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.
Every Part Of Me
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my soul and every part of me
It's all I can do to mark
Where you end and where I start you see
I've labored long in my travails
And left a trail of tears behind me
Been in love so many times
Didn't think this kind would ever find me
I love you with everything
All my weakness all my strength and
I can't promise anything
Except that my last breath will bear your name
And when I'm gone they'll sing a song
About a lonely fool who wandered
Around the world and back again
But in the end he finally found her
And I love you with all my heart
All my soul and every part of me
Across the universe I'll spin
Until the end and then I wonder
If we should get another chance
Could I have that dance forever under
Double moon and scarlet stars
Shining down on where you are
And I'll love you with all my heart
All my soul and every part of me
The chorus of Steve Earle's song Every Part Of Me expresses the total and complete love that the singer has for another person. The lyrics are poetic and border on ethereal, adding to the emotional weight of the song. The singer declares that he loves this person with all his heart, all his soul, and every part of him. He then goes on to express his amazement at finding this kind of love and devotion, especially after many failed attempts at love. The words "It's all I can do to mark where you end and where I start you see" are particularly poignant as they express the idea that when two people are so enmeshed in love, it can be difficult to tell where one person ends and the other begins.
The second verse continues with the same tone of total devotion, bordering on obsession. The singer declares that he loves the other person with all his weakness and strength, and that his last breath will bear their name. He imagines a time after he's gone, where people will remember him as a solitary wanderer who finally found love. The idea of wandering "Around the world and back again, but in the end, he finally found her" is a common theme in love songs, but Earle manages to add his own emotional weight to the lyrics.
In the final verse, the singer imagines a future where he and this person are together forever. He imagines "Double moon and scarlet stars shining down on where you are" and declares that he will love the person with all his heart, soul, and every part of him. The lyrics are a beautiful and poetic declaration of love and devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you with all my heart
I deeply and sincerely love you with all my being
All my soul and every part of me
I love you with my entire self, including my innermost being and every aspect of who I am
It's all I can do to mark
Expressing my love for you is the only thing I can do to show you how much you mean to me
Where you end and where I start you see
Our love for each other is so intertwined that it's hard to tell where one person ends and the other begins
I've labored long in my travails
I have struggled and worked hard in my life's journey
And left a trail of tears behind me
As a result of my struggles, I have shed many tears and suffered greatly
Been in love so many times
I have experienced love and relationships numerous times in my life
Didn't think this kind would ever find me
I never thought I would find a love like this
I love you with everything
I love you with all that I am, including my strengths and weaknesses
And I can't promise anything
I cannot guarantee anything except that my love for you will always endure
Except that my last breath will bear your name
I will love you until the very end of my life, with my dying breath calling out your name
And when I'm gone they'll sing a song
When I die, people will remember me and sing about the love I had for you
About a lonely fool who wandered
I will likely be remembered as a wandering, lonely person who finally found love
Around the world and back again
I have traveled far and wide in search of love, only to find it close to home
But in the end he finally found her
Despite all of my struggles and heartaches, I finally found the love of my life in you
Across the universe I'll spin
I will journey through life, constantly moving and changing
Until the end and then I wonder
I will continue to love you until the very end of my life, and I often wonder what comes after
If we should get another chance
I hope that we will be given another opportunity to be together
Could I have that dance forever under
Will you dance with me forever, even if it's just in our hearts and minds?
Double moon and scarlet stars
In my imagination, we dance under a sky filled with two moons and striking red stars
Shining down on where you are
The stars and moons symbolize the light that you bring to my life, shining down on you wherever you are
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sharon Brescoach
How could anyone not like this song! I played this in my husband's ear as he died.
Stephen Poulson
One of Steve's best. Great song...
Mike Roxx Le Blanc
Thank you Steve. My girlfriend and I consider this to be our song. Your sweet, moving song has such deep meaning as both our spouses died less than 4 years ago. We are in love and "I love her with all my heart and every part of me".
Candy
So sweet.
ggforeigner
'I can't promise anything, cept that my last breath will bear your name' ... damn, beautiful !!
shimmy1952
Wow.What a beautiful song.These old guys like Steve Earle,John Prine,and John Mellencamp keep getting better and better with age.
Stacie Renee
SO wonderful.
dammmiii revereaz :; ryan rhino rock n roll
Juillia istening?
dammmiii revereaz :; ryan rhino rock n roll
Write a song about a lonesome clown who wrangled the wonders ? Hehe love ...ryan