Shinedown: Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) Meaning

Song Released: 2010

Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) Lyrics

I am the shadow, and the smoke in your eyes
I am the ghost, that hides in the night

Boom-lay boom-lay, boom! (repeat x4)

Wait, wait a minute take a step back,
Gotta think twice before you react.
So stay, stay a little while cause a...

1. anonymous

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   Sep 29th 2011 !⃝

   I have though "diamond eyes" to symbolize looking through the eyes of a predator. such as a snake or a cat, like how sometimes their eyes become diamond shaped

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
2. anonymous

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   Sep 8th 2011 !⃝

   The song is clearly about someone going to war, walking into battle and judging his life after/during. Possibly literally communicating with a loved one at home or just an internal monologue as they go into battle:
   
   I'm on the front line
   don't worry I'll be fine
   this story is just beginning
   
   the next is the soldier steeling himself for the carnage:
   
   I say good-bye to my weakness
   so long to my regrets
   
   The diamond-eyes part is interpreted as both hardened eyes and clarified vision. After seeing what he's seen he's hardened to every day life and nothing appears as soft or simple as it did before. The clarity comes in as he now sees pain and destruction clearly and literally the action slows down for him.
   
   The middle of the conflict the POV takes a hit and reflects briefly on his life and situation, wondering what his life is worth, what carries more weight: the people he's loved or the people he's hurt. Finally he realizes that he's just expendable.
   
   the Boomlay boomlay boom is definitely right out of the poem "the congo" for the movie that the expendables was derived.
   
   You can read it here: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/Lindsay/lindsay.html#congo
   
   the boomlay boomlay boom appears to be an onamonapia of a tribal ritual performed with broomsticks on empty barrels. It's juxtaposed with imagery of death destruction and war.
   
   I think it's use in the song is more of a shout-out to the poem rather than trying to be something original.
3. Kas

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   Jul 30th 2011 !⃝

   'I watch Angels fall from the sky' Gunships fire flares to counteract heat seeking missiles that create a smoke trail shaped like angels called Angel Flares.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 14th 2011 !⃝

   It's clearly a war song. He says he'll be "on the front line" and he has to say "goodbye to my weakness".
   Then in the verse he curses and says he took one in the chest (he got shot). This is also shown by the singer saying "boom lay" repeatedly which is meant to sound like a gunshot.
   The phrase "diamond eyes" could have two meanings, both of which would fit the song. Diamonds are characterized by what? Being nearly unbreakable, in fact they're often used as saws because they're so strong. So the singer would be saying that he sees through "tough and unbreakable" eyes. Considering all the carnage and death he'd see on the front lines, he needs to see like that.
   The second possible meaning of the phrase "diamond eyes" is tears. When you cry your eyes can sparkle like diamonds. This would fit because he's just been shot, plus he's seeing so much death. It also shows a deep contrast to his "tough guy" attitude throughout the song.
   Whichever interpretation you prefer, its definitely a fabulous song.
5. anonymous

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   Jul 12th 2011 !⃝

   boom lay was a war chant diamond eye can mean many different things maby he sees the flash of light coming off a scope there are many ways to think about diamond eyes another thought is they are mercenary's maby diamond eyes is the money they are getting because of killing
6. anonymous

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   Jul 11th 2011 !⃝

   Just with the line "every time that the sun still sets/ I pray they don't take mine" I interpret as using the homonym "sun" and "son". Just every night praying your children are safe. Especialy when you look at the rest of the song, I know one of my brother's (who is in the Navy) greatest fears when he leaves home is that something will happen to his 2 kids. Or seeing the pain of war, a military officer praying their children won't join the military. Just so their kids never have to see what they've seen.
7. anonymous

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   Jul 11th 2011 !⃝

   so diamond eyes, i'm thinking of a snake in the garden of eden tempting eve - seeing with diamond eyes...maybe being able to see the evil in the world

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
8. anonymous

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   Jun 20th 2011 !⃝

   I think you guys all have it wrong. In my opinion thats what they want you to think. They want you to focus on the fact people are "dying". When in fact Diamond eyes could simply mean you need to see through more than one perspective. Its about whatever you want it to be about because simply put, everyone will think what they want. Its a story of the person listening, not the person singing.
9. anonymous

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   Jun 12th 2011 !⃝

   This song is a war chant or a push to act, quote "one push is all you need, fist first philosophy"
10. anonymous

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    May 19th 2011 !⃝

    boom lay is when a soldier is shot and killed. and diamond eyes is saying that he has seen the hardships of war, or something else, and can handle it.
11. RockerGod223

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    May 17th 2011 !⃝

    I get the feeling its about war. Boom-meaning a grenade, heavy gunfire, tank fire, or bombings. Lay-meaning lay down for cover or a KIA. Diamond Eyes- I bet it meant the Last thing the soldier sees before being comfirmed KIA or it meant "Everything is now clear to me" like a diamond.
12. anonymous

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    Apr 18th 2011 !⃝

    We were wanting the meaning of the lyrics... not the origin from which they were manifested. I agree that hardened eyes is an accurate interpretation. I've only heard the stories that my husband has shared with me and his fellow brothers. If we seen what they have seen, our views would be changed forever. Thus, hardening the eyes makes it less complicated to cope with.
13. anonymous

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    Apr 12th 2011 !⃝

    Do your research ppl!! It comes from a poem by Vachel Lindsay entitled "The Congo", which is what the movie "The Expendables is based on. The song was made for the movie
14. anonymous

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    Feb 11th 2011 !⃝

    Boom-Lay Boom-lay-Boom is a tribal war chant. Diamond eyes means that they've hardened themselves to the horrors of battle which goes hand in hand with the line "We watch with wounded eyes" which means that they've seen things to scar them for life. Seriously people think about it.
15. anonymous

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    Feb 7th 2011 !⃝

    I think that "Boom-Lay" means: a shot was fired(Boom), and the person who got shot died and fell on the ground (lay)

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