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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Sleeping Diagonally
Iron & Wine Lyrics
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Somethin' whispered words like rain is falling
Heavy, and she hated, loved to fight
Someone from the sun-cracked sidewalk calling out, "Yoo-hoo"
Hey, uh huh
Sometime I may trade this bone-tired fist
Heavy as a healing word and wind
Someone from the sun-cracked sidewalk calling out, "Yoo-hoo"
Hey, uh huh
The lyrics of Iron & Wine's song "Sleeping Diagonally" are quite abstract, leaving much room for interpretation. To me, the song speaks about a conflicted relationship, a love-hate dynamic that the singer is dealing with. The "rain is falling heavy" metaphor suggests that the experience of being with the other person is both overwhelming and cleansing, like a heavy rain that cleanses the soul. However, the next line "and she hated, loved to fight" emphasizes that the relationship is tumultuous, and that conflict is a central part of it. The use of the third person "she" further adds to the detachment that the singer feels in the relationship.
The second verse speaks about a desire to move on, to "trade this bone-tired fist" and remove the "heavy" mattress that symbolizes the weight of the relationship. The use of the phrase "heavy as a healing word and wind" is intriguing, as healing is usually associated with lightness and freedom, while wind is often seen as a destructive force. This contrast could reflect the duality of the singer's emotions, where he wants to move on from the relationship, but also acknowledge the healing power of their connection.
Ultimately, the song is a reflection of the complexities of relationships, and the ambiguous emotions that come with them. The use of strong imagery and poetic language creates a sense of depth and nuance that invites the listener to reflect on their own experiences of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Somehow when you laid here by my side
The singer felt like an unknown force was inspiring them to think about how they felt when the person whom they wrote the song about laid next to them.
Somethin' whispered words like rain is fallin'
The singer was hearing a voice, persuading them to think about the feeling of the rain, and how it's comparable to the words raining down on them that they couldn't comprehend, while falling asleep next to the person they loved.
Heavy, and she hated, loved to fight
The singer felt a weight, almost ominous presence during their sleep, and they suspected that the person next to them loved conflict, making it harder for the singer to express their affection for them.
Someone from the sun-cracked sidewalk calling out, 'Yoo-hoo'
The artist hears the sound of someone calling out with a sense of urgency or eagerness, making them feel like someone is trying to connect with them from a distance.
Hey, uh huh
The artist adds this phrase almost as an empty thought, as if they're dismissing the call as an intrusion or simply acknowledging it but not understanding its source.
Sometime I may trade this bone-tired fist
The singer may be considering swapping their worn-out body( which they titled their fist), with one that's more like a well-oiled machine.
Somewhere I'll remove this mattress lyin'
The singer is uncertain about what the future holds for them but is hopeful for a time when they'll awake from the stupor that's keeping them from exhibiting their emotions.
Heavy as a healing word and wind
The heavy thoughts and concerns that the artist has begun to lose sleep over could provide the therapeutic energy and power to help them become more at ease.
Someone from the sun-cracked sidewalk calling out, 'Yoo-hoo'
The artist hears the call again and is aware of it, but still unable to understand who is calling or why.
Hey, uh huh
The phrase is repeated again to close the loop, giving the sense that the artist is listening, but still unsure what to do or say in response.
Contributed by Taylor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.