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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Winter Prayers
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From counting the smart cars on 94
When you dream you're back home
But the lakeside won't trust you to walk alone
Hollow trees, talk of hand
All the neckties are toasting with empty cans
And you know why she's gone
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
Well she left you the holes
The tracks in the back yard, December snow
But those sad souvenirs
They end at the fence line, and they disappear
Why you'd follow her there?
Milwaukee's a deaf ear for winter prayers
There's no night, there's no day
With only hope in your pocket, and hell to pay
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
The song Winter Prayers by Iron & Wine tells the story of a protagonist who is struggling with loneliness and heartbreak during the winter season. The opening lines suggest that the character is bored and listless, perhaps driving down a highway and counting cars to pass the time. Their thoughts turn to memories of home, but they are unable to return due to a lack of trust from those around them. The following lines reference "hollow trees" and "empty cans," perhaps suggesting a feeling of emptiness and loss in the world around them. The character knows why their love interest has gone (referring to "clothes in the river, drifting on"), but seems unable to move on.
The chorus features the lines "slide down south / when once in a while your confidence leaves you / like smoke falls out her red mouth." The phrase "slide down south" could refer to physically traveling to a warmer climate or mentally retreating within one's own mind. The comparison of lost confidence to smoke falling from a mouth paints a vivid picture of insecurity and despair. The second verse continues with the theme of sad memories and mementos, referencing holes in the backyard and souvenirs that vanish before the character's eyes. The song concludes with the lines "Milwaukee's a deaf ear for winter prayers / there's no night, there's no day / with only hope in your pocket and hell to pay." This paints a bleak picture of isolation and the struggle to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's cold, and you're bored
The weather is chilly and uneventful, leaving you with nothing to do.
From counting the smart cars on 94
You're so bored you're resorting to counting the high-tech cars passing by on the freeway.
When you dream you're back home
Your imagination takes you back to your familiar surroundings.
But the lakeside won't trust you to walk alone
Even in your peaceful dreams, the waterside environment seems too dangerous for you to venture on your own.
Hollow trees, talk of hand
The empty trees are a topic of conversation.
All the neckties are toasting with empty cans
Even the empty beer cans are joining in on the revelry.
And you know why she's gone
You understand the reason why your companion left you.
Clothes in the river, drifting on
The garments that once belonged to your companion are floating away in the water.
Slide down south
Head to the southern region of the country.
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
During times of doubt, your self-assurance wavers.
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
Your companion's cigarette smoke dissipates into the air.
Well she left you the holes
Your former companion left emotional voids in your life.
The tracks in the back yard, December snow
In the snowy month of December, the trails in the backyard remind you of your departed loved one.
But those sad souvenirs
Those despairing mementos...
They end at the fence line, and they disappear
...come to an end at the boundary, and vanish from sight completely.
Why you'd follow her there?
Why would you chase after her to that place?
Milwaukee's a deaf ear for winter prayers
Your pleas for comfort during the winter are falling on deaf ears in Milwaukee.
There's no night, there's no day
Time passes by without any semblance of day or night.
With only hope in your pocket, and hell to pay
Despite the dismal outlook, you cling to a hopeful attitude while enduring difficulties.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ashton Duley
Well it's cold, and you're bored
From counting the smart cars on 94
When you dream you're back home
But the lakeside won't trust you to walk alone
Hollow trees, talk of hand
All the neckties are toasting with empty cans
And you know why she's gone
Clothes in the river, drifting on
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
Well she left you the holes
The tracks in the back yard, December snow
But those sad souvenirs
They end at the fence line, and they disappear
Why you'd follow her there?
Milwaukee's a deaf ear for winter prayers
There's no night, there's no day
With only hope in your pocket, and hell to pay
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
Thalia Mendoza
Forever in love with this song ♥️
sammie samwich
Nothing else matters when this song is on
Ashton Duley
Well it's cold, and you're bored
From counting the smart cars on 94
When you dream you're back home
But the lakeside won't trust you to walk alone
Hollow trees, talk of hand
All the neckties are toasting with empty cans
And you know why she's gone
Clothes in the river, drifting on
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
Well she left you the holes
The tracks in the back yard, December snow
But those sad souvenirs
They end at the fence line, and they disappear
Why you'd follow her there?
Milwaukee's a deaf ear for winter prayers
There's no night, there's no day
With only hope in your pocket, and hell to pay
Slide down south
When once in a while your confidence leaves you
Like smoke falls out her red mouth
cagri gulen
Relieves my mind in every repeat
Chase Breedlove
doesnt get better than this.
Matthew Dickin
Capo at second fret. Verse: A minor, D minor /D sus2, G, E. chorus: D minor, G, A minor, D minor, G, A minor, E. There are a few hammered/pulled embellishments, but pretty straightforward to get the hang of. Beautiful song.
Ann Arnold Aldridge
Just awesome!!!!
mark deamer
gorgeous song
Ki Va
Thank you for sharing,bleeding,and relating. Lovely
Christopher BigBear
Incredible