Two Hungry Blackbirds
Iron & Wine Lyrics


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Lovers accustomed to tragedy
See every kiss in the window across the street
Breezes and blessings passing by

I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree
Not the one where you told your name to me
Two hungry blackbirds land near by
If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be happy under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Could you be trusted over me?

Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
Gave me advice, or a rumour she once heard:
"Heaven's a distance, not a place"

Gave her an ear from the corn we grew
You were away but she gave her thanks to you
That was a year ago come May

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be smothered under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Would you be cryin' over me?

I could hear kids in the yard next door
Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down
Wait by the shade-tree one more year

Poetry tempered with tragedy
Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve
Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be happy under me?




If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Could you be trusted over me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Iron & Wine's song "Two Hungry Blackbirds" depict a love between two people accustomed to tragedy. These lovers have a tendency to see every kiss shared by others as they pass by the window across the street. They watch breezes and blessings passing by while they stand in the shade of a dogwood tree. This tree is not the same one where they first met and exchanged names. As they stand there, two hungry blackbirds land near them, adding to the somber mood of the lyrics.


The singer then poses two hypothetical questions to their lover. "If I could be over you when the sky starts falling, would you be happy under me? If I could be under you if the earth was burning, could you be trusted over me?" These questions are reflective of the difficulties and hardships faced by the lovers in question. They suggest that the singer wonders if they would still be able to depend on their partner during dire circumstances.


The song then shifts to a conversation that the singer had with a mother who had lost her child to drowning. The mother offers an intriguing piece of advice, "Heaven's a distance, not a place." The singer then reveals that they gave the mother an ear of corn from the crop they had grown. Though their partner was away during this time, the mother still offered her thanks. The song concludes with the image of the singer waiting by the same shade-tree where they had previously stood with their partner to offer comfort and solace.


Line by Line Meaning

Lovers accustomed to tragedy
People who are used to experiencing sad and difficult events in their love lives


See every kiss in the window across the street
They are so observant of other people's romantic moments, that they can see them even from afar


Breezes and blessings passing by
The wind and good things in life that come and go quickly


I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree
The singer is under a tree that is providing shade


Not the one where you told your name to me
The specific tree doesn't hold any special meaning to him, unlike the one where he first heard his lover's name


Two hungry blackbirds land near by
Two birds fly and land close to him


If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
If he could move on from their love before a great disaster


Would you be happy under me?
Would his lover truly be content in a relationship with him if he has moved on?


If I could be under you if the earth was burning
If his lover is in charge when everything is going wrong and he doesn't have to carry the weight of the world


Could you be trusted over me?
If she could be trusted to maintain the relationship and prioritize it over everything else


Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
He had a conversation with a woman who lost her baby in a tragic accident


Gave me advice, or a rumour she once heard:
She gave him a piece of advice or a rumor that she heard at some point


"Heaven's a distance, not a place"
Her advice / rumor is that heaven is not a physical location, but a concept.


Gave her an ear from the corn we grew
He gave her something he had grown, likely as a gesture of kindness


You were away but she gave her thanks to you
The singer was not present, but the woman still expressed gratitude to him for his kindness


That was a year ago come May
It has been a year since this interaction happened, in the month of May


I could hear kids in the yard next door
He can hear children playing in the backyard of the house next door


Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down
Cats that were hiding in the bushes ran away when something made a loud noise, possibly a falling calendar


Wait by the shade-tree one more year
He is passively waiting in the same spot, under the shade of the tree, for another year to pass


Poetry tempered with tragedy
The lyrics of the song are a mix of poetic and sad elements


Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve
His lover's emotional outpouring is tempting and pulling him in different directions


Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air
Two groups of birds fly in the sky and meet each other




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

saidul haque

Lovers accustomed to tragedy,
See every kiss in the window across the street,
Breezes and blessings passing by, ah ooh-oh.

I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree,
Not the one where you told your name to me,
Two hungry blackbirds land near by, ah ooh-oh.

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling.
Would you be happy under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning.
Could you be trusted over me?

Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
Gave me advice, or a rumor she once heard:
“Heaven's a distance, not a place,” ah ooh-oh.

Gave her an ear from the corn we grew,
You were away but she gave her thanks to you,
That was a year ago come May, ah ooh-oh.

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling,
Would you be smothered under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning.
Would you be crying over me?

I could hear kids in the yard next door,
Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down,
Wait by the shade-tree one more year, ah ooh-oh.

Poetry tempered with tragedy,
Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve,
Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air, ah ooh-oh.



All comments from YouTube:

saidul haque

Lovers accustomed to tragedy,
See every kiss in the window across the street,
Breezes and blessings passing by, ah ooh-oh.

I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree,
Not the one where you told your name to me,
Two hungry blackbirds land near by, ah ooh-oh.

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling.
Would you be happy under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning.
Could you be trusted over me?

Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
Gave me advice, or a rumor she once heard:
“Heaven's a distance, not a place,” ah ooh-oh.

Gave her an ear from the corn we grew,
You were away but she gave her thanks to you,
That was a year ago come May, ah ooh-oh.

If I could be over you when the sky starts falling,
Would you be smothered under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning.
Would you be crying over me?

I could hear kids in the yard next door,
Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down,
Wait by the shade-tree one more year, ah ooh-oh.

Poetry tempered with tragedy,
Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve,
Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air, ah ooh-oh.

Daniel Brown

One the most underrated song ever written. This is probably my favorite Iron and Wine song lyrically! My first 5 songs I ever learned on the guitar was from Sam. A lot of his tracks are simplistic musically, but Gawd damn even with that simplistic style he produces some of the most beautiful music!

N HH

one of his best songs full stop. not sure how it didnt make it onto an album.

Shivohn Fleming

I have had this song tattooed across my shoulders for a few years. He is the most incredible lyricist but this song punches me especially.

Brendan Erickson

Shivohn Fleming me too.. Mine is "when you go away, heavens a distance not a place" it was also a lyric by carissas wierd in the song "piano song".

Karandeep Singh

Shivohn Fleming Woah and I thought I was a huge gan.
What does the tattoo say though?

Viktorija Jankauskaitė

I like to quote this song. I like to remember it once in a while - it just keeps returning to my head at sad and happy moments altogether. I will always think it's a great ode to love... to life in general.

marc granier

J'ai découvert ce bijou en écoutant FIP.
Quand tu écoutes ça, tu décolles en apesanteur...
Comment peut on ne pas passer un tel chef d'oeuvre à la radio?

Jared Marshall

This song is incredible

Zad Rasera

One of my favorite songs in this album. This album needs more wuv...

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