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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Lion's Mane
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you hear like you're alone
The rusted gears of morning
To faceless busy phones
We gladly run in circles
But the shape we meant to make is gone
Love is a tired symphony
Love is a crying baby
Mama warned you not to shake
Love is the best sensation
Hiding in the lion's mane
So I'll clear the road, the gravel
And the thornbush in your path
That burns a scented oil
That I'll drip into your bath
The water's there to warm you
And the earth is warmer
When you laugh
Love is a scene I render
When you catch me wide awake
Love's a dream you enter
Though I shake and shake and shake you
Love is the best endeavor
Waiting in the lion's mane
The lyrics of Iron & Wine's song "Lion's Mane" are both poetic and cryptic. The song speaks of love, and its various manifestations, as a theme that runs throughout the song. The first verse, "Run like a race for family / When you hear like you're alone / The rusted gears of morning / To faceless busy phones / We gladly run in circles / But the shape we meant to make is gone" discusses the struggle of modern life and how we often run aimlessly towards virtues like family, love, and relationships, without finding any real purpose. The line "But the shape we meant to make is gone" shows how we have lost our way amidst the chaos of our lives.
In the second verse, "Love is a tired symphony / Tou hum when you're awake / Love is a crying baby / Mama warned you not to shake / Love is the best sensation / Hiding in the lion's mane," the song elaborates on the concept of love, and how it is an emotion that can be complicated and, at times, burdensome like a crying baby. The line "Love is the best sensation / Hiding in the lion's mane" portrays love as a beautiful experience that can be scary and overwhelming to find, much like finding shelter in the den of a lion.
The final verse, "So I'll clear the road, the gravel / And the thornbush in your path / That burns a scented oil / That I'll drip into your bath / The water's there to warm you / And the earth is warmer / When you laugh," speaks about the sacrifices you make for the person you love. You try your best to make their life a little better and more comfortable. The line "The earth is warmer / When you laugh" shows how laughter can make all of those sacrifices worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Run like a race for family
The urgency with which we work and strive towards our goals is similar to that of a race, especially for the sake of our loved ones and family.
When you hear like you're alone
At times, we all experience loneliness and isolation, even when surrounded by people or an audience.
The rusted gears of morning
The mornings bring with them a sense of mechanical rigor, which may symbolize the drudgery of daily life and routine.
To faceless busy phones
Our growing dependence on technology and communication tools often means we lose human connection, leading to interactions with faceless screens rather than people.
We gladly run in circles
Despite the repetitiveness and lack of progress this brings, we seem to have accepted our routines and find some comfort in familiarity.
But the shape we meant to make is gone
Even as we run our circles, we miss out on achieving our true goals, and our lives may not necessarily take the shape we intended.
Love is a tired symphony
Love is often compared to music, but its melody may become monotonous and tiring with time and familiarity.
Tou hum when you're awake
However, even as love's music fades, we may still find ourselves humming it, sometimes involuntarily, even while awake.
Love is a crying baby
Love can be as fragile and demanding as a crying infant, which requires constant attention and nurturing.
Mama warned you not to shake
The line references the adage, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Even when love becomes challenging, we must exercise caution and not exacerbate its troubles.
Love is the best sensation
Despite its challenges, love is often considered the highest human experience and the most fulfilling emotion.
Hiding in the lion's mane
This line may imply that love can be both protective and fearsome, like a lion's mane. It may hide from our view or may be obscured by other emotions or experiences.
So I'll clear the road, the gravel
The singer declares his willingness to help his loved one through difficult times and remove obstacles from their path.
And the thornbush in your path
Even if the path to love may be treacherous, the singer promises to remove any painful or hurtful experiences his loved one may face.
That burns a scented oil
The singer seeks to comfort his loved one by burning scented oil, which symbolizes relaxation and calm.
That I'll drip into your bath
The oil is a metaphoric way of bringing comfort to his loved one, by joining them in their bath time to further comfort and ease their pain.
The water's there to warm you
The water is not just for bathing, but is also meant to warm and cleanse them symbolically from the emotional pain they are facing.
And the earth is warmer
The earth symbolizes safety and warmth, where our loved ones can find solace and comfort during tumultuous times.
When you laugh
Laughter is the ultimate salve, a beacon of hope, which can heal our emotional bruises and bruises that we might face in our lives.
Love is a scene I render
Love is an ever-present aspect of human experience, and the singer wants to portray its presence in his life and art.
When you catch me wide awake
The singer imagines love as a beautiful dream, one that he often relishes in and that he feels particularly aware of when he is awake.
Love's a dream you enter
Love is a state of being that one enters, and it requires constant action, effort, and maintenance, just like a dream requires effort or a constant tug of war between reality and dreams.
Though I shake and shake and shake you
This line communicates the difficulties and challenges sometimes associated with love, particularly when we are fighting with or trying to escape our own emotions.
Love is the best endeavor
Despite its challenges and obstacles, love remains the most worthy pursuit and the most valued human experience.
Waiting in the lion's mane
Love can be both scary and beautiful, and it deserves to be recognized, nurtured, and celebrated. It is the ultimate goal or happiness that waits for us within the lion's mane of life's daily routines and chaos.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Samuel Ervin Beam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@daisymayboyle7822
Lyrics:
Run like a race for family
When you hear like you're alone
The rusted gears of morning
To faceless busy phones
We gladly run in circles
But the shape we meant to make is gone
Love is a tired symphony
Tou hum when you're awake
Love is a crying baby
Mama warned you not to shake
Love is the best sensation
Hiding in the lion's mane
So I'll clear the road, the gravel
And the thornbush in your path
That burns a scented oil
That I'll drip into your bath
The water's there to warm you
And the earth is warmer
When you laugh
Love is a scene I render
When you catch me wide awake
Love's a dream you enter
Though I shake and shake and shake you
Love is the best endeavor
Waiting in the lion's mane
@justmeonthebeach
Run like a race for family
When you hear like you're alone
The rusted gears of morning
To faceless busy phones
We gladly run in circles
But the shape we meant to make is gone
Love is a tired symphony
You hum when you're awake
Love is a crying baby
Mama warned you not to shake
Love is the best sensation
Hiding in the lion's mane
So I'll clear the road, the gravel
And the thorn bush in your path
That burns a scented oil
That I'll drip into your bath
The water's there to warm you
And the earth is warmer
When you laugh
Love is a scene I render
When you catch me wide awake
Love's a dream you enter
Though I shake and shake and shake you
Love is the best endeavor
Waiting in the lion's mane
@missmariss99574
the thing that I love about Sam Beam is that his music is powerful in its simplicity... it doesn't need a bunch of gimmicks to hook you, it just grabs your soul.
@evan85canada
creek drank the cradle is the most folkie, lo-fi and authentic, a great album front to back. Probably closely followed by Our Endless Numbered Days
@espivapor777
the first time I listened to this song, i was speechless... such an amazing song.... sam beam rocks
@daisymayboyle7822
Lyrics:
Run like a race for family
When you hear like you're alone
The rusted gears of morning
To faceless busy phones
We gladly run in circles
But the shape we meant to make is gone
Love is a tired symphony
Tou hum when you're awake
Love is a crying baby
Mama warned you not to shake
Love is the best sensation
Hiding in the lion's mane
So I'll clear the road, the gravel
And the thornbush in your path
That burns a scented oil
That I'll drip into your bath
The water's there to warm you
And the earth is warmer
When you laugh
Love is a scene I render
When you catch me wide awake
Love's a dream you enter
Though I shake and shake and shake you
Love is the best endeavor
Waiting in the lion's mane
@novarainnoval
this song brings me sorrow and joy at the same time. no song has ever done that...
@florascent9ts
I love this song so much and when he played it live on KEXP a tear came to my eye when he broke into that alto. You can catch that performance if you search for "Lion's Mane live KEXP" or it should be in the recommended section if you've been on an Iron & Wine Marathon like me!
@Kangiol
Change the way you think about love: its expressions are so many that we can't even imagine all of them; try to find some kind of love for yourself in yourself and you'll discover that love lives in the smile of a stranger, in a little success, and someday you'll be able to meet someone else who will truly love you.
@DandyZero
Kangiol I appreciate comments like these that aren't just insecure people attempting to sound "deep"
@tuanjim799
Psilocybin will show you this 🍄 it’s a beautiful teacher, changed my life immensely for the better.
@jonathanolson1185
That's my sister! Crying by the tree and at the bus stop. She had a friend who knew a "music artist". Turns out it was Sam. They met and he asked her to be in the video! She said Sam was a really nice guy.