My Back Pages
Steve Earle Lyrics
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Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now
"Rip down all hate," I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now.
Girls' faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now
A self-ordained professor's tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
"Equality," I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now
In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now
Steve Earle’s song “My Back Pages” is a reflection on the personal growth and evolution of an individual. The opening lines “Crimson flames tied through my ears / Rollin' high and mighty traps / Pounced with fire on flaming roads / Using ideas as my maps” illustrate the passion and zeal of youth. The singer is excitedly searching for his place in the world and how to make an impact. He uses his ideas and convictions as his guiding principles to navigate life’s journey. However, as he matures, he realizes that his earlier exuberance may have been misplaced, and he burns with a new and different passion to speak truth to power.
As he looks back over his journey, the singer recognizes that he carried prejudice within him, convinced that his perspective was the only correct one. He now understands that the world is anything but black and white, recognizing that knowledge and experience have brought him a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of life. His journey has also led him to see real social injustices, be it religious hypocrisy or political evolution, from a different perspective, and he recognizes that progress is a continuous process of evolution.
“My Back Pages” explores how individual growth and the passage of time can transform perspectives, outlooks, and values. Life is a journey full of twists and turns that shapes us in many ways. Life’s experiences can create our beliefs and likewise change them. We can come to the realization that what we thought was so important and insisted were right we later come to find out that they were nothing short of ill-judged.
Line by Line Meaning
Crimson flames tied through my ears
I am overwhelmed by the intensity and passion of the world, experiencing it through all of my senses
Rollin' high and mighty traps
I feel like I'm being pulled and trapped by the expectations and norms of society
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
I charge forward with burning passion, attacking obstacles on my path
Using ideas as my maps
I navigate through life guided by my thoughts and concepts
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
I anticipated meeting those who shared my nonconformist ideals on the outside edge of society
Proud 'neath heated brow
I carried my beliefs and convictions with pride and passion
Ah, but I was so much older then
In hindsight, I realize that I was more naive and idealistic in the past
I'm younger than that now
Despite growing older, I have learned from my experiences and become wiser
Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
I am flawed and sometimes express prejudiced thoughts and actions
"Rip down all hate," I screamed
I wholeheartedly reject hate and believe it should be eliminated
Lies that life is black and white
I reject the oversimplified notion that the world can be divided into good and bad
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
These beliefs were my own creation, shaped by my experiences and imagination
Romantic facts of musketeers
My ideals were inspired by a romanticized view of history and legends like the musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
These concepts are fundamental to my beliefs, but their origins are obscure
Girls' faces formed the forward path
My experiences with women have shaped my beliefs and actions
From phony jealousy to memorizing politics
I have gone through a journey from being possessive and jealous to educating myself on politics
Of ancient history
I am interested in history as a means to understand the present
Flung down by corpse evangelists
I reject the dogmatic beliefs of religious zealots who mindlessly follow the dead
Unthought of, though, somehow
Despite my rejection of religion, some of its concepts have left a subtle impact on my beliefs
A self-ordained professor's tongue
I sometimes take a didactic tone as if I am educating others
Too serious to fool
I take my beliefs and ideas very seriously and am not easily persuaded otherwise
Spouted out that liberty is just equality in school
I believe that true liberty can only be achieved through equal opportunities for all
"Equality," I spoke the word
This concept of equality is central to my belief system
As if a wedding vow
I believe in this concept so deeply that I consider it like a solemn, lifelong commitment
In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
I adopt a militant or aggressive posture when confronting those who disagree with me
At the mongrel dogs who teach
I am dismissive of those who propagate prejudiced or conservative ideas
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
I am confident in myself and my beliefs and do not fear becoming like those I oppose
In the instant that I preach
I recognize the danger of becoming hypocritical when I espouse my beliefs to others
My pathway led by confusion boats
Despite my strong convictions, I often find myself confused and unsure about how to proceed
Mutiny from stern to bow
I encounter opposition and conflict both internally and externally
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
I am vigilant and constantly alert to possible threats to my ideals
Too noble to neglect
I feel a sense of responsibility to uphold these ideals
Deceived me into thinking
Despite my vigilance, I have been misled or deceived before
I had something to protect
I feel a responsibility to protect my beliefs and those who share them
Good and bad, I define these terms
I reject the idea of absolute morality and believe that these concepts are relative and subjective
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Despite my relativism, I have a clear sense of what is right and wrong for me
Ah, but I was so much older then
In retrospect, I realize that I was less mature and less experienced in the past
I'm younger than that now
Despite growing older, I feel more energetic, more open-minded, and more willing to learn
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind