The song is about a boy falling in love for the first time at a carnival, and he believed at first that his lover was just as inexperienced as he was, but she isn't. All the "beery boys" know her too well. She lied by saying she was innocent. The shine he speaks of is the light of innocence in her eyes. How can someone have such innocent eyes and clearly be so worldly.
The whole song is a tribute to the loss of innocence. How things and people that appear to be so fun, bright, and childlike (like carnivals) can, as you grow older, prove to be just a facade.
The song is about a boy falling in love for the first time at a carnival, and he believed at first that his lover was just as inexperienced as he was, but she isn't. All the "beery boys" know her too well. She lied by saying she was innocent. The shine he speaks of is the light of innocence in her eyes. How can someone have such innocent eyes and clearly be so worldly.
The whole song is a tribute to the loss of innocence. How things and people that appear to be so fun, bright, and childlike (like carnivals) can, as you grow older, prove to be just a facade.