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.
I Am A Wanderer
Steve Earle Lyrics
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Heart on my sleeve and my head in the clouds
Eye on a star above some distant shore
Wandering ever more
I am a refugee torn from my land
Cast off to travel this world to its end
Never to see my proud mountains again
I am a laborer sign round my neck,
"Will work for dignity, trust and respect"
Stand on this corner so you don't forget
I haven't had mine yet
I am a prisoner pacing my cell
Three steps and back in my corner of hell
Lock me away and you swallow the key
Some day I shall be free
And I'll be a wanderer feet on the ground
Heart on my sleeve and my head in the clouds
Eye on a star above some distant shore
Wandering ever more
The lyrics to Steve Earle's song "I Am A Wanderer" are about the different experiences and perspectives of people who are on the move, whether by choice or necessity. The first stanza describes a person who is always looking for new adventures and experiences, but is also a dreamer, with their "head in the clouds". They are always searching for a higher purpose or a distant goal, symbolized by the star above the "distant shore".
The second stanza is about a person who has been forced to leave their home and become a refugee in a strange land. They yearn for their homeland and the mountains they left behind, but know they will never be able to return. Their experience is one of loss and longing for what they can never have again.
The third stanza describes a laborer who is seeking dignity, trust, and respect in their work. They hold a sign asking for these things, but are still waiting to find them. This person's experience is one of frustration and unfulfilled expectations, despite their willingness to work hard.
The final stanza is about a prisoner who is trapped in their cell, but still holds on to hope for freedom. They know that they will one day be released, and when they are, they will become a wanderer once again. This person's experience is one of confinement and loss of freedom, but also of resilience and the ability to keep dreaming of better things.
Overall, the song portrays four different experiences of people who are on the move, whether by choice or circumstance. The lyrics emphasize the common thread of hope and resilience that runs through all of these experiences, even in the face of loss and hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a wanderer feet on the ground
I am someone who travels aimlessly on foot, yet still has a sense of stability.
Heart on my sleeve and my head in the clouds
I am a dreamer who wears his emotions on his sleeve, people can read me well, but I am detached from the real world.
Eye on a star above some distant shore
I am constantly searching for something beyond my reach: a utopia that only exists in my mind.
Wandering ever more
I do not know where my journey will take me, but I am determined to keep moving forward.
I am a refugee torn from my land
I am someone who has been forcibly removed from my homeland and now must lead an uncertain future.
Cast off to travel this world to its end
I have no choice but to travel the world until I find a place to call my own.. or until I die.
Never to see my proud mountains again
I am heartbroken that I will never be able to return to the beautiful mountains where I was born.
But I still remember them
Although I am far from home, I still cling to the memories of the beautiful land I was forced to leave behind.
I am a laborer sign round my neck,
I am someone who is so desperate for work that I hang a sign around my neck advertising my need for a job.
"Will work for dignity, trust and respect"
I am not just looking for a paycheck, but an opportunity to regain some sense of self-worth through honest work.
Stand on this corner so you don't forget
I am a reminder to passersby that unemployment and poverty exist, even if they prefer to ignore it.
I haven't had mine yet
I have not yet received the respect and dignity I am seeking through work, but I do not give up hope.
I am a prisoner pacing my cell
I am a captive in a cell, isolated from the outside world, yet my mind is constantly working to find a way out.
Three steps and back in my corner of hell
My confinement is a form of torture as I pace three steps in one direction and three steps back, over and over again.
Lock me away and you swallow the key
Once I am imprisoned, the system has swallowed up any chance of me escaping, and I become lost within it.
Some day I shall be free
I am optimistic that I will one day regain my freedom and break free from my confinement.
And I'll be a wanderer feet on the ground
Even after everything I've been through, I won't quit my aimless journey, I just can't stay still.
Heart on my sleeve and my head in the clouds
I will always be vulnerable to others, but I prefer to dream big and dwell in the impossible.
Eye on a star above some distant shore
I will always keep my imagination alive and keep searching for something better than my current reality.
Wandering ever more
I will never stop searching for something better than what I have or what life has given me so far.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind