Kingdom of Animals
Iron & Wine Lyrics


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Jenny was gone
And the moon blooms
All shining
As we dragged our panic
Up and down the riverbed
Sweating wild and weird
In our Sunday clothes
Jenny was gone
Though I thought that I knew her
And the rain came howling
Out of Virginia
Blue tick blowing the water
Out her nose

Jenny and me in the front row
And singing about how heaven calls
The kingdom of the animals all
And all revealed to us one day

Jenny and me on the hilltop
And peeking at all their upturned bottles
Jumping like leopards
Jaw hearp teasing the brushfire in its rage

Jenny came back
And the wet road still shining in our eyes
An angel clear and coronal
Clothed in all that's prodigal and strange

Jenny came back
And I thought that I heard her
Murmur something about
No men in Virginia
Spat on the ground
Like a letter tossed away

Jenny and me in my dead truck
And turning over
Just where heaven calls
The kingdom of the animals
Scratching our heads
Where the wolf would go to lay

Jenny and me as the moon blooms
Were closing and both her wide-eyed brothers
Running like shepherds




Dreaming the heat of the fields
All in flames

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Iron & Wine's song "Kingdom of the Animals" tell a story of two people, Jenny and the singer, who are experiencing a range of emotions as they explore their surroundings. The song opens with Jenny being "gone" and the moon shining. The singer describes their panicked search for Jenny and their wild and weird appearance in their Sunday clothes. They seem to be sweating as they search up and down the riverbed for her.


After searching for Jenny, the singer recalls being with her in the front row, singing about heaven calling and the kingdom of the animals. They describe seeing all the animals revealed to them one day. Then, they remember being on a hilltop, peaking at upturned bottles and imitating leopards as their jaws hung loose and teased the brushfire.


As the song continues, Jenny returns and the wet road still shines in their eyes. The singer describes her as an angel, clear and coronal, clothed in all that's prodigal and strange. Jenny murmurs something about "no men in Virginia" and spits on the ground like a letter tossed away. The song ends with Jenny and the singer turning over in a dead truck where they consider where the wolf would go to lay, and both of her wide-eyed brothers running like shepherds and dreaming the heat of the fields all in flames.


Overall, the lyrics of "Kingdom of the Animals" are emotional and deeply personal, telling a story of loss, love, and exploration. The song uses rich metaphors and vivid imagery to convey the singer's experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

Jenny was gone
The singer's friend Jenny has left or passed away


And the moon blooms
The moon is shining brightly in the night sky


All shining
The moon is radiating light and reflecting its glow onto everything around it


As we dragged our panic
The artist and someone else are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain


Up and down the riverbed
They are walking along a river, maybe looking for something or someone


Sweating wild and weird
The physical exertion is making them perspire heavily and feel strange


In our Sunday clothes
They are dressed formally, possibly suggesting they are not used to being outdoors like this


Though I thought that I knew her
The artist believed they understood Jenny, but she surprised them by leaving or changing


And the rain came howling
A heavy rainstorm began, making loud noises and adding to the chaos


Out of Virginia
The storm may have started in Virginia, or Virginia is related to the cause of the storm


Blue tick blowing the water
A dog breed called the blue tick is swimming or splashing around in the water nearby


Out her nose
The blue tick is blowing water out of its nose, perhaps playfully or as if hunting


Jenny and me in the front row
The singer and Jenny were watching something or participating in an event where a front row existed


And singing about how heaven calls
They are singing about religious or spiritual themes, focusing on the idea of heaven


The kingdom of the animals all
They believe in an afterlife where animals have their own realm or domain


And all revealed to us one day
Eventually they will understand or experience the truth of what they are singing about


Jenny and me on the hilltop
The artist and Jenny are on top of a hill, potentially looking out over a vast area or towards something in particular


And peeking at all their upturned bottles
They are observing or spying on someone who has overturned bottles nearby


Jumping like leopards
The creatures they are watching are moving quickly and gracefully, like leopards might


Jaw hearp teasing the brushfire in its rage
A jaw harp, a musical instrument played by vibrating one's mouth, is making a sound that sounds like it's taunting a nearby brushfire


Jenny came back
After disappearing earlier in the song, Jenny returns


And the wet road still shining in our eyes
The rain has stopped, but the road is wet and reflecting light, potentially making it difficult for them to see well


An angel clear and coronal
Jenny appears to the singer like an otherworldly being, with a halo-like aura around her head


Clothed in all that's prodigal and strange
Jenny is wearing something unusual or unexpected, and seems to represent something significant to the artist


Murmur something about / No men in Virginia
Jenny may have said something negative about Virginia or men in general that caught the singer's attention


Spat on the ground / Like a letter tossed away
Jenny expressed her disdain or anger by spitting on the ground, as if discarding something as worthless


Jenny and me in my dead truck / And turning over
The singer and Jenny are in a car that has stopped working or has a dead battery, and they are trying to start it up again


Scratching our heads / Where the wolf would go to lay
They are confused or unsure about what to do with their situation, and the artist makes a reference to where a wolf might lie down


Were closing and both her wide-eyed brothers
The artist and Jenny are becoming more distant, while her brothers are watching them closely


Running like shepherds / Dreaming the heat of the fields / All in flames
The brothers are running fast, like they are herding something or chasing after the singer and Jenny, but they are also imagining a fiery landscape that is threatening everything around them




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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