iron & wine

There is just so much American music that it is sometimes hard to keep up. We watched In Good Company last night. It was a very nice little film, and it had a lovely soundtrack. There were a couple of tracks by Iron & Wine that really stood out. I'd never heard of them (him) before, but in only a few hours, I was the proud owner of everything he's ever recorded. Ain't the internet grand? Oh, by the way, I even paid for some of the tracks. Sam Beam, the man behind Iron & Wine, writes all the songs, sings and plays all the instruments. He makes some very beautiful music. The lyrics are worth paying attention to. He has some kind of southern gothic, lost his faith, kind of thing going on. I think he's excellent, and you should check him out. Here's one of his songs:

Jesus The Mexican Boy

Jesus the Mexican boy
born in a truck on the fourth of July
gave me a card with a lady naked on the back
Barefoot at night on the road
Fireworks blooming above in the sky
I never knew I was given the best one from the deck

He never wanted nothing I remember
Maybe a broken bottle if I had two
Hanging behind his holy even temper
Hiding the more unholy things I do

Jesus the Mexican boy
Gave me a ride on the back of his bike
Out to the fair though I welched on a $5 bet
Drunk on Calliope songs
We met a home-wrecking carnival girl
He's never asked for a favor or the money yet

Jesus the Mexican boy
Born in a truck on the 4th of July
I fell in love with his sister unrepentantly
Fearing he wouldn't approve
We made a lie that was feeble at best
Boarded a train bound for Vegas and married secretly

I never gave him nothing I remember
Maybe a broken bottle if I had two
Hanging behind his holy even temper
Hiding the more unholy things I do

Jesus the Mexican boy
Wearing a long desert trip on his tie
Lo and behold he was standing under the welcome sign
Naked the Judas in me
Fell by the tracks but he lifted me high
Kissing my head like a brother and never asking why