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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Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me
Iron & Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Barely keeping time
Barefoot in the city and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Climbing on a car
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Your fake money gave you everything
Left along the road
You're cursing by the furnace and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Clapping in the cool
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Become the sea, we will become"
Your fake name is not for everyone
It's good enough for me
Forgotten by the garden and your phone is ringing
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
Kiss each other clean
They were singing something
Maybe they were singing:
"Become the weeds, we will become
Become the sea, we will become"
Become the rising sun
We will become, become
Become the damage done
We will become, become
Become the river sway
We will become, become
Become the love we made
We will become, become
Become the endless chain
We will become, become
Become forgotten name
We will become, become
Become sinner and the saint
We will become, become
Become bandage and the blade
We will become, become
Become the word and the breath
We will become, become
Become the card in the chest
We will become, become
Become the liked and the loathed
We will become, become
Become the bruise and the blow
We will become, become
Become the fruit and the fall
We will become, become
Become the caress and the claw
We will become, become
Become glory and the guilt
We will become, become
Become the blossom and the wilt
We will become, become
Become both right and wrong
We will become, become
Become the sound and the song
We will become, become
Become tooth and the tongue
We will become, become
Become the target and the gun
We will become, become
Become so cruel and kind
We will become, become
Become the weary and the wild
We will become, become
Become allegiance and doubt
We will become, become
Become the whisper and the shout
We will become, become
Become the honest and the veiled
We will become, become
Become the hammer and the nail
We will become, become
Become the blessing and the curse
We will become, become
Become their crooked words
We will become, become
Become the blood and the bone
We will become, become
Become an ice cream cone
We will become, become
Become the way and the wall
We will become, become
Become a disco ball
We will become, become
Become both now and then
We will become, become
Become again and again
We will become, become
The song "Your Fake Name Is Good Enough for Me" by Iron & Wine speaks about the theme of identity and self-discovery. The lyrics suggest a person who has taken up a false persona, adorned with fake possessions that do not accurately represent who they are. The first verse mentions a person who has fake watches that barely keep time in their broken hand, alluding to how the individual is trying to keep up appearances but is struggling to do so. The chorus goes on to talk about how the person's fake name may not be acceptable to everyone, but it's good enough for the singer. The second verse goes on to suggest that the person has achieved everything they have through lying and deception, and that people have abandoned them on the side of the road. The final verse talks about how the person has become forgotten in the garden, and how they are watching happy children playing and singing. The children emphasize the idea that everything eventually returns to nature, as suggested by their singing, "Become the weeds, we will become / become the sea, we will become." The rest of the song lists a plethora of identities and dualities, suggesting the fluidity and complexity of the self.
One interpretation of the song is that it speaks to the idea that we all have to come to terms with our true selves, and realize that nothing external can help us find our inner identity. The use of dichotomies throughout the song suggests that we cannot be one thing or the other, but rather must accept the multiple facets of our personality. The idea that the children singing "Become the weeds, we will become / become the sea, we will become" suggest that we must embrace our connection to nature and our eventual return to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Fake watches in your broken hand
You are carrying fake items that are broken, like the cheap watches you have.
Barely keeping time
The watches are not even working properly and can't keep the time accurately.
Barefoot in the city and your phone is ringing
You are wandering around the city without shoes and your phone is ringing.
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
You're probably observing the happy kids from afar and feeling envious of their carefree demeanor.
Climbing on a car
You see kids having fun and being adventurous, even if it means climbing on top of a car.
They were singing something
The children were making a joyful noise and singing out their happiness.
Your fake money gave you everything
Money that you in reality don't have, has provided you with the ability to acquire everything that you desire.
Left along the road
At some point you were left stranded without anyone or anything to help you.
You're cursing by the furnace and your phone is ringing
All alone, you're cursing your fate while your phone is ringing.
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
You probably can't help but watch the happy kids and feel bad for yourself.
Clapping in the cool
The children are so happy that they are even clapping in the cool breeze.
Maybe they were singing:'Become the weeds, we will become, Become the sea, we will become'
The kids might have been singing about transforming into something else like weeds or the sea, signifying their ability to adapt and grow.
Your fake name is not for everyone
The fake name you have adopted might not be suitable for everyone, but that doesn't matter to me.
It's good enough for me
It doesn't matter to me if your name is fake, I will still accept you as you are.
Forgotten by the garden and your phone is ringing
You feel forgotten and alone while your phone keeps ringing without any response.
Bet you're watching all the happy kids
You're still watching the happy kids enjoying themselves and wishing you could join them.
Kiss each other clean
The kids are so happy that they even kiss each other to express their joy.
They were singing something
The children were lost in their own world and singing their hearts out, oblivious to the misery of others.
Maybe they were singing:'Become the weeds, we will become, Become the sea, we will become'
The kids sing yet again about changing into something entirely new.
Become the rising sun,We will become, becomeBecome the damage done,We will become, becomeBecome the river sway,We will become, becomeBecome the love we made,We will become, becomeBecome the endless chain,We will become, becomeBecome forgotten name,We will become, becomeBecome sinner and the saint,We will become, becomeBecome bandage and the blade,We will become, becomeBecome the word and the breath,We will become, becomeBecome the card in the chest,We will become, becomeBecome the liked and the loathed,We will become, becomeBecome the bruise and the blow,We will become, becomeBecome the fruit and the fall,We will become, becomeBecome the caress and the claw,We will become, becomeBecome glory and the guilt,We will become, becomeBecome the blossom and the wilt,We will become, becomeBecome both right and wrong,We will become, becomeBecome the sound and the song,We will become, becomeBecome tooth and the tongue,We will become, becomeBecome the target and the gun,We will become, becomeBecome so cruel and kind,We will become, becomeBecome the weary and the wild,We will become, becomeBecome allegiance and doubt,We will become, becomeBecome the whisper and the shout,We will become, becomeBecome the honest and the veiled,We will become, becomeBecome the hammer and the nail,We will become, becomeBecome the blessing and the curse,We will become, becomeBecome their crooked words,We will become, becomeBecome the blood and the bone,We will become, becomeBecome an ice cream cone,We will become, becomeBecome the way and the wall,We will become, becomeBecome a disco ball,We will become, becomeBecome both now and then,We will become, becomeBecome again and again,We will become, become
All of the lines in the following verses convey that we all have the capacity for good and evil, and are capable of change.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind