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.
If You Fall
Steve Earle Lyrics
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Yeah I saw her too boy I know right where you're at
But you better be careful
'Cause she ain't the kind you're gonna forget
How much you want to bet
If you fall in love
Nothin' gonna be the same
You throw your heart down like a glove
Push come to shove
You only end up lonely and blue
Whenever she's away from you
If you fall in love
You gotta hear me talkin' to ya
'Cause I'm your best friend
And I'd hate to see you goin'
Where I've already been
'Cause I've been in love before
And I won't ever be the same again
You better listen to me, Jim
If you fall in love
Nothin' gonna be the same
You walk around callin' out her name
You throw your heart down like a glove
Push come to shove
You only end up lonely and blue
Whenever she's away from you
If you fall in love
There she is again
She sure looks fine
Boy, I know you're walkin'
On a very thin line
So I guess it's up to me
'Cause your heart's not as strong as mine
Well just this one time
If you fall in love
Nothin' gonna be the same
You walk around callin' out her name
Throw your heart down like a glove
Push come to shove
You only end up lonely and blue
Whenever she's away from you
If you fall in love
If you fall in love
If you fall in love
The lyrics to Steve Earle's song "If You Fall" warn against the dangers of falling in love. The singer has observed the subject of the song eyeing a woman and knows that she is the type of person who will leave a lasting impression. The singer implores the subject to be careful because if he falls in love, nothing will be the same. He will constantly be thinking about her and calling out her name, but ultimately he will end up lonely and blue whenever she is away from him. The singer reveals that he is speaking from experience and that he has been in love before, and he will never be the same again. In the end, the singer takes it upon himself to intervene for the subject's well-being and tells him that he will throw his heart down like a glove if he falls in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you lookin' at that girl like that
I noticed you giving that girl that kind of look
Yeah I saw her too boy I know right where you're at
I saw her as well, dude, and I know what you're thinking
But you better be careful
You need to exercise caution in your dealings with her
'Cause she ain't the kind you're gonna forget
That girl is so memorable that you won't forget her easily
How much you want to bet
Would you be willing to place a wager on that?
If you fall in love
In case you end up falling in love
Nothin' gonna be the same
Your life will never be the same again
You walk around callin' out her name
You'll be muttering her name all day long
You throw your heart down like a glove
You give your heart to her so easily
Push come to shove
If things get tough
You only end up lonely and blue
You'll be sad and alone if she leaves you
Whenever she's away from you
Whenever she's not around
You gotta hear me talkin' to ya
Listen to what I'm telling you
'Cause I'm your best friend
As your best friend
And I'd hate to see you goin'
I don't want you to go through it
Where I've already been
What I've already experienced
'Cause I've been in love before
Because I have fallen in love previously
And I won't ever be the same again
And I'll never be the same again because of it
You better listen to me, Jim
Jim, you had better heed my advice
There she is again
She's back
She sure looks fine
She looks attractive for sure
Boy, I know you're walkin'
I know you're treading a fine line
On a very thin line
A very delicate situation
So I guess it's up to me
Looks like it's up to me, then
'Cause your heart's not as strong as mine
Because my heart is stronger than yours
Well just this one time
But only this time
If you fall in love
If you end up falling in love
Nothin' gonna be the same
Everything is going to change
You walk around callin' out her name
You'll utter her name wherever you are
Throw your heart down like a glove
You're giving her your heart without reservation
Push come to shove
If things get difficult
You only end up lonely and blue
You'll be miserable and lonely
Whenever she's away from you
Every time she's not around you
If you fall in love
If you become infatuated with her
If you fall in love
In case you fall head over heels in love
If you fall in love
If you end up in love with her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind