Beam was raised outside Columbia, South Carolina, United States where his father worked in land management and his mother was a schoolteacher. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor's degree and the Florida State University Film School with an MFA degree. Until the first Iron & Wine album, Beam's main source of income was as a professor of film and cinematography at the University of Miami and Miami International University of Art & Design. He had been writing songs for over seven years before a friend lent him a four-track recorder. His friends handed out copies of demos that he had made, and the owner of Sub Pop Records personally contacted Beam and proposed a deal.
Beam released his first album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, on the Sub Pop label in 2002; Beam wrote, performed, recorded, and produced every track on the album by himself at a studio in his home. The album features acoustic guitars, banjo, and slide guitar; its music has been compared, variously, to that of Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, Elliott Smith, and Ralph Stanley.
In 2003 The Sea & The Rhythm was released, an EP collecting other home-recorded tracks along the same lines as those on the debut. Beam's second album, Our Endless Numbered Days (2004), was recorded in a professional studio with a significant increase in fidelity. The focus still lies on acoustic material, but the inclusion of other band members gives rise to a very different sound.
Beam released an EP titled Woman King in February 2005, and the EP In the Reins, a collaboration with Calexico was released in September 2005. This joint work mostly features new full-band versions of previously recorded Iron and Wine rarities.
One of his most famous songs is a cover, which was featured on a commercial for M&M’s candies and in the 2004 film “Garden State” (and on its popular soundtrack), of "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service.
"Kiss Each Other Clean" is the fourth studio album by Iron & Wine, released January 25, 2011. The album's title is taken from the lyrics of track 10, "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me". The album marks a further change in style – in an interview with SPIN magazine, Beam said “It’s more of a focused pop record. It sounds like the music people heard in their parent’s car growing up… that early-to-mid-’70s FM, radio-friendly music."
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Beauty and Family
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ancient coins
And pockets full of earth
Chance I'll see you
Next December
Bathtub running
Joining hands
And naked as a bird
I'll remember
Pull the covers of the bed
The papers of the ground
Now a baby
Walks where you do
Take her book off of the shelf
And put your teacup down
Know my hopes
Lay beside you
You're camera set in motion
Take a picture of the ocean
Catch the seagull up above
Make a whisper of your love
Put your hair and watch it grow
This time durates the floor
You're a beauty in the family
Spend your money for the month
He can afford you more
Keep your courage like memory
You're camera set in motion
Take a picture of the ocean
Catch the seagull up above
Make a whisper of your love
The lyrics to Iron & Wine's "Beauty and Family" are a poetic ode to the fleeting moments of life and the importance of cherishing them. The opening lines of the song describe a collection of physical objects such as letters, coins, and earth which serve as reminders of memories past. The mention of "next December" suggests that the singer is contemplating the passage of time and the potential for missed opportunities.
The second stanza shifts to a more intimate scene, depicting two people joining hands and becoming "naked as a bird" in a bathtub. This image of vulnerability and trust is contrasted with the idea of the singer pulling the covers over a bed, perhaps indicating a sense of separation or loss. The lyrics then reference a baby walking in someone's footsteps, evoking the idea of a cycle of life and the passing down of knowledge and tradition.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the beauty of family and the importance of holding onto memories. The singer encourages the listener to capture moments through photographs and to whisper words of love, while also acknowledging the fleeting nature of time. The final lines of the song suggest that money cannot buy the kind of courage and memory necessary to truly appreciate the beauty of life.
Overall, "Beauty and Family" is a reflective and contemplative song that celebrates life's small moments and the connections that make them meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Reading letters
Reflecting on old correspondence
Ancient coins
Nostalgia for past memories and artifacts
And pockets full of earth
Literally carrying a piece of home
Chance I'll see you
Hopeful of reuniting with a distant partner
Next December
A potential timeframe for a reunion
Bathtub running
Preparing for a romantic bath together
Joining hands
Physical and emotional connection with partner
And naked as a bird
Vulnerable and exposed, but comfortable with partner
That's a vision
A beautiful memory
I'll remember
The memory will stick with me
Pull the covers of the bed
Preparing for intimacy
The papers of the ground
Messiness and impermanence of life
Now a baby
Next generation and continuation of love
Walks where you do
Inheriting and continuing traditions
Take her book off of the shelf
Passing on knowledge and love to the next generation
And put your teacup down
Taking a moment to focus on love and family, setting aside distractions
Know my hopes
Sharing and understanding each other's desires
Lay beside you
Intimacy and physical closeness
You're camera set in motion
Documenting and cherishing moments together
Take a picture of the ocean
Capturing the beauty and wonder of the world together
Catch the seagull up above
Taking time to appreciate the small joys in life
Make a whisper of your love
Expressing affection and intimacy in a gentle way
Put your hair and watch it grow
Enjoying and supporting each other's personal growth
This time durates the floor
Time seems to stand still when we're together
You're a beauty in the family
Belonging and being loved by family
Spend your money for the month
Prioritizing love and family over material possessions
He can afford you more
True value lies in love and connection, not material possessions
Keep your courage like memory
Persevering through hardships and holding onto strength
You're camera set in motion
Cherishing and documenting moments of love and growth together
Take a picture of the ocean
Appreciating the beauty and vastness of the world we share
Catch the seagull up above
Taking time to appreciate small wonders and joys that life offers
Make a whisper of your love
Expressing love and affection in a gentle and intimate way
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.