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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sundown
Iron & Wine Lyrics
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Here come the church mice trying too hard
She had a way to be kind with words
I had a knife in the back of my car
Nobody knows when the rain may come
Nobody wants to wake up and be cruel
She locked the door and the sun went down
All of her naked boys
And not even I was true
In Iron & Wine's song Sundown, the singer is painting a vivid picture of a scene unfolding. The first line references cops with "tomcat teeth", which can be interpreted as a powerful bite, dangerous and threatening. This sets a dangerous and ominous tone, hinting that conflict may be coming. The second line introduces "church mice trying too hard", implying a sense of desperation or eagerness, as if they are trying too hard to be pious or holy. This creates a contrast with the previous line, suggesting a potential clash between two opposing forces.
The third line switches to a softer tone, as the singer reflects on a woman who was kind with her words, implying a sense of fondness or admiration. However, the final line of the verse introduces a darker element to the story, as the singer reveals that they had a knife in the back of their car. This creates a sense of danger and unease, as the listener is left to wonder what the singer's intentions are with the weapon.
In the second verse, the theme of unpredictability continues with the lines "nobody knows when the rain may come / nobody wants to wake up and be cruel". These lines suggest that life can be unpredictable and difficult, and that even the kindest people may be capable of cruelty. The line "she locked the door and the sun went down / in South Carolina with nothing to lose" reinforces the sense of danger and impending violence, as if the situation has escalated to a point where someone feels the need to lock themselves inside. The final line of the song - "all of her naked boys / and not even I was true" - is cryptic and ambiguous, possibly suggesting infidelity or betrayal, and leaving the listener to wonder what has happened to these characters.
Line by Line Meaning
There go the cops with the tomcat teeth
The police are patrolling with a fierce attitude, possibly looking for trouble.
Here come the church mice trying too hard
A group of people, possibly religious, are putting in too much effort to impress others.
She had a way to be kind with words
The woman had a talent for speaking kindly and compassionately.
I had a knife in the back of my car
The artist has a weapon hidden in their vehicle, suggesting a potential for violence.
Nobody knows when the rain may come
It's impossible to predict when hardship or difficult times may strike.
Nobody wants to wake up and be cruel
No one intentionally wants to be unkind or malicious.
She locked the door and the sun went down
The woman is closing herself off from the world, possibly to protect herself or due to fear.
In South Carolina with nothing to lose
The artist is in a location where they have little to hold onto or gain, possibly feeling lost or aimless.
All of her naked boys
A group of men or boys in the woman's life were emotionally exposed or vulnerable.
And not even I was true
Even the artist, who perhaps had a close relationship with the woman, was not being completely honest or genuine.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL ERVIN BEAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind