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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This Night Descending
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby never puts her trust in
Tight black tie too quick to laughter
Ain't no telling what he's after
Found a friend without religion
Riding on a stolen engine
Far too fast to pacify you
In time, the night may soften
Trust that I'm still hoping, darling
Wooden coin, he called my daughter
No good knowing what came after
Met a man with missing fingers
Shaking hands with shaded strangers
Far too strong to pacify you
Ain't no telling what they're up to
Late night, the cock crows shortly
Morning through the open doorway
All us servants beg the master
Ain't no knowing what he's after
In a year of fallen angels
Broken hands and boys in danger
Pray the lord might pacify you
Ain't no telling what he's up to
Iron & Wine's song "The Night Descending" tells the story of a mysterious man who cannot be trusted or predicted. He wears a black tie, has black hair, and is always quick to laughter. The song's narrator warns that "ain't no telling what he's after," and notes that his companion is always uneasy around him, despite riding on a stolen engine together. They both hope that the night will "soften" and that things will get better.
The lyrics go on to describe encounters with other people who are equally as unpredictable and dangerous. One man has missing fingers and shakes hands with strangers in the shadows. Another has a wooden coin and seems to have some kind of dark history. The song's narrator warns that "far too strong to pacify," these characters are equally as unpredictable as the man with black hair and the tight black tie.
As the night turns into morning, the song describes a sense of uncertainty and fear among the servants who must wait on the master. The lyrics suggest that danger is everywhere and that there is no telling what these individuals are up to. In the end, the song's narrator hopes that the Lord might pacify those who are a threat to others and that "broken hands and boys in danger" will be protected.
Line by Line Meaning
Black hair, the night descending
The night is dark and descending, and there is a woman with black hair present.
Baby never puts her trust in
The woman does not trust anyone.
Tight black tie too quick to laughter
She is in the company of a man who is wearing a tight black tie and doesn't take things seriously.
Ain't no telling what he's after
It is unclear what the man's intentions are.
Found a friend without religion
The artist met someone who is not religious.
Riding on a stolen engine
The person the singer met is riding on a stolen motorcycle.
Far too fast to pacify you
The motorcycle is going too fast to calm the singer down.
Ain't no telling what he's up to
The artist does not know what the other person's motivations are.
In time, the night may soften
As time passes, the darkness of the night may lessen.
Trust that I'm still hoping, darling
The artist is still holding out hope for something despite the dark circumstances.
Wooden coin, he called my daughter
The man the singer met gave the singer's daughter a wooden coin.
No good knowing what came after
The artist is uncertain what the significance of the wooden coin is.
Met a man with missing fingers
The singer encountered a person who is missing some fingers.
Shaking hands with shaded strangers
The man was shaking hands with some people the singer did not know.
Far too strong to pacify you
The situation was too intense for the singer to calm down.
Ain't no telling what they're up to
The artist is unsure what the people with the man are planning.
Late night, the cock crows shortly
It is very late at night, and a rooster is crowing.
Morning through the open doorway
The morning light is coming through an open door.
All us servants beg the master
The singer and other servants are begging the master of the house for help.
Ain't no knowing what he's after
The master of the house has unclear intentions.
In a year of fallen angels
The past year has been difficult and has felt like people have lost their way.
Broken hands and boys in danger
People are hurt and in danger during this time.
Pray the lord might pacify you
The singer hopes that with the help of a higher power, things will calm down.
Ain't no telling what he's up to
Despite this hope, the artist is still unsure what is going on and what people's intentions are.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josey Wales - Entertainment Media
Just heard this song Sunday morning at a Paris Baguette. Found it online and have now heard it a dozen times, mesmerizing song!
sheri solomon
Excellent... the prose fantastic
So many visuals and
Pondering phrases...
Play it again....
You want to .. You need to .....