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.
Little Emperor
Steve Earle Lyrics
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The hour glass is empty your time has come and gone
The battlements are crumblin' the walls are tumblin' down
Your counselors and concubines are getting' outta town
Some say it's an omen some say it's the winds of change
Which ever way it's goin' it's blowin' like a hurricane
Hey little conqueror where you gonna go
Emptiness in front of you and detritus behind
Nobody ever told you that history was kind
Standin' on the corner your fortune blowin' in the wind
Daddy didn't warn you there ain't no goin' home again
No pomp and circumstance no more shock and awe
Your just a little emperor that's all
Hey little hypocrite what you gonna say
When you wind up standin' naked on the final judgement day
How you gonna justify it who you gonna call
What if it turns out that God don't look like you at all
The leaves are in the teacup the hieroglyphics on the wall
You ain't the first to rise up you sure won't be the last to fall
Hey little emperor come down from you throne
And let another emperor climb on
Steve Earle's song Little Emperor is a poignant critique of arrogance and the inevitable downfall that comes with it. The lyrics are addressed to a young ruler who has become complacent in their power, and who is now facing the consequences. The opening lines of the song implore the emperor to relinquish their throne, as their time has come and gone. The "hour glass" has emptied, and their rule is at an end. The "battlements" and "walls" of their reign are collapsing, and those who once supported them are now "getting' outta town."
Earle reflects on the various interpretations of the emperor's downfall. Some believe it is an "omen," while others see it as the "winds of change" that are "blowin' like a hurricane." The emperor is then directly addressed, with Earle asking where they will go now that their power has evaporated. The world has become smaller, and the future is bleak. The stark warning is that history has not been kind to tyrants, and the Emperor is just the latest in a long line of rulers who have risen, only to fall.
The final verse of the song turns toward the Emperor's legacy. The Emperor is no longer the mighty figure they once were. They are now an insignificant historical figure, forgotten by the world they once sought to dominate. Earle challenges the Emperor on their hypocrisy, and asks what they will say on the final judgment day, where they will "wind up standin' naked." He asks who they will call upon, and if they will be able to justify their actions. The song ends with the plea for the Emperor to step down, and to "let another emperor climb on."
Line by Line Meaning
Hey little emperor come down from your throne
Addressing the ruler to step down from the throne and face the reality of their failed sovereignty.
The hour glass is empty your time has come and gone
The current ruler's time in power has ended, and there is no more sand left in their hourglass of authority.
The battlements are crumblin' the walls are tumblin' down
The fortifications and defenses that once protected the ruler's kingdom are deteriorating and collapsing.
Your counselors and concubines are getting' outta town
The people who were once in the ruler's inner circle are now abandoning them in recognition of their downfall.
Some say it's an omen some say it's the winds of change
There are various perspectives on the cause of the ruler's downfall, some attributing it to an omen while others believe it is due to a change in the political atmosphere.
Which ever way it's goin' it's blowin' like a hurricane
Despite the reason behind the end of the ruler's reign, the effects are powerful and destructive like a hurricane.
Hey little conqueror where you gonna go
The song addresses the conqueror, asking where they will go once their empire is no longer under their control.
The world is even smaller than it was when you left home
The conqueror's expansionary efforts have made the world seem smaller as they have become more connected and interdependent over time.
Emptiness in front of you and detritus behind
The conqueror is left with an empty future as well as the debris of their past conquests.
Nobody ever told you that history was kind
The cruel reality of history comes as a surprise to the conqueror who was not warned of its unforgiving nature.
Standin' on the corner your fortune blowin' in the wind
The conqueror is left feeling lost and directionless, with their fate being uncertain and largely out of their control.
Daddy didn't warn you there ain't no goin' home again
The idea of returning to a familiar, comfortable life is not an option for the conqueror who has forever been altered by their experiences.
No pomp and circumstance no more shock and awe
The conqueror's days of grandeur and intimidation are over.
Your just a little emperor that's all
In the grand scheme of history, the song reminds the ruler that they were just one of many emperors who have come and gone.
Hey little hypocrite what you gonna say
The song shifts its address to a hypocritical figure, asking them what they will say when they are judged for their actions.
When you wind up standin' naked on the final judgement day
The figurative image of standing naked on judgement day represents being exposed and vulnerable in the face of judgement.
How you gonna justify it who you gonna call
The hypocrite will have to answer for their actions and will have to justify them without the ability to call upon a higher power for protection.
What if it turns out that God don't look like you at all
The song points out the arrogance of assuming that a higher power shares the hypocrite's beliefs and values.
The leaves are in the teacup the hieroglyphics on the wall
The presence of omens and symbols suggest that there are signs pointing towards the hypocrite's ultimate downfall.
You ain't the first to rise up you sure won't be the last to fall
The hypocrite is not the first to have risen to power, but they will soon join the ranks of those who have fallen from grace.
Hey little emperor come down from you throne
The song concludes by returning to its original subject, urging the ruler to step down from their throne and allow someone else to take their place.
And let another emperor climb on
The song suggests that rulership is a cyclical process, and another emperor will inevitably take the previous ruler's place.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind