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.
Now She's Gone
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her mama's only child
They didn't understand at all
When she took to running wild
She left town one day and never said goodbye
Left a hole in daddy's lap and a tear in mama's eye
Where'd we go wrong and now she's gone
She met a boy up in Kentucky
Charlie was his name
Just when he thought he got lucky
She stole his watch and chain
She always kept on movin' and she never wasted time
And they said, "She left quite a string of broken hearts behind"
Woke up alone, now she's gone
Me, I wouldn't even trying
You could say I was content
She went through my life like lightning
Blew out the other end
Well I still taste her kisses, smell her perfume in the wind
And if I could you know that I would do it all again
She done me wrong, and now she's gone
Steve Earle's song "Now she's gone" tells a story of a girl who grows up as her Daddy's little darling and Mama's only child. Despite her parents hoping for her to live a quiet life, she takes to running wild and eventually leaves town without saying goodbye. Her sudden departure leaves a hole in her father's lap and a tear in her mother's eye. The parents wonder where they went wrong and why she left. She eventually meets a boy up in Kentucky named Charlie, who she steals his watch and chain from. The girl keeps on the move and never wastes her time, which leads to her leaving a string of broken hearts behind her.
The story is told from the perspective of a man who didn't even try with the girl, saying he was content. However, she still managed to go through his life like lightning and then disappear. He still tastes her kisses and smells her perfume in the wind, and if he could, he would do it all again. She had done him wrong, and now she's gone.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written by Steve Earle and first appeared on his album "Guitar Town" in 1986. The album was hugely successful and launched Earle's career as a country music star. Another interesting fact is that the song was covered by the band Slaid Cleaves in 2017, adding their own spin to the classic country tune.
Line by Line Meaning
She was her daddy's little darlin'
She was the favorite child of her father
Her mama's only child
She was the only child of her mother
They didn't understand at all
Her parents didn't approve of her wild tendencies
When she took to running wild
When she started behaving recklessly
She left town one day and never said goodbye
She left without informing anyone
Left a hole in daddy's lap and a tear in mama's eye
Her parents were hurt and sad when she left
Where'd we go wrong and now she's gone
Her parents wonder what they did that drove her away
She met a boy up in Kentucky
She found a lover in Kentucky
Charlie was his name
The name of her lover was Charlie
Just when he thought he got lucky
Just when he thought he had found his soulmate
She stole his watch and chain
She betrayed Charlie by stealing from him
She always kept on movin' and she never wasted time
She never stayed in one place for too long and was always on the move
And they said, 'She left quite a string of broken hearts behind'
People who knew her claimed that she had left behind a trail of heartbroken lovers
Woke up alone, now she's gone
Charlie woke up to find that she had left him
Me, I wouldn't even trying
The singer did not even attempt to get close to her
You could say I was content
The artist was satisfied with his life without her
She went through my life like lightning
She had a strong and intense impact on the artist's life
Blew out the other end
She left the singer's life abruptly and completely
Well I still taste her kisses, smell her perfume in the wind
The singer still remembers her fondly and thinks about her often
And if I could you know that I would do it all again
The artist cherishes the time they had together, despite how it ended
She done me wrong, and now she's gone
She hurt the artist in some way before leaving him
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind