LYRIC DISSECTION: Dirty Paws

About a week ago, I posted a review of My Head is An Animal by Of Monsters and Men. In ced review, I mentioned how I thought the song Dirty Paws eluded to World War Two.  Tonight, I explain this.

it starts around here:

once there was an animal
it had a son who mowed the lawn
the son was an o.k. guy
they had a pet dragonfly- A typical family

The dragonfly it ran away
but it came back with a story to say.- The dragonfly might be a member of the family rather than a pet. The family member goes to war. The use of a fly suggests that they were a pilot.

her dirty paws and furry coat
she ran down the forest floor- A soldier

the forest of talking trees
they used to sing about the birds and the bees- Nostalgia for a peaceful europe.

the bees had declared a war
the sky wasn't big enough for them all- the bees are germany, attempting to expand their rule over europe.

The birds they got help from below
from dirty paws and the creatures of snow- the birds are england, dirty paws are america, and the creatures of snow are the U.S.S.R. forming the allies

and for a while things were cold
they were scared down in their holes- occupied europe in the grip of the nazis. the "cold" suggests a reference to the hunger winter

the forest that once was green
was coloured black by those killing machines- the destruction of europe and sacred historical sites during the bombings

but she and her furry friends
took down the queen bee and her men
and that's how the story goes
the story of those beasts with their four dirty paws- the defeat of the nazis and end of the war.

the use of bees for nazis suggests a reference to the orderly and thoughtless fashion the nazis were run

and that is why i think that song is about ww2.  in parting, i leave you with: