Below is my lit assignment which i sped 2h composing and analyzing, no offense whatsoever, it is just a homework!

Analyse and write your interpretation of the song "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine from Twillight soundtrack, hint: commenting on society in general.

In general, the song is commenting on America society, pointing out the dark side she have that had overwhelmed the justice and righteousness.

The first verse talks about America in her early stage. ‘Quick’ is used as America’s history is shorter than most countries. These founders of States strived hard to build up the nation, just as described, diving deep for coins. Then other countries started to grow interest on America, mainly because of the American Dream, where it is described as eyeing on the boy’s toys. Yet all these efforts of the States early settlers were in vain when laws and regulations established, forcing America to follow the society, leaving the past life behind; cut my long baby hair, where long again suggest the effort of States early settlers had put in building up the nation. Dog implies loyalty, and map implies direction, therefore by stealing a dog-eared map probably means that America had no choice but to follow the direction society wants her to follow, therefore using ‘stole’ as the direction is not hers. The last phrase ‘called for you everywhere’ suggests that America do not have her own mind already therefore needing the society.

The second verse talks about America in her current stage. She is now but a lazy, well-fed cat, treating her tongue that could attack painfully by being frank. This refers to all those scientists revealing defects of other countries hurting many hearts. Then again, ironically, she couldn’t manage her own internal problems such as the Federal and crime rates. This is expressed in the expression where she could only watch the "poison rats" that come through the "wide fence cracks". These ‘rats’ knew that the society is misleading therefore pissed on the magazine photos. Blood of Christ mountain stream symbolizes the pure living and spiritualism, and this is only a lure for the innocence, and true enough these magazine photos were thrown away later, indicating that the society debases religion and honest living. The mountain stream reinforces earlier expression of the wet boy diving for coins. Everything has been lost and flattened and is used as nothing more than advertisement and cast aside, and our basic humanity is lost in its pages.

In the first chorus America was uncertain if she had founded a nation by following the society as religion (flightless bird) had been lost to jealousy and war (when in war, Federal makes money but people would be deprived) and freedom of speech (American mouth) being threatened by the dark side (might be killed anytime).

In the first chorus America was uncertain if she had founded a nation by following the society as religion was confined and attacked (by sciences) and those daring souls that had spoke up dead (big pill=dangerous drug, going down=swallowed).
Therefore the whole song is commenting about the cruelty of America behind the scenes, after devastating the past and now masked by the potency, wealth and advancement of technology.

Here's the lyrics:

Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Iron & Wine

I was a quick wet boy, diving too deep for coins
All of your street light eyes wide on my plastic toys

And when the cops closed the fair, I cut my long baby hair

Stole me a dog-eared map and called for you everywhere

Have I found you
Flightless bird, jealous, weeping or lost you, american mouth
Big pill looming

Now I'm a fat house cat
Nursing my sore blunt tongue
Watching the warm poison rats curl through the wide fence cracks
Pissing on magazine photos
Those fishing lures thrown in the cold
And clean blood of Christ mountain stream

Have I found you
Flightless bird, grounded, bleeding or lost you, american mouth
Big pill stuck going down