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.
Maria
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your eyes alone
But now it seems your heart has found a new direction
And you're leavin' me out in the cold
If you're gonna break my heart go on and break it
No, I don't need you no more
I tried so hard and now my will is breakin'
I still love you
I remember when it used to make me happy
Just to look into your eyes
But lately every time I try, you're lookin' past me
And I don't know why
Believe me baby, you don't even gotta tell me
But I already know
And you don't gotta say goodbye just walk on past me
I don't want to hurt no more
Not for you Maria
Any way I turn I know could find a better way to lose
'Cause I just won't get along with you
Even though I love you too
Ah Maria
I guess mama wasn't lyin' about the dangers
That could hide inside ones heart
We're better off if we just all remain strangers
Stumblin' around in the dark
The lyrics of Steve Earle's song "Maria" tell a story of a failed relationship. The singer used to be the one and only object of his lover's affection, but now her heart belongs to someone else. The singer is left feeling cold and abandoned as his lover looks past him. He tries to hold on to their love, but his will is breaking. He still loves her deeply, but he realizes that he needs to let her go in order to stop the pain. He acknowledges that he knows she's leaving him, and he doesn't want the pain to continue. He refers to his lover as Maria throughout the song, which adds a sense of intimacy and personal connection to the narrative.
The song captures the emotions of a person who has been left behind. The lyrics suggest a sense of pain, helplessness, and the need to move on. The singer's inner conflict between holding on to what could have been and accepting reality is palpable. The reference to Maria throughout the song creates a character who embodies the lost love and provides depth to the story. The song's universal theme and authentic emotion make it relatable and emotionally charged.
Line by Line Meaning
Used to be I was the object of affection
There was a time when you loved me more than anybody else
In your eyes alone
You used to cherish me above everything else in this world
But now it seems your heart has found a new direction
Your love is no longer directed towards me, it has moved elsewhere
And you're leavin' me out in the cold
You have left me alone without any warmth of your love
If you're gonna break my heart go on and break it
If you are planning to leave me, you might as well do it now
No, I don't need you no more
I have learned to live without you and don't need your love anymore
I tried so hard and now my will is breakin'
I have made every possible effort to make our relationship work, but it seems to be failing
Baby, even more
Even after this, I still feel affection for you
I still love you
Regardless of everything that has happened, I still have feelings for you
I remember when it used to make me happy
There was a time when the mere sight of you would give me happiness
Just to look into your eyes
The beauty of your eyes was enough to make me happy
But lately every time I try, you're lookin' past me
You no longer look at me with the same love and affection as before
And I don't know why
I can't understand why you have stopped loving me
Believe me baby, you don't even gotta tell me
You don't have to explain anything, I already know what's going on
But I already know
I have already figured out the reason for your change in behavior
And you don't gotta say goodbye just walk on past me
You don't have to say anything, just leave me alone
I don't want to hurt no more
I am tired of feeling pain because of the love I have for you
Not for you Maria
I don't want to suffer because of my feelings for you anymore
Any way I turn I know could find a better way to lose
No matter which direction I choose, I know it would be better than loving you
'Cause I just won't get along with you
Our relationship is not working, and I can't find a way to make it work
Even though I love you too
Despite my feelings for you, I know that we are not meant to be together
Ah Maria
Addressing Maria directly
I guess mama wasn't lyin' about the dangers
My mother was right about the potential hazards of falling in love
That could hide inside ones heart
Sometimes, the things that hurt us the most are hidden within ourselves
We're better off if we just all remain strangers
It would be better for us to not be in each other's lives at all
Stumblin' around in the dark
We are both lost and confused about our feelings and relationship
Lyrics © THE DISTRIBUTORS
Written by: Justin Townes Earle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind