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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Swans and the Swimming
Iron & Wine Lyrics
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"to the pond with the swans and the swimming"
Far from his room the familiar perfume
How it felt to her when she was naked
Lessons she learned when her memory slurs
As they marvel with love at the sunset
Walking away at the dark end of day
She will measure and break like a habit
And now and again she's afraid when the sun returns
"take me again," she said, thinking of him
"I don't care for this careful behavior"
A brush through her hair, children kissing upstairs
Keeps her up with her want for her savior
The sun on the sand, on her knees and her hands
As she begs for her fish from the water
But turn them away, she's a whip and a slave
Given time she may find something better
Oh how the rain sounds as loud as a lover's words
And now and again she's afraid when the sun returns
The lyrics of Iron & Wine's song "Swans and the Swimming" depict a woman who is thinking of a man and wants to return to a place where they've been before – a pond with swans and swimming. The scent of the man is something familiar to her and reminds her of being naked with him. Although her memory is somewhat hazy, she remembers the lessons she learned when they were together, and how they marvelled with love at the sunset. As the day comes to a close, she walks away feeling like she's breaking a habit. The sound of the rain is like that of a lover's word, and as the sun returns she's occasionally afraid.
In the second verse, the woman urges the man to take her away again, out of their careful behaviour. She runs her fingers through her hair as children kiss upstairs, and longs for her saviour. She's on the sand, on her knees and her hands, begging for her fish from the water. But when she's turned away, she feels like a whip and a slave, and knows she might find something better with time. The rain is as loud as a lover's words, and she's afraid once more when the sun returns.
The song is about a woman who is nostalgic and longs to relive the past. She remembers the moments when she felt free and loved, and how that felt like a habit that's hard to break. However, she also knows that she cannot stay in that place forever and might need to find something better with time. The lyrics are rich in imagery and sensory details, which make it a beautiful and emotional piece of art.
Line by Line Meaning
take me again," she said, thinking of him
She is yearning to be with him once again and relive their happy moments together
"to the pond with the swans and the swimming"
She wants to go to a place where they can be close to nature and escape the monotonous urban lifestyle
Far from his room the familiar perfume
She misses him and the fragrance of his presence around her
How it felt to her when she was naked
She recalls the intimate moments she shared with him and how vulnerable and wanted she felt in his company
Lessons she learned when her memory slurs
She's trying to remember the lessons she learned from him and his love even when her memory fails her
As they marvel with love at the sunset
They experienced sheer joy and happiness while watching the sunset together
Walking away at the dark end of day
Their time together is limited and she doesn't want to part ways with him but the day is coming to an end
She will measure and break like a habit
She's afraid that she'll fall into a pattern of missing him and drowning in this intense feeling of love and loss
Oh how the rain sounds as light as a lover's word
The sound of rain reminds her of his gentle whispers and words of affection
And now and again she's afraid when the sun returns
She's afraid that with the arrival of a new day, she'll have to face her reality of missing him and yearning for his warmth
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind