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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Grass Widows
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the moons want me to be swallowed by the sea
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
We grew the garden snake within the weeds
Laid each other long across a flat back street
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
We felt the sun leave us for the west
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
We ran a white flag up the mast
Puckered up like a widow gleaming in the grass
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
Like we saw black, like we saw black and blue
You placed up in the foolish snow up, cover loose
Like we saw black, like we saw brow, green, too
You saw an often but it’s over too soon
Like we saw black, running a million times
I found you in the fundamental with the mind
Like we saw black, lying in gold and white
I love this song and till you love me all night
We threw our money to the river stones
Led each other to the woods to wander back alone
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
We let the taste linger in the mouth
South Chicago never gave us more to sing about
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
The lyrics to Iron & Wine's "Grass Widows" evoke a sense of discovery and shared experience between two people. The opening lines describe them finding each other "blown between the trees," as if they are both wanderers in life who have finally stumbled upon one another. They are united in their desire to see the colors of the world, as if they have been living in a black and white existence up until this point.
As the song continues, there are references to the setting sun and the passing of time, which could suggest a bittersweet quality to their experience. But there is also a sense of joy and playfulness, as they "grew the garden snake within the weeds" and "ran a white flag up the mast." They are living in the moment, fully present with each other and with the beauty around them.
The final lines suggest that their shared experience has both enriched their lives and made them more aware of what they are missing. They have thrown their money to the river stones and explored the woods together, but South Chicago "never gave us more to sing about." In the end, they are left with each other, and the hope that their love will last through the night.
Overall, "Grass Widows" is a song about finding connection and beauty in the world, even in its most unexpected places. It is about taking risks and seizing the moment, and recognizing the fleeting nature of our experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
We found each other blown between the trees
We stumbled upon each other by chance, amidst the obstacles of life
Where the moons want me to be swallowed by the sea
In a place where the forces of nature seem to be conspiring against me
Like we finally saw the colors of the world
As if we finally realized the beauty and complexity of life
We grew the garden snake within the weeds
We nurtured something small and humble amidst unfavorable circumstances
Laid each other long across a flat back street
We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and intimate in an ordinary, unremarkable place
We felt the sun leave us for the west
We were aware of time passing and the impermanence of joy
And the lips always folding farther from the breast
The distance between us grew greater, and our closeness became a memory
We ran a white flag up the mast
We surrendered to the passage of time and inevitable change
Puckered up like a widow gleaming in the grass
We were left with a bittersweet longing, like a widow who cherishes memories of the past
Like we saw black, like we saw black and blue
We experienced pain and suffering, both physical and emotional
You placed up in the foolish snow up, cover loose
You were reckless and careless, and I had to clean up after you
Like we saw black, like we saw brow, green, too
We went through a range of emotions, from darkness and sorrow to hope and growth
You saw an often but it’s over too soon
You saw the best of me, but our time together had to come to an end
Like we saw black, running a million times
We kept repeating the same mistakes, trapped in a cycle of pain and regret
I found you in the fundamental with the mind
I found something essential and valuable in you, beyond appearances or circumstances
Like we saw black, lying in gold and white
We experienced contrasts and contradictions, from darkness and despair to beauty and hope
I love this song and till you love me all night
I long for your affection and attention, even if it's just for a little while like this song
We threw our money to the river stones
We let go of material possessions and embraced the simplicity of nature
Led each other to the woods to wander back alone
We guided each other through a journey of self-discovery, but ultimately had to walk our own path
We let the taste linger in the mouth
We savored the memories and sensations of our time together
South Chicago never gave us more to sing about
Our surroundings were mundane and uninspiring, but we found meaning and beauty in each other
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind