Posted by Zach Bran is definitely one of the biggest stars of recent country music. He released his fourth official album, Zach Bryan, in August 2023, with songs like I Remember Everything and Tourniquet that were loved by fans. And just a few weeks later, a new EP was out, Boys Of Faith. Five new songs that surprised everybody, and one of them, the title track, is a collaboration with Justin Vernon and his indie band Bon Iver. The lyrics have a beautiful meaning: you’ll find them at the end of the article, but let’s explore the song first.
Boys of Faith: the lyrics & their meaning
Boys Of Faith is a song about everlasting friendship: in the lyrics, Zach Bryan and Justin Vernon celebrate the presence of a group of friends who are always there in the moment of need. They are called the “boys of faith” because their weight in our lives feels like a religion: a safe place to count on when we need security.
When the song starts, the singer seems to talk with someone who doesn’t believe in friendship. “Boys like us fade away,” they say. But the truth is different: these friends were always there when Zach Bryan was down. He could rely on them.
You said it gave your heart somethin’ to believe in
‘Cause boys like us fade away
But you stuck around when I was down
And I’ll owe you all my days
Them boys of faith
Them boys of faith
So the singer pays homage to them in his usual, poetic way. He mentions the high tide, the cycle of nature, and the instincts that brought him to hang out with them again. Trying to make some money and deal with life. Together, forever: the feeling is that this group of friends will always be there for each other. And that’s why they are the boys of faith: because this presence, this constancy, this reliability, it all feels like a religion.
High tide, it’s been risin’ up
I’ve been gettin’ up with some boys I used to know
We’re tryin’ to get our pockets up
This year has just been movin’ f–in’ slow
Therefore, this is the real meaning behind the lyrics of Boys of Faith: you’ve always been there for me, and I owe you my stability, my life. Thanks for being there. You are something I can believe in. You are what I have faith in.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics and the official streaming
High tide, it’s been risin’ up
I’ve been gettin’ up with some boys I used to know
We’re tryin’ to get our pockets up
This year has just been movin’ f–in’ slow
You were comin’ out to Pineville, it was freezin’ cold
I’m gettin’ old by the day
You said it gave your heart somethin’ to believe in
‘Cause boys like us fade away
But you stuck around when I was down
And I’ll owe you all my days
Them boys of faith
Them boys of faith
High tide, it’s been risin’ up
I’ve been gettin’ up with some boys I used to know
We’re tryin’ to get our pockets up
This year has just been movin’ f–in’ slow
You were takin’ photos of me in Kentucky
Sayin’ we were lucky for the light
Who’da thought those things would find a billboard
Way out in New York at night
Thinkin’ of the times that you didn’t bat an eye
All those times of shade
Them boys of faith
Them boys of faith
High tide, it’s been risin’ up
I’ve been gettin’ up with some boys I used to know
We’re tryin’ to get our pockets up
This year has just been movin’ f–in’ slow
