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."
http://www.ironandwine.com/
White Tooth Man
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Ive seen nothing but a spoke in a wheel"
So she gave up her crown to a kid with a crutch
And they both felt cheated after closing the deal
And the white tooth man, I ran with him
Got all cut up from pissing out in the weeds
And a fight upstate with a broken blade
Said the plain clothes cop to the Indian chief
"I've made nothing but an honest mistake"
The postman cried while reading the mail
And we all got trampled in the Christmas parade
And the white tooth man who sold me a gun
A map of Canaan and a government bond
Said, "I love this town, but it ain't the same"
The ski mask ripped as he was putting it on
Said the plain clothes cop to the holy ghost
"I've heard nothing if it wasn't the wind"
And we all got sick on a strip club meal
While the statehouse was frying all the witches again
So the white tooth man with his kids in the car
And a wad of money that was already spent
Said, "I love my dog but she just ran away
She'll keep running like the world never ends"
The lyrics to Iron & Wine's song White Tooth Man appear to be a collection of anecdotes or stories that are loosely connected. It starts with a conversation between a plain clothes cop and a beauty queen, where the cop claims that all he's seen is a spoke in a wheel, implying that everything he has seen is merely a fragment of a larger picture. The beauty queen decides to give up her crown to a kid with a crutch, and they both feel unsatisfied after the exchange. The line "and they both felt cheated after closing the deal" might suggest that the beauty queen received little or nothing in return for giving up her crown.
The second verse is about the white tooth man, who is described as being cut up after peeing in the weeds, with a broken blade from a fight upstate, and his wife, who never wanted to wear a wedding ring. The third verse is a conversation between a postman, a plain clothes cop, and an Indian chief, where the cop confesses that he made an honest mistake. The fourth verse is about the white tooth man who has a map of Canaan and a government bond, and he puts on a ski mask that rips while wearing it. The final verse is about the white tooth man with his kids in the car, who has a dog that just ran away, and "she'll keep running like the world never ends."
The song seems to be about the human condition, where people are constantly struggling and making deals, and yet, they feel cheated or unsatisfied with the end result. It also appears to be about the impermanence of things, where situations and circumstances are fleeting and fleeting moments are all that people have.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the plain clothes cop to the beauty queen
Starting a conversation is not always fruitful
"Ive seen nothing but a spoke in a wheel"
People often feel they are missing the big picture
So she gave up her crown to a kid with a crutch
Sometimes people give up their power to those who they believe need it more
And they both felt cheated after closing the deal
Even when making a sacrifice, people can still feel unhappy with the outcome
And the white tooth man, I ran with him
The artist had a companion who had a distinct white tooth
Got all cut up from pissing out in the weeds
The singer was injured while urinating outside
And a fight upstate with a broken blade
The singer was involved in a fight with a broken weapon
And a wife whose finger never wanted a ring
The artist's wife did not want a traditional marriage
Said the plain clothes cop to the Indian chief
Different people can come from different backgrounds but still be in the same situation
"I've made nothing but an honest mistake"
Sometimes even if we do our best, we can still make mistakes
The postman cried while reading the mail
The postman was emotional due to the contents of the mail he delivered
And we all got trampled in the Christmas parade
People can get caught up in traditions but it can lead to chaos
And the white tooth man who sold me a gun
The singer had bought a gun from the companion with a white tooth
A map of Canaan and a government bond
The singer had also bought a map and bond from his companion
Said, "I love this town, but it ain't the same"
The companion was a longtime resident of the town but felt like it had changed
The ski mask ripped as he was putting it on
The companion was trying to cover his face with a ripped ski mask
Said the plain clothes cop to the holy ghost
Police and religion can be at odds
"I've heard nothing if it wasn't the wind"
Listening attentively is important in life
And we all got sick on a strip club meal
Indulging in certain things can have negative consequences
While the statehouse was frying all the witches again
Laws and beliefs can be oppressive
So the white tooth man with his kids in the car
The companion had children
And a wad of money that was already spent
The companion had money but had already spent it
Said, "I love my dog but she just ran away
The companion had lost a beloved pet who had run away
She'll keep running like the world never ends"
The artist's companion believes that his dog will keep running forever
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AnimeAmimatorMizore
Love this song; it's one of my faves from the album. It conveys all the anger and frustration of a wide array of people while being thoughtful and reflective. From military men to Natives to the faithless to the jaded married couple. And the White Tooth Man? It's the government, it's the man in a nice suit with bleached teeth making deals and selling you bullshit.
EyeBall
I only listen to this song when drinking - it makes me incredibly melancholic, but it’s irresistible!
Lily Angel
Such a beautiful song.
Love these guys, they always reminded me of Fair To Midland. 👍
Ellie Gray
Said the plain clothes cop to the beauty queen
"Ive seen nothing but a spoke in a wheel"
So she gave up her crown to a kid with a crutch
And they both felt cheated after closing the deal
And the white tooth man, I ran with him
Got all cut up from pissing out in the weeds
And a fight upstate with a broken blade
And a wife whose finger never wanted a ring
Said the plain clothes cop to the Indian chief
"I've made nothing but an honest mistake"
The postman cried while reading the mail
And we all got trampled in the Christmas parade
And the white tooth man who sold me a gun
A map of Canaan and a government bond
Said, "I love this town, but it ain't the same"
The ski mask ripped as he was putting it on
Said the plain clothes cop to the holy ghost
"I've heard nothing if it wasn't the wind"
And we all got sick on a strip club meal
While the statehouse was frying all the witches again
So the white tooth man with his kids in the car
And a wad of money that was already spent
Said, "I love my dog but she just ran away
She'll keep running like the world never ends"
George Williamson
Never have I felt the need to rob a bank so much as I do now.
November
Join me George
420
Music envokes emotions lol
Robbie Juliano Villani JR
Remembering old rules, break new habits and vices.
Aleyster Samhain
This sounds like The Grand Hotel Budapest