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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You Know More Than I Know
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Discuss what threats were made before
You don't need them anymore
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
In bed, what endlessness ahead
And there's no more to be said
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
The blind may see but stay behind
Relief of all liability and greed
And there's nothing more you need
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
No one listens to it
They don't believe it
But it's the only way for me
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
What crap, old chap, fills up the gap
We set like traps, like traps for us, the rats
And there's nothing more to catch
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
Then bury me deep down among the weeds
That creep into the hearts of all the weak
And there's nothing more so weak
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
You know more than I know
The song "You Know More Than I Know" by Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell is a hauntingly beautiful tune that speaks about the relationship between the singer and the person they are addressing in the song. The lyrics are cryptic and full of hidden meanings, but the overall message seems to be one of reverence and deference to the other person's knowledge and wisdom.
The first verse speaks about the two people being like "other angry whores", which is a metaphor for people who are dissatisfied with their lot in life and looking for something more. They discuss the threats that were made before, possibly alluding to a traumatic event that brought them together. But the singer assures the other person that they don't need those threats anymore because they "know more than I know".
The second verse speaks about the two people reading the morning news in bed and contemplating the endlessness ahead. Again, the singer acknowledges that the other person knows more than they do and there's no more to be said. The third verse speaks about the blind staying behind and the relief they feel from liability and greed, while the other person knows more than the singer does.
The final verse speaks about burying the singer deep among the weeds that creep into the hearts of all the weak. This could be a metaphor for the singer's own weakness and vulnerability, and the fact that the other person knows more than they do.
Overall, the song seems to be a tribute to someone who has had a profound impact on the singer's life and who they look up to with a mixture of awe and reverence. The repeated refrain of "you know more than I know" is a humbling acknowledgement of the other person's wisdom and expertise.
Line by Line Meaning
But us, like other angry whores
We, along with others who are desperate and powerless, are in a position of vulnerability.
Discuss what threats were made before
Let's talk about the dangers that were previously presented to us.
You don't need them anymore
You have overcome the dangers and don't require such protection anymore.
Instead we read the morning news
We now consume and are influenced by the vast amount of news coverage available to us.
In bed, what endlessness ahead
As we lay in bed, we realize the infinite possibilities and potential outcomes for the future.
And there's no more to be said
We are at a loss for words in the face of the overwhelming magnitude of what lies ahead.
The blind may see but stay behind
Even though someone may have knowledge, they may choose to stay inactive or complacent.
Relief of all liability and greed
Being free from responsibilities and selfishness allows one to have a clearer vision.
And there's nothing more you need
Once you have clarity and a more open mind, you don't require any more than what you already have.
No one listens to it
Others may not heed our warnings or advice.
They don't believe it
Others may be skeptical or disbelieve what we have to say.
But it's the only way for me
Despite others questioning or ignoring us, we must follow our own beliefs and instincts.
What crap, old chap, fills up the gap
Useless, nonsensical things or ideas take up space and distract us from what truly matters.
We set like traps, like traps for us, the rats
We can create our own destructive patterns, much like mice caught in a trap.
And there's nothing more to catch
Once we become aware of these damaging patterns, there's nothing more to be caught or fooled by.
Then bury me deep down among the weeds
If I were to die, let me be buried among others who were regarded as weak or worthless.
That creep into the hearts of all the weak
The negative feelings and doubts that the weak may harbor can spread and seep into others.
And there's nothing more so weak
Being consumed by weakness or negativity is one of the lowest states a person can be in.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind