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.
Have Mercy
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hundred dollar bill in his hand
Said I could feed a lot of these people with this
But that ain't the business at hand
Ain't but one reason for a white boy to be
Over on this side of town
He gave that money to the man and he
Bought a little mercy for now
Have mercy on me
I'm a sinner Lord can't you see
Have mercy on me
Old Joe don't know how it got started
I guess it was the fire in her eyes
He loved his wife and children
And he wasn't into telling all these lies
But she gave herself so freely
In that room at the top of the stairs
He'd go to her in hope he'd find a little mercy there
Tears were made to fall
Hearts made to break
Sometimes it feels
Like they just want to know
How much you can take
She was all alone that evening
What was she thinking about
Her mind was made up and
I guess it was the only way out
There's a pistol in a pawn shop window
Made of cold, blue steel
She took it home to find out
How warm a little mercy could feel
God knows that mercy ain't free
Have mercy on me
Steve Earle's song Have Mercy is a profound composition that explores the common theme of sin and the need for forgiveness. The song is essentially a prayer for mercy and redemption, as the lyrics express the regrets of the singer and acknowledge his sinful ways. The opening lines introduce a man holding a hundred-dollar bill, contemplating the possibility of feeding the hungry people around him. However, he decides that there is a more pressing need for him- to seek mercy and forgiveness for his sins. This portrays the importance of seeking mercy from others and God, rather than material possessions and wealth.
In the second and third verses, the songwriter explores different individuals' struggles to obtain mercy. In Old Joe's situation, he is a man who falls into the trap of infidelity, despite being deeply in love with his family. He seeks mercy and redemption by going to the top of the stairs, hoping to find solace in the arms of his lover. The lyrics express the difficulty of finding forgiveness for infidelity, especially when the person committing the act is still in love with their partner.
In the final verse, the songwriter introduces a different female character who is also seeking mercy, albeit in a different way. The woman is portrayed as one who is all alone and feeling hopeless, with a pistol in a pawn-shop window representing her last hope. She takes the gun home, hoping to feel the warmth of mercy. The line "God knows mercy ain't free" is a stark reminder that seeking forgiveness and redemption often comes at a cost.
Overall, Steve Earle's song Have Mercy delves into the complexities of human frailties and the struggles individuals face in seeking redemption. The lyrics have a significant religious tone, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness and seeking mercy for our sins.
Line by Line Meaning
He was standin' on the corner
He was standing on the street corner
A hundred dollar bill in his hand
He held a one hundred dollar bill in his hand
Said I could feed a lot of these people with this
Implied that he could use the money to help others
But that ain't the business at hand
However, that's not why he was there
Ain't but one reason for a white boy to be
There is only one reason for a white man to be
Over on this side of town
On the other side of the town
He gave that money to the man and he
He gave that money to a man and
Bought a little mercy for now
It was used to buy mercy, at least for the time being
Have mercy on me
Please have mercy on me
Old Joe don't know how it got started
Old Joe didn't know how it all began
I guess it was the fire in her eyes
He figured it was the passion in her eyes
He loved his wife and children
He loved his family very much
And he wasn't into telling all these lies
He didn't want to lie about anything
But she gave herself so freely
However, she gave herself so easily
In that room at the top of the stairs
In a room at the top of the stairs
He'd go to her in hope he'd find a little mercy there
Joe visited her hoping to find some mercy from her
Tears were made to fall
Tears are meant to fall
Hearts made to break
Hearts are meant to break
Sometimes it feels
Sometimes it seems
Like they just want to know
As if they just want to find out
How much you can take
How much you can endure
She was all alone that evening
She was alone that day
What was she thinking about
What was she contemplating
Her mind was made up and
She had made up her mind
I guess it was the only way out
It was probably the only escape
There's a pistol in a pawn shop window
There is a handgun on display in a pawn shop window
Made of cold, blue steel
Its make was cold and blue steel
She took it home to find out
She took it home to learn
How warm a little mercy could feel
How relieving a little mercy can feel
God knows that mercy ain't free
God knows that mercy comes at a cost
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joanna Backman
incredible...always. Steve Earle never fails to give his fans 100% of his heart when he sings. God bless him.
james cain
absolutely no doubt the very best at his craft nobody's cooler than Steve Earle
julie brtek
Always put on a fantastic show concert every time. Truly enjoy classic hits songs.
Centurion Wizofid
Thank You! His grit and honest sound, it just grabs me in the heart.!
kjemma
An album that went under the radar, but is probably the best he has made.
Andre Andre
I agree 100%. And also, this is the only album that can't be found on spotify. AArrrgghhhhh......
Sarah C. Toadvine
There was a time.. . .
There was a fire burning
A big wheel turning
A rebel slowly learning
A heart forever yearning
julie brtek
Still enjoy all his classic hits songs. True song.
DustDevl340
I used to play this album loud in my 5.0 Mustang heading up north of Toronto after a shit week at work. God, the lyrics in this song....
Ricki Leee
I been a diehard fan of Steve Earle since I first heard him (wen Guitar Town album hit). Nobody I wud rather hear or see.