Florence and the Machine – My Boy Builds Coffins

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  My Interpretation:Although in literal terms, the song portrays a boy who humbly builds coffins, however it invokes in me the feeling that there's also a broader significance, and that the song is metaphorical for the fact that death comes to us all, the rich and the poor both (death being, in this sense, the 'grand equalizer').
  That the boy doesn't build glorious things like ships or other objects which serve us in daily life (like tables or toys), but rather puts care into coffins, and metaphorically, into death. This boy builds the coffins with care, but they're not appreciated for their beauty or worth, and I find this effects in me the feeling that we often lack of appreciation for the imminence of death.

  Flag KayVeeon May 12, 2013   Link

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  My Opinion:well, sorry for by bad english guys, but this is what i think:
  
  i think this song is about a guy who destroy his own life, and on the way "builds coffins" for the others, for her, and soon your coffin will be ready too, because this is what he is doing, he builds coffins for people, maybe not physicl, its an allagory for a man who loves her, taking care and everything, but same time he builds her coffin. "its not just for work and it is'nt for play" that means he loves it, he like built "coffins" for people who trust him, for people who not- for everyone. and this is how he broke her heart- he buried it.

  Flag eliny211on February 06, 2013   Link

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  Song Meaning:Florence actually wrote this song because her boyfriend was making a coffin for album art and was to buisy to take her to the movies so she got annoyed and wrote this song

  Flag Mirra99on December 01, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:i think this song is literally about a boy who builds coffins. bec what i always do when analysing a piece of poetry or music is i always first ask the question: is this telling me something straight up or is it hidden in between the lines. this man is just a humble coffin maker and he just sits there and does it all day. he doesnt make anything else bec he has a passion for what he does. he gets ppl from all sorts of classes and lives that talk to him about their loved ones' deaths and how they were when they were alive. hes like alison from pretty little liars. its like the boy is this person who builds a coffin and does nothing els, but in the process ppl tell him their secrets, bec theyre vulnerable since they lost a loved one. so i think of him as this spider weaving his web and listening to the different ppl of the world. he doesnt do it for play or work, so he does it for the sake of doing it. meaning he does it and waits for things to come along. it shows a metaphor of how he just gives every1 their funeral coffin and moves on, although very clear i dont like to think of the guy as death... maybe death embodied in a human, as in he is someone neutral andknows that death is coming and that its not a bad thing so hes made coffins for all bec he thinks of death as a long term bon voyage

  Flag mohamed377on September 12, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I know this may be a way off interpretation, but it just came to mind, and in the music industry I think it is a possibility.
  
  I think it's about being in love with a drug dealer.
  
  "My boy builds coffins, with hammers and nails"
  her man is killing people with his drugs
  
  "He doesn't build ships he has no use for sails,
  doesn't make tables, dressers or chairs,
  he can't carve a whistle cuz he just doesn't care"
  Why would he do anything else when he makes money easily selling one thing
  
  "My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor
  Kings and queens; they've all knocked on his door
  Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves
  They all come to him 'cause he's so eager to please"
  He'll sell to everyone, because he wants money, and possibly for people to like him and respect him
  
  "My boy builds coffins he makes them all day
  But it's not just for work and it isn't for play
  He's made one for himself
  One for me too
  One of these days he'll make one for you
  For you, for you, for you"
  This I'm not 100% sure about. Basically these "deals" he's making have become his life. I think it could mean that he deals with her the same way as he does his clients, and has her hooked on whatever it is he's selling (in her case love, or some form of affection/attention)and that some day he will find a way to sell to you to. (love and/or drugs)
  
  "My boy builds coffins for better or worse
  Some say its a blessing, some say its a curse
  He fits them together in sunshine or rain
  Each one is unique, no two are the same"
  I think this part, is still a reference to marriage but maybe a reference to that he's married to his job, and that it's "a blessing" because he makes alot of money, and has alot of respect, but is also a "curse" because he doesn't care/respect/love her like he should. He does his job no matter what. He makes each customer feel special "no 2 are the same". This may also be her realizing, that that's one of his gift, and how he 'sold himself' to her was making her feel special, when infact she wasn't.
  
  
  "My boy builds coffins and I think it's a shame
  That when each one's been made, he can't see it again
  He crafts everyone with love and with care
  Then it's thrown in the ground, it just isn't fair"
  I think this is her feeling bad for his 'customers' that one each one is fucked up enough, it dies, or becomes poor, or he stops caring about being nice to them because he doesn't care for their business, they "thrown in the ground" and she realizes this will happen to her too (or it already has) and it's not fair.
  
  
  Just my thoughts.

  Flag Nevaraon June 14, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I think there are three layers to this song, and it has a slightly different meaning at each of them. At face value, it's about a girl narrating whose "boy" (boyfriend, I assume) is a coffin-builder. He has an endless, thankless task and devotes his life to making accoutrements for death. Then we also get the kings, beggars, etc. who are all equalized and put into coffins at the end of their lives. But for each of these people, the experience is different. I wonder not only about the coffin-maker but about this narrator who is so close to him. She seems to be frustrated on his behalf and shares little about herself.

  Flag sandrineeliseon January 09, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I think interpretations relating it so closely with the source of inspiration (an ex who decided he'd rather work on a coffin for an album cover than go out with her?) are doing this song a disservice. Not all songs are about romantic relationships; not all songs are about the singer herself and people she actually knows; not all songs are complex metaphors.
  
  This song is a story with characters, a craftsman passionate about his job and someone close to him, maybe his wife or friend or older sister or mother. It's wrapped in a thematic layer of equality in death, but that's not the only important part. One reason why this song is so great is because it manages to convey so much about these two people in so few words. The storytelling aspect needs to be acknowledged too :(

  Flag sockpuppyon December 26, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:This reminds of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gamin :D

  Flag Carmabellon November 26, 2011   Link

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• +2
  Song Meaning:I think, in addition to being a literal tale from Florence's life, perhaps "my boy" is Death? Someone mentioned it as being the equalizer, which is very true. He "builds coffins" for everyone because everyone dies, and we all are going to meet an end somehow, regardless of "sunshine or rain". Of course, we all try to postpone it, and not even Death wholly enjoys his job ("...you can never see it again"), regardless of the work he puts in ("crafts every one with love & care").

  Flag Phuckerson November 11, 2011   Link

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    You're right on the money. The boy is Death, and his job unfortunately snuffs out beautiful lives (represented by unique coffins) and then buries them where people will forget.

    Flag BaruchSon December 03, 2011  
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  General Comment:I also believe that she refers to death as her boy because she's well acquainted with him/it.
  Most people have had to deal with family members or pets dying before they reach 13.

  Flag murderRatson September 14, 2011   Link

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