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.
Angry Young Man
Steve Earle Lyrics
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So much time spent in so little space
What looked like the world through the eyes of a child
Kind of closes in on you after awhile
It's a place to grow up and a place to grow old
You keep your mouth shut and you do what you're told
I told mama the day that I ran
This ain't no place for an angry young man
Mama if you could see me right now
You'd be so sure you failed me somehow
Mama you never could understand
There ain't no peace for an angry young man
A cheap hotel a long way from my home
So many people make you feel so alone
Dreams die easy out here in these streets
And hearts grow cold in the city heat
I ain't never been the patient kind
I got to live like I please or die trying
At a filling station with a gun in my hand
The only way for an angry young man
Got a lot of memories tied up in this place
Tonight they're staring me right in the face
A lonely grave on the outskirts of town
It's three in the morning, ain't no one around
Just like a ghost I come out of the night
But I'll be gone before the morning light
Mama I hope that you understand
This ain't no place for an angry young man
The lyrics of "Angry Young Man" by Steve Earle & The Dukes vividly describe the struggle of growing up, feeling constrained, and losing hope. The first stanza expresses the disillusionment of adulthood, where individuals feel the weight of responsibilities and the reality of what the world truly is. As one gets older, the world that once seemed big and endless through the eyes of a child somehow seems to shrink and close in on them as they become aware of their constraints. The lines "It's a place to grow up and a place to grow old / You keep your mouth shut and you do what you're told" convey the mundanity of life in a small town, where conformity to expectations is vital for survival.
The second stanza furthers the idea of disconnection and the deep sense of isolation that creeps in amidst so many faces. Earle sings of his inability to be patient and his need to live life on his terms, even if it means resorting to violence in some instances. The chorus attests to the conviction of the young man that his mother would never understand his pain and reinforces the theme of isolation.
The final stanza is the most emotionally damning, as it portrays the young man's loss of innocence while seeking freedom. The images of a lonely grave and a ghostly figure evoke a sense of despair and hopelessness. The last line of this song, "This ain't no place for an angry young man," encapsulates the central idea of the song, which is a plea to be heard, understood, and helped.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a lot of memories tied up in this place
This place holds a lot of memories for me.
So much time spent in so little space
I've been here a long time and it feels cramped.
What looked like the world through the eyes of a child
As a child, this place seemed like the whole world to me.
Kind of closes in on you after awhile
But now it feels suffocating.
It's a place to grow up and a place to grow old
This is a place for childhood and aging.
You keep your mouth shut and you do what you're told
To survive here, you have to follow the rules.
I told mama the day that I ran
When I left home, I told my mother.
This ain't no place for an angry young man
This place isn't good for someone like me with a lot of anger.
Mama if you could see me right now
If my mother could see me now,
You'd be so sure you failed me somehow
She'd think she did something wrong.
Mama you never could understand
But she could never really understand.
There ain't no peace for an angry young man
It's hard to find peace when you're angry and young.
A cheap hotel a long way from my home
I'm staying in a cheap hotel far from where I grew up.
So many people make you feel so alone
There are so many people, yet I feel so lonely.
Dreams die easy out here in these streets
It's easy for dreams to die in the harsh reality of the streets.
And hearts grow cold in the city heat
People become cold and indifferent in this city.
I ain't never been the patient kind
I've never been a patient person.
I got to live like I please or die trying
I feel like I have to live life on my own terms or die trying.
At a filling station with a gun in my hand
I once held a gun at a gas station.
The only way for an angry young man
That seemed like the only way for someone like me.
Tonight they're staring me right in the face
Tonight, all these memories are confronting me.
A lonely grave on the outskirts of town
I see a lonely grave on the edge of town.
It's three in the morning, ain't no one around
It's 3am and no one is here.
Just like a ghost I come out of the night
I feel like a ghost, appearing out of nowhere.
But I'll be gone before the morning light
But I won't be here for long.
Mama I hope that you understand
I hope that my mother will understand.
This ain't no place for an angry young man
This is no place for someone like me, who struggles with anger.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EARLE, MCMEANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind