The Boxer
Editors Lyrics


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A bruised full moon play fights with the stars
This place is our prison, its cells are the bars
So take me to town, I wanna dance with the city
Show me something ugly and show me something pretty

Damn, this place
Makes a boy out of me
The ring meets my face
By the count of three

An unwanted sun pulls rank in the sky
The boxer isn't finished, he's not ready to die
I'm attracted to the light, I'm attracted to the heat
It's a violent night, there are boxers in the street

Damn, this place
Makes a boy out of me
The ring meets my face
By the count of three
And damn, this place
Makes a boy out of me
The ring meets my face
I'm a fallen oak tree

Dazed in the final count
Dazed in the final count




Oh, dazed in the final count
Dazed in the final count

Overall Meaning

In Ediors' song The Boxer, the lyrics describe a sense of entrapment in a place that feels like a prison. The imagery of a "bruised full moon" and stars play fighting is juxtaposed with the feelings of confinement expressed in the next line, comparing the place to a prison with cells as bars. The singer longs to escape this place and be taken to town, to dance with the city and experience both the beautiful and the ugly aspects of it. However, there is a sense of violence and danger present as the boxer continues to fight even though he is not ready to die, and there are other boxers in the street.


The repetition of the lines "Damn, this place, makes a boy out of me, the ring meets my face, by the count of three" highlights the brutal and violent nature of the place they are in, and the singer's feeling of being overwhelmed and powerless. The final line, "I'm a fallen oak tree," suggests a sense of defeat and exhaustion, as if the singer has fought until they've lost all strength.


Overall, the lyrics of The Boxer convey a sense of desperation and a longing for escape from a dangerous and confining place, while also acknowledging the allure and excitement of the violence present.


Line by Line Meaning

A bruised full moon play fights with the stars
The weakened moon seems to be in a playful fight with the distant stars


This place is our prison, its cells are the bars
The city is like a prison to the singer, who is confined to its limits


So take me to town, I wanna dance with the city
The singer desires to become one with the city, to experience its essence


Show me something ugly and show me something pretty
The artist wants to see all aspects of the city, both the good and the bad


Damn, this place Makes a boy out of me The ring meets my face By the count of three
The city is a harsh place that toughens up the artist like a boxer, as he gets knocked down repeatedly


An unwanted sun pulls rank in the sky
The sun seems unwelcome in the singer's eyes as it rises higher in the sky


The boxer isn't finished, he's not ready to die I'm attracted to the light, I'm attracted to the heat It's a violent night, there are boxers in the street
The singer identifies with the toughness and the tenacity of the boxer, as he seeks the heat and excitement of the fight


And damn, this place Makes a boy out of me The ring meets my face I'm a fallen oak tree
The artist is again knocked down like a fallen oak tree, overwhelmed by the strength of the city


Dazed in the final count Dazed in the final count Oh, dazed in the final count Dazed in the final count
The artist is dazed and defeated by the city's power, as if he has lost a boxing match




Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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