Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a surreal, almost dreamlike scene of a family preparing for an uncertain journey. The narrator's parents are meticulously dressed, even the baby in a raincoat, suggesting a need for protection against an unknown, possibly harsh, environment. This careful preparation is juxtaposed with a question about going to the circus with the "lost and the dispossessed," immediately establishing a tone of displacement and vulnerability. The repeated image of being like "birds of the Wild West" who "come" when a "crumb" is thrown highlights a sense of desperation and being drawn to whatever sustenance is available, no matter how meager. The central tension lies in the narrator's relationship with a love that "keeps shining" even though "our time has passed." This suggests a lingering connection to someone or something from the past, a source of comfort amidst the present hardship. The imagery of "rain will pound" and a "violin will fall from the Devil's chin" creates a sense of impending doom or overwhelming sorrow, yet the promise of being "home at last" offers a paradoxical solace. It seems the narrator is clinging to the memory of love as a guiding force toward an ultimate, perhaps spiritual, peace, even as external circumstances are dire. The most striking craft element is the recurring motif of the "bird of the Wild West." This metaphor is developed through the narrator's own experience: being laid down "among the poor" after receiving an orchid, mirroring the family's earlier preparation. The act of pinning a blossom to the narrator's chest while lying among the poor is a poignant image, suggesting a fragile beauty or dignity bestowed upon the vulnerable. The repetition of "buttoned it up and down" and "the joys of the open road" creates a hypnotic, almost ritualistic feel, emphasizing the cyclical nature of their struggle and the deceptive allure of their nomadic existence. These lyrics resonate because they capture a profound sense of enduring hope and love against a backdrop of profound hardship and uncertainty. The juxtaposition of meticulous preparation with a precarious existence, and the promise of a final "home" despite the "Devil's chin," creates a powerful emotional landscape. The narrator's transformation into a "a bird of the Wild West" underscores a surrender to their circumstances, yet the persistent "shining" love suggests an internal resilience that transcends their external "lost and dispossessed" state.