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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Straight And Narrow
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
And the devil makes good use of these hands of mine
And if Jesus is the straight path that saves
Then I'm condemned to live my whole life on the curb
On the crossroad to the devil, I'll dwell and I'll count my years
I guess that I'm just so easily led astray
It's alright because I know my own way back home from here
And I don't fall of the wagon you know
I take a dive and go as deep as I can go
Don't hold your breath because I'm coming up slow, this time.
And The trouble with the straight and the narrow
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
And the devil makes good use of these hands of mine
You know a little problem or two
I guess that I keep on taking a few
I've been told its not the best thing that I can do, right now
And I don't go looking for my sins you know
They come out waiting, and I just get on and go
Don't hold your breath because I'm coming up slow this time
And The trouble with the straight and the narrow
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
And the devil makes good use of these hands of mine
And if Jesus is the straight path that saves
Then I'm condemned to live my whole life on the curb
On the crossroad to the devil, I'll dwell and I'll count my years
And The trouble with the straight and the narrow
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
And the devil makes, the devil makes, good use of these hands of mine
In Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell's song "Straight and Narrow," the lyrics depict a struggle with temptation and the desire to lead a virtuous life. The first half of the chorus acknowledges the difficulty of resisting temptation, as the singer fails to stay on the narrow path and often indulges in sinful behavior - behavior that the devil eagerly exploits. The second half of the chorus introduces a religious element, acknowledging that following Jesus is the way to salvation, but admitting that the singer will likely never be able to stay on that righteous path. The verses express similar sentiments, with the singer admitting to being easily led astray and often succumbing to vices, despite being aware that it's not the best thing for them to do.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of internal conflict, as the singer acknowledges their flaws and struggles to maintain a straight and narrow path. Despite this, there is a sense of acceptance and even resignation - the acknowledgement that they will likely never be able to fully overcome their tendencies, but they are able to find their own way back home.
Line by Line Meaning
The trouble with the straight and the narrow
Being on the straight and narrow path is difficult
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
The path is narrow and easy to stray from
And the devil makes good use of these hands of mine
The singer is susceptible to being corrupted by temptation
And if Jesus is the straight path that saves
The artist is considering the merits of a righteous life
Then I'm condemned to live my whole life on the curb
The artist feels they are incapable of staying on the straight and narrow path
On the crossroad to the devil, I'll dwell and I'll count my years
The singer expects to follow a life of sin and face the consequences for it
You know that I got a little something I should say
The singer has something on their mind
I guess that I'm just so easily led astray
The artist admits to being easily influenced by temptation
It's alright because I know my own way back home from here
The artist believes they have the ability to find their way back to righteousness despite their flaws
And I don't fall of the wagon you know
The artist doesn't just occasionally slip up
I take a dive and go as deep as I can go
The singer actively engages in sinful behavior
Don't hold your breath because I'm coming up slow, this time.
The artist may be slower to repent and return to a righteous path
You know a little problem or two
The singer is aware of their shortcomings
I guess that I keep on taking a few
The singer continues to engage in sin despite knowing it is wrong
I've been told its not the best thing that I can do, right now
The singer acknowledges that their behavior is not ideal
And I don't go looking for my sins you know
The artist doesn't seek out temptation
They come out waiting, and I just get on and go
The artist is easily influenced by temptation that presents itself
And The trouble with the straight and the narrow
Reiteration that the straight and narrow path is difficult
Is its so thin, I keep sliding off to the side
Reiteration that the path is narrow and hard to follow
And the devil makes, the devil makes, good use of these hands of mine
The artist is easily led astray by temptation and often gives in to it
Lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP INC
Written by: Jason Pierce
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind