Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. A contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, influenced by the (songwriting) greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, Crowell played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".
He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of famous singer/guitarist Johnny Cash) from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. Six years after the breakdown of his marriage to Rosanne he married Claudia Church.
Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."
As Crowell's popularity in mainstream country faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001 he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product. Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005. Crowell considers these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.
2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a group that existed briefly in the 1970s with Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc.
In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.
The Rock Of My Soul
Rodney Crowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rock of my soul went to work on Monday
Clean across the levy by the railroad tracks
The other side of Houston in a two room shack
Sweeping out confetti from a third grade classroom
The rock of my soul pushed a dust mop broom
The rock of my soul didn't have much luck
The rock of my soul didn't have much charm
With the lack of education on a red dirt farm
And he was fond of disappearing on an eight day drunk
Coming home smelling like a low down skunk
And he said
I do like I say
Not like I do and you might make me proud
Another Houston Kid
On a downhill skid for crying out loud
I'm a first hand witness to an age old crime
A man who hits a woman isn't worth a dime
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 years old
That's what I remember about the rock of my soul
I told him I would kill him if he did not stop it
But the rock of my soul just would not drop it
I learned to lie like dirt
I could steal your shirt and talk with a gun
Another Houston Kid
On a downhill skid like father like son
Now I got out of prison 'bout a year ago
Seven long years really went by slow
I didn't kill my daddy but my momma tried
She shot him with a pistol and he like to a died
I'm on probation living straight and true
And there's every indication that the past is through
That's all I know
'Bout the rock of my soul
"The Rock of My Soul" by Rodney Crowell is a sorrowful track which reflects on the complicated relationship between a son and his father. It describes the rock of the singer's soul, who goes to church on Sunday and works hard on Monday, as a man with a difficult past. He grew up poor and with little education on a red dirt farm. He struggled to fit in and disappeared frequently on eight-day benders that left him smelling like a lowdown skunk. The singer's memories of his father include abuse of his mother, violence, and alcoholism. The chorus captures the singer's conflicted feelings about his father, as he struggles to reconcile his love for him with the pain he has caused. The refrain "another Houston Kid on a downhill skid" sums up the sad cycle of generational abuse.
The verse describing the singer's rage towards his father's abuse of his mother highlights the conflicted emotions of a son who both loves and hates his father. The use of numbers to show how young the singer was when he witnessed the violence adds to the poignancy of the song. The final verse hints at the singer's own past mistakes and a desire to break the cycle of violence and addiction. The lines "I learned to lie like dirt, I could steal your shirt, and talk with a gun," suggest that the singer has not always been a model citizen. However, his release from prison and attempts to live a "straight and true" life signals hope for breaking the cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
The rock of my soul went to church on Sunday
The deep-rooted foundation of my being attends religious services on Sundays
The rock of my soul went to work on Monday
The enduring essence of my being engages in gainful employment on Mondays
Clean across the levy by the railroad tracks
The other side of Houston in a two room shack
Sweeping out confetti from a third grade classroom
The rock of my soul pushed a dust mop broom
The very core of my existence lived on the outskirts of Houston in a small, makeshift dwelling near the railroad tracks, making a living by cleaning a third-grade classroom with a broom
The rock of my soul didn't have much luck
He came to town grinnin' on a flat bed truck
The rock of my soul didn't have much charm
With the lack of education on a red dirt farm
And he was fond of disappearing on an eight day drunk
Coming home smelling like a low down skunk
The underlying essence of my being didn't have a fortunate life, having arrived in town with little fanfare and charm due to a lack of education cultivated through hard labor on a red dirt farm. He often went on drinking binges for eight straight days, returning home smelling terrible.
I do like I say
Not like I do and you might make me proud
Another Houston Kid
On a downhill skid for crying out loud
I aspire to embody in reality what I declare in words and if you follow my example, you may find success. However, I'm just another native of Houston failing in life.
I'm a first hand witness to an age old crime
A man who hits a woman isn't worth a dime
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 years old
That's what I remember about the rock of my soul
I told him I would kill him if he did not stop it
But the rock of my soul just would not drop it
I've seen with my own eyes the shameful act of a man hitting a woman - a deeply immoral act. I vividly remember my experiences with the very essence of my being, and despite my threats, he continued to perpetrate these actions.
I learned to lie like dirt
I could steal your shirt and talk with a gun
Another Houston Kid
On a downhill skid like father like son
I developed an inclination to deceive like it's natural and could steal your possessions with ease. Moreover, I became proficient with guns. I'm like most citizens of Houston, following in my father's footsteps straight into failure.
Now I got out of prison 'bout a year ago
Seven long years really went by slow
I didn't kill my daddy but my momma tried
She shot him with a pistol and he like to a died
I'm on probation living straight and true
And there's every indication that the past is through
It's been a year since my release from prison, and it felt like an eternity. Although I didn't end his life, my mom tried to resolve our family struggles by shooting my father, nearly killing him. Currently, I'm following the rules of my probation, and it appears that I can finally put the past behind me.
That's all I know
'Bout the rock of my soul
That's the entirety of my knowledge concerning the inextricable part of my being.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CROWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Chennault
One of the best songwriting albums ever - At least from an East Texas perspective!
Matt Connolly
I'm from a little place in Australia called Cardigan Village and that's about as far from Texas as you can get but Rodney Crowells talent crosses the oceans
Cornelia Sanders
Dave Chennault hello from a fellow East Texan who loves his music!
Linda Howard
I heard Rodney do this at Anyone's in Austin ten years ago. Steuart Smith was on Guitar and it became an ethereal out of body experience for me. No artist has ever touched my soul like Rodney does.
Barbara Hoefle
I saw Rodney with Steuart at the Great American Music Hall in SF and that night - everyone in the room could feel that ethereal high....after a solo by Steuart even Rodney dropped his jaw, tilted his head, and said "chills man...you just gave me chills"....
verimadmags vMM
He is just such a great singer, writer.
Hey, world, listen to Rodney Crowell, he's one the best ever!
lennonhond
correct
John Hutchinson
Rodney Crowell is one of the unhappiest happy persons ever held a guitar in his arms...
Edward Spearing
Keeps knocking em outta the ballpark our John.. Listen to em all.. Love so many to bits.. And this fella.. Words fail me.. Wasn't expected /comin on down the pitch.
Lastname First
Seems true