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.
God Is God
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My daddy's daddy, too
Union, God, and country
Is all they ever knew
They worked from early mornin'
'Til the evenin' whistle blew
When it'd strike the mine
They'd walk the line
When you're born in West Virginia
A miner through and through
Union, God, and country
Was all you ever knew
Union, God, and country
West Virginia, golden blue
Union, God, and country
Was all we ever knew
Before there was a union
The company was king
You'd work your fingers to the bone
Couldn't show a thing
You shifted coal to Friday
Draw your pay and then
You'd walk down to the company store
And give it back again
That's why they made the union
They had nothin' left to lose
Union, God, and country
Was all they ever knew
It was union, God, and country
West Virginia, golden blue
Union, God, and country
Was all we ever knew
It was union, God, and country
West Virginia, golden blue
Union, God, and country
Was all we ever knew
It was union, God, and country
West Virginia, golden blue
Union, God, and country
Was all we ever knew
The lyrics of "God is God" by Steve Earle pay homage to the history and struggles of mining families in West Virginia. The song touches on the concept of loyalty to one's beliefs and values, specifically union membership, faith in God, and patriotism, known as "Union, God, and Country." The first verse portrays the singer's father and grandfather as miners who dedicated their lives to their work, and subsequently, to their beliefs in union membership, God, and country. They worked tirelessly every day, only ceasing once the whistle blew, and the vast majority of their lives revolved around mining, union membership and patriotism. As the chorus comes in, we begin to understand that this is a sentiment shared by the singer himself. It is reflective of the values of a whole community born into mining, with the phrase "West Virginia, golden blue" representing the state's identity forged in the history of mining coal.
The second verse speaks on the exploitative nature of mining companies before the establishment of unions. Workers were expected to work brutal hours for essentially no pay, as much of their wages went back to the company store for necessities. The establishment of unions, in the singer's perspective, was a desperate measure born from a true sense of hopelessness. The loss of control and self-determination was too great, and this, in turn, sculpted the fundamental beliefs of union membership, standing strong with both God and country, which they held onto to keep them safe and protected in their lives.
Overall, "God is God" encapsulates a lifestyle and system of values which culminate in a strong belief in the unity of one's people, one's faith, and one's country. It represents a deep sense of honor, pride, and loyalty towards said beliefs, which persist even in the face of extreme adversity, which to mining communities within West Virginia are everyday occurrences.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy was a miner
My father worked in the coal mines
My daddy's daddy, too
My grandfather also worked in the coal mines
Union, God, and country
The three things that were most important to my family and community
Is all they ever knew
These were the values that were taught and lived by
They worked from early mornin'
They started working before sunrise
Til the evenin' whistle blew
They kept working until the whistle signaled the end of their shift
When it'd strike the mine
The whistle blew to signal the start and end of the workday
They'd walk the line
They would stand in a line to be checked for safety and to receive their pay
'Cause that's just what ya do
It was a routine that was followed every day
When you're born in West Virginia
Growing up in West Virginia has a certain way of life
A miner through and through
Being a miner is part of my identity and heritage
Before there was a union
Before the miners had an organized group to represent them
The company was king
The coal company had complete control over the miners and their lives
You'd work your fingers to the bone
They worked incredibly hard, to the point of exhaustion
Couldn't show a thing
They had nothing to show for their work
You shifted coal to Friday
They worked all week to earn a paycheck
Draw your pay and then
They would receive their money and would need to stretch it as far as possible
You'd walk down to the company store
They bought their groceries and supplies from the company-run store
And give it back again
The store was so expensive that they would end up owing money for their purchases at the end of the week
That's why they made the union
In response to mistreatment by the coal companies, the miners organized a union
They had nothin' left to lose
The miners were so desperate for better working conditions and fair pay that they were willing to fight for it
It was union, God, and country
The priorities of the miners after they formed the union
West Virginia, golden blue
The natural beauty of the state and its accompanying struggles
Was all we ever knew
Their experiences in the mines and with the union informed and defined their way of life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Earle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cat McNichol
This is the part that always makes me choke up when I sing it:
God,in my little understanding, don't care what name I call.
Whether or not I believe doesn't matter at all.
I receive the blessings.
That every day on Earth's another chance to get it right.
Let this little light of mine shine and rage against the night.
Very, very, powerful. Thank you, Steve Earle.
stewps
This song got me through early recovery. Pretty sure this song is about the addict/alcoholic having a spiritual awakening.
God is God (as we understood him)
Everyday that passes I am sure about a little less, trust in God (Second step)
Maybe someone is wondering just what I got (passing it on, sharing the experience of recovery)
Everyday on Earth is another chance to get it right (recovery in general)
etc etc etc
Christine Brosch
"God Is God"
I believe in prophecy.
Some folks see things not everybody can see.
And,once in a while,they pass the secret along to you and me.
And I believe in miracles.
Something sacred burning in every bush and tree.
We can all learn to sing the songs the angels sing.
Yeah, I believe in God, and God ain't me.
I've traveled around the world,
Stood on mighty mountains and gazed across the wilderness.
Never seen a line in the sand or a diamond in the dust.
And as our fate unfurls,
Every day that passes I'm sure about a little bit less.
Even my money keeps telling me it's God I need to trust.
And I believe in God, but God ain't us.
God,in my little understanding, don't care what name I call.
Whether or not I believe doesn't matter at all.
I receive the blessings.
That every day on Earth's another chance to get it right.
Let this little light of mine shine and rage against the night.
Just another lesson
Maybe someone's watching and wondering what I got.
Maybe this is why I'm here on Earth, and maybe not.
But I believe in God, and God is God.
Cat McNichol
This is the part that always makes me choke up when I sing it:
God,in my little understanding, don't care what name I call.
Whether or not I believe doesn't matter at all.
I receive the blessings.
That every day on Earth's another chance to get it right.
Let this little light of mine shine and rage against the night.
Very, very, powerful. Thank you, Steve Earle.
Carla Parker
HOW COULD YOU EVER PICK ONE FAVORITE SONG OF STEVE EARLE? NO WAY....LOVE THEM ALL!! I DO LOVE THIS
Terri Watson
Thats a difficult one! I love all of his music. I can listen to it for hours.
Terri Watson
All of these songs are great. I enjoy everyone of his songs.... Beautiful work. 💗🌻🤗
PowerSeven Radio
Awesome song! One of the best songs we currently play!
Terri Watson
Powerful i love it.....😀🌹✌happy happy happy. You lift my spirits steve as usual. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Promised Land Radio
THE BEAT, EVEN WHEN BEING REMADE, ALWAYS RETURNS TO THE ONE.
Dawn Heithecker
Every day is another chance to get it right. Steve Earle
Cat McNichol
That's a very potent line, in my opinion. I tear up when I sing it.
Dean Babcock
God is love! Love is God! Every day I get another chance to get it right