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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Cinder and Smoke
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The dog in the garden row is covered in mud
And dragging your mother's clothes
Cinder and smoke
The snake in the basement
Found the juniper shade
The farmhouse is burning down
And take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast
And high as the flame will rise
Cinder and smoke
Some whispers around the trees
The juniper bends
As if you were listening
Give me your hand
Your mother is drunk as all the firemen shake
A photo from father's arms
Cinder and smoke
You'll ask me to pray for rain
With ash in your mouth
You'll ask it to burn again
The lyrics of Cinder and Smoke by Iron & Wine describe a chaotic and desperate situation. The repetition of the phrase "Cinder and smoke" throughout the song represents destruction and chaos, whether it's the farmhouse burning down or the aftermath of the fire. The first verse depicts a muddy dog in a garden row, and a snake in the basement, which contributes to the overall feeling of disarray. However, the most significant sense of urgency comes in the third verse, where the singer reaches out to someone and asks them to take their hand. The situation is dire, as the mother is drunk, the father is nowhere to be found, and the house is burning down.
The song's lyrics evoke a sense of helplessness in the face of disaster, but it also suggests that salvation might still be possible. The singer asks for someone's hand, which could represent the possibility of forming a human connection and working together to overcome the tragedy. The line "As if you were listening" creates ambiguity by suggesting that the juniper trees might be a source of comfort or provide answers. However, it is also possible that the trees are merely symbolic of the overall destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me your hand
The singer is requesting physical comfort and emotional support from the listener.
The dog in the garden row is covered in mud
The dog is dirty, implying chaos, disorder, and perhaps neglect. Garden rows suggest a sense of order that has been disrupted.
And dragging your mother's clothes
The dog's muddy paws leave marks on the mother's clothes, perhaps symbolizing the dog's disruptive nature affecting the family unit.
Cinder and smoke
A repeated refrain throughout the song, indicating destruction, turmoil, and chaos.
The snake in the basement
An unwelcome presence that's hidden out of sight and difficult to eradicate, perhaps representing issues or problems that are difficult to deal with.
Found the juniper shade
The snake has found refuge in the juniper tree, which could symbolize the difficulty of addressing underlying issues that need to be addressed.
The farmhouse is burning down
A major crisis occurring, that everything is being destroyed, particularly noteworthy because the wrecking of a home implies a deep sense of tragedy.
And take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast
The artist is willing to share everything they have immediately with the listener, providing reassurance during a time of upheaval.
And high as the flame will rise
The artist is willing to go to great lengths to comfort and support the listener during a tumultuous time.
Some whispers around the trees
The presence of whispers, particularly around trees which are often symbolized as symbols for life and growth, imply that secrets or rumors are being spread or that a community is in distress.
The juniper bends, as if you were listening
The juniper tree bends, seeming to lend an ear, as if it signifies listening, perhaps indicating that the community is listening to the singer.
Your mother is drunk as all the firemen shake
The mother is drinking to cope with the tragedy, further escalating the crisis. Firemen, who are usually seen as symbols for rescue, salvation, and prevention, seem shaken or stunned by the tremendous calamity that's occurred.
A photo from father's arms
Perhaps a family photo that shows happier times before the devastating occurrence took place. The father, whose arms are featured in the photograph, might be deceased or absent.
You'll ask me to pray for rain
A plea for divine mercy and assistance during a time of need and crisis.
With ash in your mouth
Ash in the mouth metaphorically could represent bitterness about the tragedy that took place or fear about an uncertain future.
You'll ask it to burn again
Even though the fire caused so much destruction, the artist predicts that the listener will plea for the fire to happen again. This line might signify that without the fire, the listener might not be able to cope or summon hope.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xMDxOfficial
Give me your hand
The dog in the garden row is covered in mud
And dragging your mother's clothes
Cinder and smoke
The snake in the basement
Found the juniper shade
The farmhouse is burning down
Give me your hand
And take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast
And high as the flame will rise
Cinder and smoke
Some whispers around the trees
The juniper bends
As if you were listening
Give me your hand
Your mother is drunk as all the firemen shake
A photo from father's arms
Cinder and smoke
You'll ask me to pray for rain
With ash in your mouth
You'll ask it to burn again
@CliveGulch
One of the most beautiful songs from the last 30 years
@jamesporter5468
Agreed
@SLOKO98
One of the truest comments ever left on YouTube
@kanedamikami7771
This Song makes me think of someone in a small boat alone in the open sea, watching from above.
@xMDxOfficial
Give me your hand
The dog in the garden row is covered in mud
And dragging your mother's clothes
Cinder and smoke
The snake in the basement
Found the juniper shade
The farmhouse is burning down
Give me your hand
And take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast
And high as the flame will rise
Cinder and smoke
Some whispers around the trees
The juniper bends
As if you were listening
Give me your hand
Your mother is drunk as all the firemen shake
A photo from father's arms
Cinder and smoke
You'll ask me to pray for rain
With ash in your mouth
You'll ask it to burn again
@MrScim1
So simply beautiful! I’d like to see it imagined as drawings or animation or something … 😮
@taxisteve929
Thank you for adding the lyrics. What is the other person said, simplistic and beautiful. I really enjoy the tone of that guitar. It’s a haunting tune. It would be a beautiful song if I didn’t know the lyrics. The melody and tune or simple, but very well played it and just beautiful as it is. I’ve always been biased towards pure acoustic, but I don’t mind a little bits of other things thrown in so long as they make sense and they’re not just being added to give the tuna more complex feel.
@jayjayjay391
Campfire song to warm hearts ❤️🔥
@madelycervantes4531
What a beautiful and pacefully song. I LOVE IT
@afraeskicirak
bringing peace to my soul