store on the street corner


In the night, in small spectacles, he polishes old coins
During the night, he wears glasses to polish old coins


He uses spit and cloth and ashes
He cleans coins with spit, cloth, and ashes


He makes them shine with ashes
He uses ashes to make the coins shine


He knows the use of ashes
He understands the benefits of using ashes


He worships God with ashes
He uses ashes as an offering in his religious practice


The coins are often very old by the time they reach the jeweler
Coins are usually old by the time they come to him


With his hands and ashes he will try the best he can
He does his best to polish coins by hand and with ashes


He knows that he can only shine them
He is aware that he can only make the coins shiny


Cannot repair the scratches
He cannot fix the scratches on the coins


He knows that even new coins have scars so he just smiles
He acknowledges that new coins have imperfections and remains cheerful


He wishes he could cure the scars
He desires to fix the scars on the coins


When he forgets he sometimes cries
When he forgets about the scars, he becomes emotional and cries


In the darkest of the night both his hands will blister badly
At night, his hands suffer from painful blisters


They will often open painfully and the blood flows from his hands
The blisters often burst painfully, causing his hands to bleed


He works to take from black coin faces the thumbprints from so many ages
He removes the fingerprints on the coins from many years




Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Maria Diaz

The jeweler has a shop on the corner of the boulevard
In the night, in small spectacles, he polishes old coins
He uses spit and cloth and ashes
He makes them shine with ashes
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

The coins are often very old by the time they reach the jeweler
With his hands and ashes he will try the best he can
He knows that he can only shine them
Cannot repair the scratches
He knows that even new coins have scars so he just smiles
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

In the darkest of the night both his hands will blister badly
They will often open painfully and the blood flows from his hands
He works to take from black coin faces the thumbprints from so many ages
He wishes he could cure the scars
When he forgets he sometimes cries
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes



All comments from YouTube:

Maria Diaz

The jeweler has a shop on the corner of the boulevard
In the night, in small spectacles, he polishes old coins
He uses spit and cloth and ashes
He makes them shine with ashes
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

The coins are often very old by the time they reach the jeweler
With his hands and ashes he will try the best he can
He knows that he can only shine them
Cannot repair the scratches
He knows that even new coins have scars so he just smiles
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

In the darkest of the night both his hands will blister badly
They will often open painfully and the blood flows from his hands
He works to take from black coin faces the thumbprints from so many ages
He wishes he could cure the scars
When he forgets he sometimes cries
He knows the use of ashes
He worships God with ashes

D Echeverri

Ufff ! Gracias !

Niko Leka

thank you so much for putting this up, such a beautiful song from so long ago with such tender memories for me

Guillermo César

If true. It is a beauty

Antonio Dias

beautiful!!!

Carl Rhoads

This song and the this mortal coil version catch a solitude very few will understand, I'm very much reminded of Berlin by Lou Reed with this song

Alexander Paul Dijkema

I got the song almost 50 years ago, became jeweller in Amsterdam, now Tuscany, behind a stuffed old glass window, and beinghappy, ta,,,,,, a lot, alex

Just Me

Beautiful song - I much prefer this original version to the cover by This Mortal Coil

J M

Everyone has subjective biases but I find the This Mortal Coil cover version to be impeccable.

Johnny Red

Even new coins have scars

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