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.
Good Ol Boy
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A twenty thousand dollar pickup truck
Belongs to me and the bank and some funny talkin' man from Iran
I left the service and got a G.I. loan
I got married bought myself a home
Now I hang around this one horse town and do the best than I can
It's gettin' tough
I was born in the land of plenty now there ain't enough
Gettin' cold
I've been told
Nowadays it just don't pay to be a good ol' boy
Been goin' nowhere down a one-way track
I'd kill to leave it but ain't no turnin' back
Got the wife and the kids and what would everybody say
My brother's standin' on a welfare line
And any minute now I might get mine
Meanwhile it's the I.R.S. and the devil to pay
Gettin' tough
Just my luck
I was born in the land of plenty now there ain't enough
Gettin' cold
I've been told
Nowadays it just don't pay to be a good ol' boy
I hit the beer joints every Friday night
Spend a little money lookin' for a fight
It don't matter if I lose or win
'Cause Monday I'm back on the losin' end again
Gettin' tough
It's just my luck
I was born in the land of plenty now there ain't enough
It's gettin' cold
I've been told
Nowadays it just don't pay to be a good ol' boy
Gettin' tough
Just my luck
I was born in the land of plenty now there ain't enough
Gettin' cold
I've been told
Nowadays it just don't pay to be a good ol' boy
Steve Earle's song "Good Ol Boy" speaks to the struggles and disillusionment of the working-class in America. Through the character of the singer, Earle presents a vivid picture of a man who is struggling to make ends meet. Despite having a job, he finds it difficult to make enough money to support his family. He owns a twenty thousand dollar pickup truck, but it only adds to his financial burden as he has to make payments to the bank and the Iranian man he borrowed money from. The man left the service and used his G.I. loan to buy a home and get married, but finds himself stuck in a one-horse town with little opportunity.
Earle touches upon the political climate of the time the song was written, where the prosperity and post-World War II boom were fading away. He points out that the man was born in the land of plenty, but the economic situation has changed, and there isn't enough to go around. Furthermore, Earle notes the contrast between the singer's situation and that of his brother, who is on welfare, highlighting the cyclical nature of poverty.
Through powerful imagery and insightful lyrics, "Good Ol Boy" provides a unique perspective on the challenges faced by those left behind by the American Dream.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a job but it ain't nearly enough
I have a job but the pay is barely sufficient
A twenty thousand dollar pickup truck
I have bought an expensive truck worth $20,000
Belongs to me and the bank and some funny talkin' man from Iran
I am paying off my truck loan to the bank and an Iranian man
I left the service and got a G.I. loan
I got a loan guaranteed by the government after leaving the military
I got married bought myself a home
I got married and bought a house for myself and my family
Now I hang around this one horse town and do the best than I can
I live in a small town and try to make the best of my situation
Been goin' nowhere down a one-way track
I feel stuck in life and unable to make progress
I'd kill to leave it but ain't no turnin' back
I would do anything to change my situation but it seems impossible
Got the wife and the kids and what would everybody say
I have a family to think about and worry what others may think of me
My brother's standin' on a welfare line
My brother is dependent on government welfare for survival
And any minute now I might get mine
I am afraid I might lose my job and be in the same situation as my brother
Meanwhile it's the I.R.S. and the devil to pay
I have to deal with paying taxes and other financial troubles
I hit the beer joints every Friday night
I go to bars every Friday to drink and socialize
Spend a little money lookin' for a fight
I spend some money hoping to find someone to fight with
It don't matter if I lose or win
Winning or losing a fight doesn't matter to me
'Cause Monday I'm back on the losin' end again
After the weekend fun, I have to face the reality of my tough situation on Monday
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT, STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eddieboster4654
I'm a big fan of this album. Got it as soon as it came out (owning a record store was a big plus in this area). It was a breath of fresh air in the music world then and still holds up after all these years.
@pizzamiava999
Since the early 90's been the best intro! Thank you STEVE!!
@debrahabian361
Hell yeah! Such an under-rated musician!!!
@dalemontgomeey8606
Steve Earl the king of red dirt more less, he is the influence to lots of people in America.
@aidenbear3289
Awesome classic Steve
@shawnaldrich764
i.m an old hippie lol i can relate to all of steve earles music like he put my life to music i just love his music and steve is pretty cool himself
@thomasstanley2415
his music was real man i was listening to them on 33 lp still am
@toddbrown1165
I was in the navy when this song came out,it was WHAT I was living, affirmative action was live and well
@marshallwest5696
I was born in a land of plenty now there aint enough
@AllanOstermann
Marshall West I was just going to post that line. Love it. And it can't be more true than America today. And he knew it 20 years or so ago.