Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Te… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter best known for his country music and rock 'n roll tinged "alt-country." He is also a published writer, a keen political activist (particularly in protesting against the death penalty in the U.S., as in his song "Ellis Unit One" from the movie Dead Man Walking), and has written and directed a play. Earle also had small roles on the HBO television shows "The Wire" and "Treme". His sister Stacey Earle is also an acclaimed singer-songwriter, as is his most recent wife, Allison Moorer, whom he wed in 2005. His first son from an earlier marriage is the singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, named for Earle's hero Townes Van Zandt.

Earle was born in Fort Monroe, Virginia, and grew up near San Antonio, Texas. His father, Jack Earle, was an air traffic controller. Although he was born in Virginia where his father was stationed, the family returned to Texas before Earle's second birthday. They moved several times but Earle grew up primarily in the San Antonio area.
Earle began learning the guitar at the age of 11 and placed in a talent contest at his school at age 13. He is reported to have run away from home at age 14 to follow his idol, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt around Texas. Earle was "rebellious" as a youngster and dropped out of school at the age of 16. He moved to Houston with his 19-year-old uncle, who was also a musician, where he married and worked odd jobs. While in Houston Earle finally met Van Zandt, who became his hero and role model.

In 1975, at the age of 20, Earle moved to Nashville and began working as a songwriter. In these early days, he recorded with Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris. He finally scored a country hit in 1981, writing Johnny Lee's top ten cut "When You Fall in Love." Earle's early work as a performer tended towards the rockabilly sound, popular at the time. In 1986, his first proper album Guitar Town was a critical and commercial success. It sold over 300,000 copies and led some to herald him as a saviour of country music.

Earle long struggled with drug abuse. His addiction eventually caused a departure from performing and recording after he was dropped by MCA in 1991. Whilst in jail on drug and firearm charges, he kicked the habit and returned to music after his release in 1994.

Earle's "second, post-jail, musical career" has been more stylistically diverse than his early material, dipping in acoustic, bluegrass, and roots rock sounds. I Feel Alright and Transcendental Blues met with good reviews and decent sales. 2002's somewhat controversial Jerusalem was one of the first albums to directly address the September 11 attacks. It brought Earle's leftist views to media attention, especially the song "John Walker's Blues."

His latest album of original material I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive was released in 2011. Songfacts reports that one of the tracks, This City, got played on HBO’s New Orleans based show Treme several months before the album‘s release. Earle, who plays a recurring street musician, composed the song especially for the drama series.

Earle has also released a tribute album of material written by friend and mentor Townes Van Zandt, entitled Townes.

For more information and photographs of Steve Earle go to his official website, www.SteveEarle.com.

Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now
Steve Earle Lyrics

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Standing on the corner
Bleaker 8th or 9th
Money in my pocket
And women on my mind

I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down
Nothing ever worries me

Ain't nobody's daddy now

Here I say the women
Are the very finest kind
Clacking on their high heels
Like an engine down the line

I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down
Nothing ever worries me
I ain't nobody's daddy now

I usually have a woman
Who worry me to death
Hammers in my pocket
And a fools was on my neck

And I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down
Nothing ever worries me
Ain't nobody's daddy now

Got a baby on the east side
Honey on the west
Got a woman uptown
But my downtown gal's the best

I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down
Nothing ever worries me
Ain't nobody's daddy now

(Watch this baby)

I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down
Nothing ever worries me
Ain't nobody's daddy now
(She's gone)

And I'm free
Can't nobody tie me down

Nothing ever worries me
Ain't nobody's daddy now

Overall Meaning

In "Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now," Steve Earle presents a classic tale of freedom and the rejection of commitment. The song tells the story of a man who is living his life on his own terms, with money in his pocket and women on his mind. He enjoys the freedom that comes with having no attachments to anyone and no responsibilities towards anyone. He revels in the fact that he is "nobody's daddy now," implying that he has no children and no one to worry about but himself.

While the singer of the song enjoys his freedom, he also recognizes the downside of having no one to tie him down. He admits that he usually has a woman who worries him to death and hammers in his pocket, suggesting the financial and emotional burdens that come with being in a committed relationship. Despite this, he still chooses to embrace his freedom, celebrating the fact that he is in control of his own life and can do whatever he pleases.

Overall, "Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now" is a song about the joys and challenges of living a life free of commitments. Steve Earle's lyrics capture the feelings of independence and self-determination that come with having no obligations towards anyone, while also acknowledging the potential downsides of such a lifestyle.

Line by Line Meaning

Standing on the corner
I am hanging out on the street corner.

Bleaker 8th or 9th
The specific street corners I am on.

Money in my pocket
I have some money with me.

And women on my mind
I am thinking about women.

I'm free
I don't have any commitments.

Can't nobody tie me down
There is nobody making me commit to anything.

Nothing ever worries me
I am not concerned about anything.

Ain't nobody's daddy now
I don't have any dependent children.

Here I say the women
I claim that the women around me are attractive.

Are the very finest kind
They are the best of the best.

Clacking on their high heels
The sound of their high heels clicking echoes through the street.