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.
Heaven Or Hell
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hole in my chest 'cause my heart's in your hand
I know it ain't okay but I can't stop wantin' you I do the best that I can
I'm starin' in a highbeam headlight
Burnin' your name on the back of my brain
I swear I hear you callin' I might have to turn around 'cause I'm goin' insane
I love you baby but I just can't tell
Heaven or Hell
Heaven or Hell
New moon against a long dark midnight blue
Ain't a star any brighter than you
I look in your eyes and see that spark inside and it's all I can do
To keep tellin' myself there ain't no way
You're gonna do me like you did then
I'm standin' my ground on feet of clay
Oh no here I go again
There ain't nothin' nobody can say
There ain't nothin' nobody can do
Get down on my knees and pray
Oooh
I love you baby but I just can't tell
This kinda of love comes from Heaven or Hell
Heaven or Hell
Heaven or Hell
I love you baby but I just can't tell
I love you baby but I just can't tell
“Heaven or Hell” by Steve Earle is a love song that explores the conflict between wanting someone who is not good for you and trying to resist that pull. The opening lines describe the singer driving down a dark road, feeling a hole in his chest because his heart belongs to the person he can’t have. He recognizes that it is not healthy to continue wanting this person, but he can’t help himself. The high beam headlights represent the clarity with which he can see this situation, but he feels like he might go insane if he doesn’t turn around and go back to the person.
The second verse of the song pleads with the person, with the singer telling them that the love they share is too intense to be defined as good or bad, heaven or hell. The reference to the new moon highlights the darkness of the situation, but also the hopefulness that there is potential for something new. The echo of the past is shown in the line, “You're gonna do me like you did then” indicating that this love has previously caused pain. Despite this knowledge, the singer is unable to resist the draw of the person’s spark and finds himself falling for them once again.
Overall, “Heaven or Hell” is a raw and honest portrayal of the struggle to resist an unhealthy attraction. It acknowledges the complications of this type of love and recognizes its power, while still attempting to resist its pull.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm rolling down a blacktop highway
I am driving down a road, maybe feeling lost or aimless
hole in my chest 'cause my heart's in your hand
I feel shattered and incomplete because you have my heart
I know it ain't okay but I can't stop wantin' you I do the best that I can
I realize my feelings for you may not be healthy, but I can't help wanting you and I try to cope as best I can
I'm starin' in a highbeam headlight
I feel blinded or overwhelmed, perhaps by my feelings for you
Burnin' your name on the back of my brain
Your presence is constantly on my mind and it feels like it's searing into my thoughts
I swear I hear you callin' I might have to turn around 'cause I'm goin' insane
I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality and am considering turning back because it feels like you're calling out to me
New moon against a long dark midnight blue
The setting of the scene, describing the night as dark and quiet
Ain't a star any brighter than you
You are the brightest thing in my life, even though I may not have you
I look in your eyes and see that spark inside and it's all I can do
When I look at you, I see something special inside that I can't quite put my finger on
To keep tellin' myself there ain't no way
I try to convince myself that it's unlikely things will work out between us
You're gonna do me like you did then
I am afraid of getting hurt the way I did in the past
I'm standin' my ground on feet of clay
I am trying my best to be strong and firm in my convictions, even though it's difficult
Oh no here I go again
I feel like I am falling back into old patterns and getting caught up in my feelings for you
There ain't nothin' nobody can say
No one can convince me to let go of my feelings or change how I feel
There ain't nothin' nobody can do
No one can control or change my feelings, even if they wanted to
Get down on my knees and pray
I may turn to prayer or faith to help me make sense of my feelings or find comfort
I love you baby but I just can't tell
I have deep feelings for you, but struggle to express them or act on them in a healthy way
This kinda of love comes from Heaven or Hell
The love I feel for you is intense and powerful, but it can also be overwhelming and difficult to navigate
Heaven or Hell
Repeating the overarching theme that the love between the two of them is complicated and could go either way
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind