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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Mr. Soul
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the thought that I caught that my head in the event of the season
Why in crowds just a trace of my face could seem so pleasin'
I'll cop out to the change, but a stranger is putting the tease on
I was down on a frown when the messenger brought me a letter
I was raised by the praise of a fan who said I upset her
But any girl in the world could have easily known me better
She said, "You're strange, but don't change," and I let her
So in a while will the smile on my face turn to plaster
Stick around while the clown who is sick does a trick of disaster
For the race of my head and my face is moving much faster
Is it strange I should change, I don't know, why don't you ask her
Is it strange I should change, I don't know
The song "Mr. Soul" by Iron & Wine is a cover of a song by Neil Young. The lyrics of the song are poetic and introspective, exploring the idea of change and how it can be perceived by others. The singer of the song addresses "Mr. Soul" and admits to feeling lost and in need of a reason for the changes happening in his life. He wonders why people seem to be pleased with just a trace of his face in a crowd and questions if it is strange that he should change.
The second verse of the song introduces a messenger who brings the singer a letter from a fan who he upset. The singer reflects on the praise he has received from fans but acknowledges that any girl in the world could have known him better. The fan tells him he is strange but encourages him not to change, and he complies. The chorus of the song repeats the question of whether it is strange that the singer should change.
The final verse of the song describes the singer's inner turmoil as he wonders if the smile on his face will turn to plaster and if he is moving too fast. He ends the song by asking "why don't you ask her" if it is strange that he should change, leaving the interpretation of his inner struggle up to the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Well hello Mr. Soul, I dropped by to pick up a reason
The singer visits Mr. Soul to find an explanation for why they are feeling a certain way.
For the thought that I caught that my head in the event of the season
The singer is trying to understand a thought that came to them during a significant time period.
Why in crowds just a trace of my face could seem so pleasin'
The singer is puzzled by how they can be perceived positively in a group of people even though they feel personally unremarkable.
I'll cop out to the change, but a stranger is putting the tease on
The artist acknowledges the changes they have made to themselves, but feels unsure about the motives of someone who is teasing them about it.
I was down on a frown when the messenger brought me a letter
The artist received bad news that caused them to be sad.
I was raised by the praise of a fan who said I upset her
The singer was brought up to believe that causing people to have strong emotions, even negative ones, was a good thing.
But any girl in the world could have easily known me better
The singer realizes that despite people claiming to know them, they are not truly understood by anyone.
She said, "You're strange, but don't change," and I let her
Despite being misunderstood, the artist's partner accepts them for who they are and encourages them to stay true to themselves.
So in a while will the smile on my face turn to plaster
The artist worries that their happy demeanor is not genuine and will eventually fade.
Stick around while the clown who is sick does a trick of disaster
The artist compares themselves to a sick clown who puts on a show that can go terribly wrong at any moment, and asks someone to stay with them through it.
For the race of my head and my face is moving much faster
The singer feels overwhelmed by the speed at which things in their life are changing.
Is it strange I should change, I don't know, why don't you ask her
The artist is uncertain about whether their personal growth is negative or positive, and suggests that someone who knows them well could provide a more clear answer.
Is it strange I should change, I don't know
The singer reiterates their own uncertainty about whether they have changed for better or worse.
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
saum02
love this version :)
ennabird
this is so awesome!! thanks for posting.