new Iron & Wine :: “Half Moon”
Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) writes songs that could be stripped of all their music and go dressed as poems on Halloween. As compelling and gorgeous the melodies he weaves can be, I am often laid out by a turn of phrase or simple description in his lyrics. This new song has been floating around in various live videos on the internet (both of the early performances he flubs charmingly) but since this is from a radio broadcast last week, the sound quality is near-perfect. I think this is the best mp3 of it yet.
Plus — this version has the backing vocal accompaniment of the lovely, lovely Rosie Thomas.
Half Moon (new song) – Iron & Wine
Halfway home in the hilltop trees
and all our footprints in the snow
and the evening glow
leaving
Low night noise in the wintertime
I wake beside you on the floor
counting your
breathing
’cause I can’t see nothing in this half moon
lay me down if i should lose you
Halfway-working on a wornout house
and all our friends the ragged crows
and aching bones
whining
Where are we when the twilight comes?
the dark of valley and the breeze
and the frozen leaves
chiming
’cause I can’t see nothing in this half moon
lay me down if i should lose you…
Really, perfect for this season, right? I’ve listened to it on loop since this morning, and have been singing along to that nahh nahhh verse at the end.
Also, this was how he started that show last week in Milwaukee, and it made my heart hop when he gets to that chorus “have I found yooooooou?” in his solo, piercing falsetto. Wow.
Flightless Bird, American Mouth (a capella) – Iron & Wine
[thanks, Adam!]
Name: Heather Browne
Saw the Iowa City show and he nailed it out of the park and everyone grooved on every bit of it.
Cameron — October 23, 2010 @ 10:47 am
I’m saying the missing word is “valley”, this song is stunning. x
Jimmy — October 23, 2010 @ 7:40 pm
There really is just something so comforting and perfect about this song.
Like Cameron I saw him play in Iowa City the night before this and he was absolutely great. Rosie actually sang with him for about 3/4 of the set and it was wonderful- her voice just meshes with his so well. He played another song in Iowa City called ‘Mary Ann’ that was gorgeous as well. Looking forward to that new album in January something fierce.
Funny you should mention his flubbing the lyrics. I’ve seen him now twice and each time he got caught up in the lyrics to two songs. Oddly enough in each case he messed up during ‘The Trapeze Swinger,’ which I suppose is okay since it’s 9 minutes long (and one of the best songs he’s ever written). I think him doing that humanizes him and makes him even more likeable than he already comes off as.
Adam — October 24, 2010 @ 9:33 am
Sam’s given us yet another gem! I have to admit I miss Sarah’s sweet, sweet harmony vocal tho. The Beam’s voices blend superbly, like the family Finn – Tim, Neil & sons.
I’m with Jimmy above that missing word is ‘valley’.
jimbo — October 24, 2010 @ 9:50 am
[...] a shoe-in to join the Nick Drake/Elliott Smith club of mopey-died-too-early folk singers. [via Fuel Friends] Share [...]
New Iron & Wine, “Half Moon” — October 25, 2010 @ 11:25 am
wow this sounds great. still waiting to har a final recording, as i was slightly dissapointed by his last album’s over-production.
motovres — November 11, 2010 @ 4:32 pm
Just saw them live a last night and hands down incredible, the new album is gonna be great! does anyone know how to get these two tracks they have posted here to mp3 format? i really want to put them on my ipod
landon — November 20, 2010 @ 11:37 pm
landon, both are direct links to mp3s. just right click and save them to your computer…
browneheather — November 26, 2010 @ 12:10 am