When the arrogant goddess of love came to steal my shoes
She had a white-hot pistol and a homemade heart tattoo
Singing, "One's to give and one's to take away,
But neither of them will keep you off your knees"
Her children bowed and bolted off the stage
While the lion and the lamb kept fighting for the shade tree

When the winsome god of war came to set me free
He had a couple of Coke bottles full of gasoline
Singing, "All I love is all that I allow"
And he blew me a kiss off a big burned hand
I nearly choked with smoke and fell down
While the lion and the lamb kept shooting at a tin can

When the gun-shy goddess of love came back to patch things up
She had a purple heart and mother's milk in a plastic cup
Singing, "One to lay you gently in the grave,
And one's the flag you fold before you go"
When the curtain rose the crowd was blown away
While the lion and the lamb kept fucking in the back row

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in "Big Burned Hand" by Iron & Wine are highly metaphorical and open to interpretation. The song seems to tell a story of a person who's encountered various deities that represent different aspects of human emotion. The song opens with "the arrogant goddess of love" who tries to steal the singer's shoes. She has a pistol and a heart tattoo, which represents her selfishness and passion. She sings about how giving and taking will not keep someone from falling to their knees, showing her manipulative tendencies towards love. Her kids flee while the lamb and lion keep fighting for the shade tree, further emphasizing the duality of love.

The chorus is about the "winsome god of war" who tries to set the singer free. The god of war has a couple of Coke bottles filled with gasoline, representing his destructive nature. He sings that he only loves what he allows, showing that he only lets his violence speak for itself. He even blows the singer a kiss from his big burned hand, almost choking him with smoke. While he's recovering, the lion and the lamb are shooting at a tin can, showing that even though it may seem meaningless, they still fight and strive.

The song then introduces the "gun-shy goddess of love" who returns to make amends. She has a purple heart and a plastic cup filled with mother's milk, symbolizing her willingness to put in the effort and care for those she loves. She sings about one thing to lay you gently into the grave and something else to fold before you go. The curtain rises, and the audience is blown away, while the lion and the lamb are still having sex in the back row, showing the cyclical nature of love and lust.

Overall, "Big Burned Hand" is a song that delves into the complexities of human emotion and the dual nature of love. It showcases the different facets of love and the human experience and how they ultimately coexist.

Line by Line Meaning

When the arrogant goddess of love came to steal my shoes
The singer is describing a situation where he is being forced to give up something he cherishes by someone who feels superior to him.

She had a white-hot pistol and a homemade heart tattoo
Describes the goddess of love as someone fierce and full of passion, with a tattoo to symbolize her heart's homemade nature.

Singing, "One's to give and one's to take away, But neither of them will keep you off your knees"
She sings cryptically about the power dynamics of love, and how it can humble even the proudest of individuals.

Her children bowed and bolted off the stage While the lion and the lamb kept fighting for the shade tree
The goddess of love's followers flee while others continue to fight for shelter from the heat, symbolizing how people coped with the pressure differently.

When the winsome god of war came to set me free
The god of war arrives with an offer of liberation for the singer.

He had a couple of Coke bottles full of gasoline
He is destructive and equipped with danger, with bottles full of combustible gasoline.

Singing, "All I love is all that I allow" And he blew me a kiss off a big burned hand
The god of war belives in the maxim of only allowing himself to love what he deems worthy, before showing affection.

I nearly choked with smoke and fell down While the lion and the lamb kept shooting at a tin can
The singer struggles to keep up with the god's intensity as others distract themselves from the danger with a pointless game.

When the gun-shy goddess of love came back to patch things up
The goddess of love returns to mend something that has been broken.

She had a purple heart and mother's milk in a plastic cup
The goddess has a heart that signifies her valiance and sweet milk in a fragile cup symbolizes warmth and the fragility of human life.

Singing, "One to lay you gently in the grave, And one's the flag you fold before you go"
She sings a song that touches on the reality of life and death, and how they must both be faced with dignity and respect.

When the curtain rose the crowd was blown away While the lion and the lamb kept fucking in the back row
The song ends with a final scene that suggests there is an element of indecency and vulgarity amidst the beautiful chaos of life, lingering in the background while the main action takes place.

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