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.
My Old Friend The Blues
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should have known that you would come along
I can't believe I ever doubted you
My old friend the blues
Another lonely night, a nameless town
If sleep don't take me first, you'll come around
I know I can always count on you
My old friend the blues
Lovers leave and friends will let you down
But you're the only sure thing that I've found
No matter what I do I'll never lose
My old friend the blues
Lovers leave and friends will let you down
But you're the only sure thing that I've found
No matter what I do I'll never lose
My old friend the blues
Just let me hide my weary heart in you
My old friend the blues
The lyrics of Steve Earle's "My Old Friend The Blues" portray a heart-wrenching story of a man who finds solace in his only constant companion - the blues. The song opens with the singer's hopeless state, implying that he has reached rock bottom before his only friend, the blues, comes to his rescue. Despite his doubts, he eventually acknowledges that he can always count on the blues to be there for him, unlike the fleeting love of others. The line "Another lonely night, a nameless town, If sleep don't take me first, you'll come around" is particularly poignant as it speaks of his loneliness and how the blues is the only constant companion he can count on without fail.
The chorus is repetitive, emphasizing the consistency and reliability of the blues, the singer's only source of comfort. The lyrics highlight the transience of human relationships, yet highlight the enduring nature of the blues. The last verse, "Just let me hide my weary heart in you, My old friend the blues," is a cathartic release for the singer. He finds rest in his only known friend, his melancholic companion of the blues. Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of despair, hope, and resignation that is deeply affecting and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Just when every ray of hope was gone
When I was completely hopeless and felt like I had no one to turn to, you appeared.
I should have known that you would come along
It was foolish of me to doubt that you'll show up when I needed you.
I can't believe I ever doubted you
I regret that I ever had doubts about you since you never let me down.
My old friend the blues
This phrase refers to the state of sadness that the singer is in, that he has been in before, and that he knows he'll be in again. A state of melancholy the singer knows and is quite familiar with.
Another lonely night, a nameless town
The singer is in a place where he doesn't know anybody, a place he doesn't seem to have any connection to, and he's lonely.
If sleep don't take me first, you'll come around
The singer doesn't feel like he'll fall asleep soon, but he knows that eventually, his old friend the blues will come to him.
I know I can always count on you
Regardless of how low the singer finds himself, he knows his old friend the blues will always be there for him.
Lovers leave and friends will let you down
People in the singer's life have let him down, but his old friend the blues never has.
But you're the only sure thing that I've found
The singer knows that his state of sadness, his old friend the blues, is the only thing that he can depend on.
No matter what I do I'll never lose
Whether he wants it or not, the singer knows that his old friend the blues will always be with him, even when he tries to forget about it.
Just let me hide my weary heart in you
The singer is so tired and drained from the hardships that he just wants to immerse himself in his blues.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Earle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
city zen
Just when every ray of hope was gone
I should have known that you would come along
I can't believe I ever doubted you
My old friend the blues
Another lonely night, a nameless town
If sleep don't take me first, you'll come around
I know I can always count on you
My old friend the blues
Lovers leave and friends will let you down
But you're the only sure thing that I've found
No matter what I do I'll never lose
My old friend the blues
Lovers leave and friends will let you down
But you're the only sure thing that I've found
No matter what I do I'll never lose
My old friend the blues
Just let me hide my weary heart in you
My old friend the blues
Songwriters: Steve Earle
Keith P
This song speaks to me in ways that are hard to describe. Painful to describe. Anyone who has never struggled with depression cannot understand the raw truth of this song
Gary Dalton Ole Country Music
Emotional words touch the very essence of a soul! The older I get the more this song resonates.
Rebecca Barton
Steve never gets old. Has never gotten the recognition he deserves.
Bonnie Liebmann
My all time favorite song by Steve
Hobbs mckay
By far one of the most underrated greats!! So talented.
Dan
Amazing song, truly gifted and underrated songwriter/performer
mike jones
Didn’t like country music when I was young till I realised there was good country music and bad country music, this is great country music
countrypaul
I love The Proclaimers' great version, but this is the first time I've heard Steve Earle's original and it is wonderful, too. Zen eloquent. Exquisite song. No stories to tell - just bathing in the emotion.
GWGowans
I've heard about thirty covers of this and there is no comparison to this original. It is by far the best version.
What Would Roddy Piper Do?
Ginger Wildheart does a cracking version he's very open with his mental health as am I