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.
Hard-Core Troubadour
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's out there hollering, "Darlin' don't you love me no more?"
You always let him in before, now didn't you
He's just singin' the same old song
That he always sang before
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
Now girl, better figure out which is which
Wherefore art thou Romeo you son of a bitch
You'd just as soon fight as switch, now wouldn't you
He come and make love on your satin sheets
Wake up on your livin' room floor
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
And now he's the last of the all night, do right
Stand beneath your window 'til daylight
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
Baby, what you waitin' for, alright
Girl, figure out what you're gonna do
When he moves on again and he leaves you alone and blue
But you knew he is just passin' through, now didn't you
And now you can't just say this is the last time baby
Like you always did before
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
And now he's the last of the all night, do right
Stand beneath your window 'til daylight
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
Baby, what you waitin' for
He's the last of the all night, do right
Hey Rosalita won't you come out tonight
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
In the song "Hard-Core Troubadour" by Steve Earle, a woman is being harassed by a man who won't take no for an answer. The man is portrayed as an old-school troubadour type who sings the same old song and won't leave the woman alone. The lyrics suggest that the woman has had a past relationship with this man and has let him in before, but she now has to make a decision about whether to let him in again.
The woman is warned to be careful because this man is a fighter and a player who has no intention of staying long. The song warns that this might be the last time this man comes around, and that the woman needs to decide if she wants to let him back into her life. The lyrics also reference Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, asking wherefore art thou Romeo, and suggesting that the man is a son of a bitch.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, don't bother in lockin' door
Don't waste your time securing your door
He's out there hollering, "Darlin' don't you love me no more?"
He's outside screaming for attention and affection
You always let him in before, now didn't you
You've welcomed him into your life before
He's just singin' the same old song
He's repeating his tired routine
That he always sang before
The same song he's sung countless times
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
He's the final surviving dedicated musician who prioritizes his craft above all else
Now girl, better figure out which is which
It's time to decide which choice is the best for you
Wherefore art thou Romeo you son of a bitch
Frustrated at a significant other's noncommittal attitude
You'd just as soon fight as switch, now wouldn't you
You're equally prone to arguments as giving in
He come and make love on your satin sheets
He appears and brings romantic intimacy to your luxurious bed
Wake up on your livin' room floor
Awakening in a non-bedroom location implies disorder and instability
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
He commits all his passion and energy to his musical lifestyle and remains the final one to do so
And now he's the last of the all night, do right
He's the final one who refuses to leave until dawn and maintains honorable behavior throughout the night
Stand beneath your window 'til daylight
Staying under a window throughout the night is a dedication of love
Baby, what you waitin' for, alright
Encouraging the partner to take action and seize the moment
Girl, figure out what you're gonna do
Make a clear decision on how to respond
When he moves on again and he leaves you alone and blue
When he inevitably departs and causes sadness
But you knew he is just passin' through, now didn't you
You accepted that he's only temporarily in your life
And now you can't just say this is the last time baby
You can't keep repeating that it's the final meeting with him
Like you always did before
Your habit of thinking this will be your last encounter is flawed
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
He embodies a rare level of passion and dedication to his music
And now he's the last of the all night, do right
He's the final one who stays dedicated and respectful until dawn
Hey Rosalita won't you come out tonight
Musing to a hypothetical sympathetic listener if they would join him on his nocturnal pursuits
He's the last of the hard-core troubadours
He unequivocally commits to his music and lifestyle
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
joseph lemko
Steve Earle has been one of the most consistantly excellent recording artists over the last 30 years. Love this song.🤩
Shane Ogden
Massive Steve Earle fan but only heard this brilliant song because I watched Talladega Nights. Which was an awesome film.
racer4u19
yees
Leobardo Nieto Montaño
hahahaha me too.......
MC98
Steve will always be a country (and rock) icon IMO.
The OG Reddick Fan
"Someone didn't love you enough when you were little, did they?"
"Good call, here, that's worth a nickel."
"Tragic."
Jacob Klassen
"I like to imagine Jesus as an angel singing lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd"
Jamie Hoffman
Hell yeah I hammer drunk
Caleb Thayer
I wake up in the morning and piss excellence
ghostyboy
😂