Arms Of A Thief
iron and wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a letter in a stolen purse, she was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest
"That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel she said,
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
Hey, alright
And like a body when the buzzard came, she was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest
"That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And tapping at the air with her heel she said,
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
Hey, alright
Mr. Henry was a dying man with a vice and a tongue that she didn't understand
Like the water when the sea got rough, she was bored with the breeze, she was bored of her luck
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest
"That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And holding everything he made her steal she said,
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
Hey, alright
The lyrics to Iron and Wine's song "Arms of a Thief" are filled with intriguing and complex themes. The song tells the story of a woman who is bored with her life and is seeking escape through risky and dangerous behaviors. Throughout the song, the different characters, such as Mr. Henry, the muscle man, the fallen priest, the daughter of a soldier, and the daughter of a lawyer, all offer warnings and advice about the dangers of the world she is entering. The woman, however, continues on her path, seeking excitement and thrills.
The line "That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief" is repeated throughout the song and serves as a warning to the woman about the risks she is taking. The idea of being in the arms of a thief represents the danger of being with someone who could take advantage of her, both physically and emotionally.
The verse "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here" also appears multiple times, emphasizing the woman's desire to escape her mundane life but also her fear of being alone. She knows that the life she is leading is dangerous, but she feels trapped and unable to break free from it.
Overall, "Arms of a Thief" is a haunting and powerful song that touches on themes of danger, boredom, and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Henry and the muscle man, yeah, with shoes on a night there was no road to stand
Mr. Henry and another man, both a bit rough around the edges, found themselves in a place where there was no clear direction or path forward.
Like a letter in a stolen purse, she was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The woman being referred to felt disconnected from herself and her identity.
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest
'That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief'
A woman who comes from a military family warns a priest that getting too close to a criminal is a dangerous proposition.
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel she said,
'Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?'
Hey, alright
The woman in question is struggling with feeling trapped and wanting to be left to her own devices but afraid to be completely alone.
Mr. Henry and another guy gave her gold on a night that it fell from the sky
And like a body when the buzzard came, she was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
She received a gift from some shady characters, but still felt disenchanted with herself and everything around her.
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest
'That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief'
Another woman with a learned background emphasizes the inherent danger of being involved with a criminal.
And tapping at the air with her heel she said,
'Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?'
Hey, alright
The woman is again pleading to be left alone but not abandoned.
Mr. Henry was a dying man with a vice and a tongue that she didn't understand
Like the water when the sea got rough, she was bored with the breeze, she was bored of her luck
Mr. Henry had one foot in the grave and the other in the criminal underworld. Despite this, the woman is still feeling apathetic toward everything in her life.
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest
'That's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief'
Finally, two types of people, representing different aspects of life (the victors and the vanquished), come together to reiterate that being with a criminal is a dangerous place to be.
And holding everything he made her steal she said,
'Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?'
Hey, alright
She has liberated something (or someone), but still hasn't found contentment and is begging for someone to stay by her side, even if they respect her space.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LiquidEcho 32
Mr. Henry and the muscle man
Gave her shoes on a night there was no road to stand
And like a letter in a stolen purse,
She was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel, she said
"Leave me alone, but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
Mr. Henry and another guy
Gave her gold on a night that it fell from the sky
And like a body when the buzzard came
She was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a theif"
And tapping at the air with her heel, she said
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
Mr. Henry was a dying man
With advice and a tongue that she didn't understand
And like the water when the sea got rough
She was bored of the breeze, she was bored with her luck
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a theif"
And holding everything he made her steal, she said
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
Doc Indomito
It seems to me that this song is really ABOUT something...
I'll elaborate, in a vague and referential way
-Shoes on a night there was no room to stand... (see "The Blues Brothers" When the Good Ol' Boys arrive)
- The Cold, cold place in the arms of a thief (See "Doctor Sleep", when Danny meets the boy in the Braves T-Shirt)
Leave me Alone, but just don't leave me here {See "Don't leave me here (Don't Ease me In)}Henry June Thomas-The arrow in her heel (Holy smokes! especially in light of the rest of the track)
- With advice and Gun that she didn't understand (I sure hope I don't ever have to explain this one, especially since I seem to have misheard it)
Anyway, dig through that.
Deanna Lane
this song is too wonderful to be well known
missyxjoanna
i love this song. i heard it yrs ago but i remember every word.
LiquidEcho 32
Mr. Henry and the muscle man
Gave her shoes on a night there was no road to stand
And like a letter in a stolen purse,
She was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel, she said
"Leave me alone, but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
Mr. Henry and another guy
Gave her gold on a night that it fell from the sky
And like a body when the buzzard came
She was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a theif"
And tapping at the air with her heel, she said
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
Mr. Henry was a dying man
With advice and a tongue that she didn't understand
And like the water when the sea got rough
She was bored of the breeze, she was bored with her luck
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest,
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a theif"
And holding everything he made her steal, she said
"Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, alright?"
"Alright?"
TheElvenJedi
I think it's "tapping at the arrow in her heel" (a reference to Achilles being shot in the heel, most likely) as opposed to "tapping at the air with her heel", though! :)
James Yung
i extremely adore it!
Swingfinger
Definitely one of his best B sides... up there with Kingdom of Animals
Bertie Pfinks
this song is like a massage from space
smileybone3010
Used to run this on repeat in my dorm room in 07-09
bryantjudoman
he is bringing the 60's to the 21st century.
Andy Blanton
'67-9 in the case of this album, sure, but the rest of his work feels more early to mid '70s