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 Moon
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
In “Halo ‘Round The Moon,” Steve Earle sings about love, loss, and the pain that comes with it. The repeated image of a halo ‘round the moon seems to imply that even in the darkness there is still light to be found. Earle acknowledges that he knew the risks of love and the potential for heartbreak, but he pursued it anyway. Now that he’s lost the one he loved, he’s left feeling alone and blue. The haunting ghost he speaks of may represent the memory of the lost love that he can’t shake off. He compares himself to this ghost as he explains that no matter how many times he’s tried to move on, he’s still bound to his past.
The song is essentially saying that love is worth it, even with the pain that comes with it. Earle suggests that there’s some beauty in the heartbreak, and that it’s something to embrace rather than avoid. Even though he’s lost his love, there’s still hope and light to be found. He knows that eventually he’ll be able to move on, but for now, he’s still stuck in the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a halo 'round the moon
The sight of a halo 'round the moon indicates that something bigger than oneself, like the universe, is at play here and that it can't be blamed for the situation.
Cause I knew what love could do
Despite knowing the risks, the singer still fell in love with someone and didn't hold back their emotions.
But I loved her just the same
Despite everything that happened, the singer still loves the person they lost.
Then I let her slip away
The singer blames themselves for losing the person they loved and is now dealing with the consequences of their actions.
Now I'm all alone and blue
The singer is feeling isolated and sad now that the person they loved is gone and they are left to deal with the aftermath alone.
That's the price I got to pay
The singer acknowledges that there are consequences for their actions and they have to deal with them, even if it's painful.
There's a ghost that haunts this town
An intangible thing, like a feeling or emotional state, permeates throughout the town and affects everyone who lives there.
Just ask anyone you see
The sense of haunting is so strong that anyone living in the town can attest to it.
And no spell can set him free
The feeling of being haunted can't simply be erased or fixed, it must be dealt with over time.
And he looks a lot like me
The singer identifies with this haunting feeling because it reminds them of themselves.
And if you ask him why he's bound
If someone were to ask the singer why they feel haunted, they would not have a clear answer.
He'll just say he lost the key
The singer might not have a clear reason for feeling haunted, but they know that something important is missing and they can't quite put their finger on it.
There's no shelter from the storm
There is no way to protect oneself from the inevitable pain and hardships of life.
Without the lightnin' and the rain
The difficult times in life are necessary for growth and would not have the same impact without the hardship.
And love would hold no charm
Without the possibility of pain or loss, love would not feel as valuable or enchanting.
If it wasn't for the pain
The understanding of pain is what makes love feel special and meaningful.
And it's always been that way
The concept of pain being necessary for understanding love and growth is a universal phenomenon that has always existed.
No matter what you do
There is no way around the necessity of pain in order to learn and grow in life.
No matter what you say
There is no amount of dialogue or explanation that can change the fact that pain is a necessary and integral part of life.
There's a halo 'round the moon
The singer brings the song back to the image of the halo 'round the moon, reminding the listener that, even in the midst of pain, there is beauty and something bigger than themselves at play.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Steve Earle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind