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.
Halo 'Round The Mo
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I know it ain't to blame
Cause I knew what love could do
But I loved her just the same
Then I let her slip away
Now I'm all alone and blue
That's the price I got to pay
There's a halo 'round the moon
There's a ghost that haunts this town
Just ask anyone you see
He drags his chain around
And no spell can set him free
And he looks a lot like me
And if you ask him why he's bound
He'll just say he lost the key
There's a ghost that haunts this town
There's no shelter from the storm
Without the lightnin' and the rain
And love would hold no charm
If it wasn't for the pain
And it's always been that way
No matter what you do
No matter what you say
There's a halo 'round the moon
The song "Halo 'Round The Moon" by Steve Earle reflects on the pain and loss that come with love. The opening line, "There's a halo 'round the moon, so I know it ain't to blame," could be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea that the external world is indifferent to one's heartbreak, and that love is its own force, separate from the outside world. The singer goes on to sing about how he knew the risks of love, but loved the woman just the same, and how he is now paying the price of losing her. The repetition of the line "There's a halo 'round the moon" throughout the song reinforces the idea that love and heartbreak are cyclical, and that this pattern is eternal.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of haunting, both literal and figurative. The second verse describes a ghost that haunts the town, dragging his chain around and unable to be set free. The ghost is said to look a lot like the singer, which could symbolize the idea that the pain of love and loss is something that stays with an individual long after the relationship has ended. The song's final verse ties everything together with the line "There's no shelter from the storm without the lightnin' and the rain, and love would hold no charm, if it wasn't for the pain." This encapsulates the idea that love is worth pursuing despite the heartbreak it can bring, and that ultimately, the pain is part of what makes love so powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a halo 'round the moon
The singer sees a halo around the moon and doesn't blame it for what happened to his relationship
So I know it ain't to blame
The halo around the moon is not responsible for the singer's failed relationship
Cause I knew what love could do
The singer was aware of the power of love and its potential consequences
But I loved her just the same
Despite knowing the risks, the artist still loved his partner deeply
Then I let her slip away
The artist failed to hold onto his partner and she left him
Now I'm all alone and blue
The singer is now lonely and sad without his partner
That's the price I got to pay
The singer acknowledges that the consequences of his actions led to him losing his partner
There's a ghost that haunts this town
There is a spirit that is present in the town that represents a lost part of the artist's identity that he cannot move on from
Just ask anyone you see
The spirit is noticeable to anyone in the town
He drags his chain around
The spirit is burdened by something from the past, symbolized by the chain he carries
And no spell can set him free
There is no way for the spirit to be free of the burden it carries, even through magic
And he looks a lot like me
The artist sees himself in the spirit - the burden the spirit carries is similar to the artist's own burden
And if you ask him why he's bound
If someone were to ask the spirit why he is unable to move on, he would likely have no answer
He'll just say he lost the key
The spirit cannot explain why he is unable to move on, but implies that something is missing
There's no shelter from the storm
Life is full of hardship and there is no way to completely avoid it
Without the lightnin' and the rain
The hard times in life, represented by lightning and rain, are necessary to appreciate the good times
And love would hold no charm
If love was always easy, it would not be as special or meaningful
If it wasn't for the pain
The struggles and pain associated with love make it a more fulfilling experience
And it's always been that way
Throughout history, love has always had its challenges and hardships to overcome
No matter what you do
Despite your best efforts, love and life will always have challenges to face
No matter what you say
Words cannot change the reality of the challenges in life and love
There's a halo 'round the moon
The song ends with a repetition of the first line, indicating that despite the struggles faced in love and life, there is still beauty and wonder to be found in the world
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@_TheSavageMauler
Anyone still listening to this in 2024? 🇺🇸💪🏻
@annehoward140
I was today years old ( I'm 66years old) when I heard this, I'm British, so that's my excuse. What an amazing song, what an amazing singer!
@pandora58
Yes. Love this song
@Maria-tm2eu
yes... and I like it.
@peterbuckmaster581
Another Brit here. Fantastic song! @@annehoward140
@jgromoll
Been in my favorites for about 5 years.
@seanfried5583
One of the greatest songs ever written. An American classic.
@user-iu7ob3th4r
Lol I'm kinda related he's my mom's exes cousin
@zack6120
Dang
@christinanordin6777
I’m Swedish and I like the authentsity❤