Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Te… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter best known for his country music and rock 'n roll tinged "alt-country." He is also a published writer, a keen political activist (particularly in protesting against the death penalty in the U.S., as in his song "Ellis Unit One" from the movie Dead Man Walking), and has written and directed a play. Earle also had small roles on the HBO television shows "The Wire" and "Treme". His sister Stacey Earle is also an acclaimed singer-songwriter, as is his most recent wife, Allison Moorer, whom he wed in 2005. His first son from an earlier marriage is the singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, named for Earle's hero Townes Van Zandt.

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.

Intro
Steve Earle Lyrics

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(Radio being switched between various stations)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Steve Earle's song "Intro" consist of a radio being switched between various stations. The repetition of this action, accompanied by snippets of music and sound bites, serves to illustrate the constant influx of information and distractions in our lives. The lyrics imply that we are bombarded by news, opinions, and entertainment from multiple sources, and that we have the power to tune in or tune out as we wish. The station changes, in a way, reflect the changing moods and concerns of society as they are aired and discussed.

At the same time, however, these station changes are an example of how fragmented and disparate our experiences and cultural touchpoints can be. Different stations play snippets of songs from wildly different genres and eras, and the news and commentary are often at odds with each other. There is a sense of chaos and discordance in these lyrics, even as they convey the potential power and agency that each of us has over our own media consumption.

Overall, "Intro" can be read as a critique of how media saturation and constant distraction can hinder our ability to focus, understand, and engage with the world around us. It urges listeners to be mindful of the media they consume and the messages they absorb, and to seek out balance and clarity amid the noise.

Line by Line Meaning

Here in New York City
I am currently in New York City

On WNEW
I am currently listening to WNEW radio station

Ah, here's a tune by a request
The upcoming song is being played upon someone's request

This is a tune about a cowboy
The upcoming song is about a cowboy

Somebody wants to hear it, so here it is
The upcoming song is being played as per someone's request

It's by request that I play this
The upcoming song is being played upon someone's request

I don't know much about him
I don't have much knowledge about the cowboy being sung about in the upcoming song

But I've been told he's tough
I have been informed that the cowboy being sung about in the upcoming song is a tough individual

They say he rides the high line
The cowboy being sung about in the upcoming song is believed to be traveling through rough terrain

In a lot of fancy stuff
The cowboy being sung about in the upcoming song is wearing luxurious attire

Contributed by London D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.