The Number 547: Why I can’t live without Iron & Wine

by Eliza Varner in Musician Reviews, Opinion Posts

Iron and Wine is the perfect antidote to stress, especially when you’re simultaneously frantically writing a lab report, trying to find your friend a date for her sorority formal, chugging caffeine by the liter, and/or just living the life of an undergrad at a highly competitive college. Sam Beam’s soothing melodies and beautifully crafted lyrics are like a cup of herbal tea and a long bath– a way to forget your troubles. 

I am constantly listening to music, whether it is a CD in the car, my ipod at the gym, or from my computer while I’m studying, and my itunes basically is my life. The real reason why I want a single while at college? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not to avoid a roommate who borrows my stuff without asking or because I need the room for uhh personal reasons (yeah, the free Dartmouth hookup culture is so not my thing, but that’s not for this post). The main reason is because I need to listen to music when I’m heading off to sleep. More specifically, I need to listen to the soothing melodies of Sam Beam, commonly known as Iron & Wine, and I really don’t like to wear headphones to bed. 

The music of Iron & Wine always calms me down. It takes me away from the life of a chem. major and brings me to a small town or an open field, where I can just lie down and watch the clouds. With his guitar and his whispery singing, Beam creates stories of first love (“16, Maybe Less”), fiery sunsets (“Sunset Soon Forgotten”), and a lazy afternoon (“Passing Afternoon”). He is folksy without being too folksy, his words are simple, yet poetic. His most recent album, The Shepherd’s Dog, is a little different (it’s less dreamy and includes more percussion), but I enjoy it nonetheless. When I listen to Iron & Wine, life is uncomplicated and serene.  

Which brings me back to my itunes. Since receiving my macbook in September 2006, my itunes has carefully recorded a play count for each tune that resides in my small, but growing music library. For me, listening to Iron & Wine is as comfortable as curling up under a down comforter when New Hampshire’s winter is especially fierce. Because of this, Iron & Wine has taken over my top 25 most played playlist, with my most listened to song being “Lion’s Mane” at 547  548 plays (just listened to it). And I’m okay with it. 

My Top Five Iron & Wine songs: 

5. Boy with a Coin

4. He Lays in the Reins

3. Cinders and Smoke

2. Jezebel

1. Lion’s Mane