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.

Cadillac
Steve Earle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everybody's out to get me
See it in their eyes
Hardly see the way they look at me
When I go cruisin' by

Cadillac, Cadillac
I'm a Coupe de Ville built for thrill
Cadillac

I got chrome everywhere I need it
Rolled and pleated front to back
If you don't think I got it made
You ought to see me dressed in black

Cadillac, Cadillac
I'm a Coupe de Ville built for thrill
Cadillac

Now, if you've got a woman
There's one thing for sure
If you want to keep her
You best keep her from my door

Cadillac, Cadillac
I'm a Coupe de Ville built for thrill
Cadillac

Cadillac
Oh, Cadillac

Overall Meaning

In Steve Earle's song "Cadillac", the singer talks about how everyone seems to have something against him, which he can see in the way they look at him when he drives by. He then goes on to talk about his Cadillac Coupe de Ville, which is built for thrill and has chrome and pleating all around. He asserts that he has made it in life, which is evident in the way he dresses in black. In the last stanza, he hints at being a womanizer, warning other men to keep their women away from him if they want to keep them.

The lyrics of "Cadillac" speak to the idea of the American Dream, with the singer symbolizing someone who has achieved success and is living a life of luxury. This is reflected in his choice of car, a stylish and expensive Cadillac, which he sees as a marker of his success. However, the song also has an undercurrent of danger and rebellion, with the singer seeing himself as outside of society and living by his own rules. This is seen in the way he talks about people looking at him with suspicion and his implied womanizing.

Overall, "Cadillac" is a song about the pursuit of the American Dream, the highs of success, and the potential dark side that comes with it. The singer is a figure of both admiration and caution, someone who has achieved what many aspire to but also someone who can be dangerous and disruptive to established norms.

Line by Line Meaning

Everybody's out to get me
I feel like everyone is watching me and waiting for a chance to cause me harm

See it in their eyes
I can see the malice and hatred in the way people look at me

Hardly see the way they look at me
The hate is so obvious that it's impossible to ignore

When I go cruisin' by
Whenever I'm driving in my car, people take notice and their animosity is palpable

Cadillac, Cadillac
This line is a reference to the car that Steve Earle is singing about; a symbol of luxury and success

I'm a Coupe de Ville built for thrill
Steve Earle takes pride in his car, which he sees as a representation of his own persona – built for excitement and adventure

I got chrome everywhere I need it
The car is decked out with shiny, expensive features

Rolled and pleated front to back
The car's interior is luxurious and well-crafted

If you don't think I got it made
If you doubt that Steve Earle is doing well for himself

You ought to see me dressed in black
If you think Steve Earle's car is impressive, you should see how he looks when he's dressed up for a night out

Now, if you've got a woman
If you are in a relationship with a woman

There's one thing for sure
I can guarantee one thing

If you want to keep her
If you want to keep your woman faithful to you

You best keep her from my door
You should keep her away from me, because I'm a ladies’ man and I'll steal her away

Oh, Cadillac
A repeated acknowledgement of the car Steve Earle is singing about

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BOB HOLMES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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