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.
Pennsylvania Miners
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the blisters on my skin they tell me different
Bad dreams-sugarcoated tabs from hell
Drowning in the wishing well I save for you
[Chorus]
Stone cold sweat
I bleed to death every night
Someone turn the wheel before I drown
Beneath your mountain
Oh, it's so strange
Sometimes I see these things
That don't exist
Beyond my dreams
Wake up,with nerves sprayed on the wall
There's a saint across the hall,but she's not at home now
Empty-too full of fear to fill up
Too far gone to stop, too scared to move
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Steve Earle's song "Pennsylvania Miners" allude to the dangers and hardships that miners in Pennsylvania face daily. The opening lines suggest that the singer might be uncertain if the grueling work they undertake is worth it, as they question if it was all just a dream. The singer then refers to the "blisters on my skin" as an indication that their intense suffering is real. The reference to "sugarcoated tabs from hell" suggests that the work is not only physically strenuous but emotionally and mentally taxing as well. The next stanza illustrates the struggles that the miners face in their daily lives, and how they have to cope with and overcome fear and exhaustion every day. The chorus offers a bleak and desperate cry for help, as the singer recognizes that they are drowning and need someone to turn the wheel and save them from their dire situation. The phrase "beneath your mountain" refers to the coal mines that the workers are laboring in.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the plight of miners in Pennsylvania and how hazardous the mining industry can be. The song also alludes to the dangers of ignoring our reliance on non-renewable energy sources and the environmental impact of mining them.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright, so maybe I dreamed it all
I'm not sure if what I experienced is even real
But the blisters on my skin they tell me different
My physical pain confirms that my experience was not just a dream
Bad dreams-sugarcoated tabs from hell
My nightmares are like poison, disguised as something sweet
Drowning in the wishing well I save for you
Trying to hold on to hope for a better future is becoming too difficult
[Chorus] Stone cold sweat
I am terrified to the point of sweating profusely
I bleed to death every night
My emotional pain is so intense that it feels like it's killing me slowly
Something here ain't exactly right
There's something deeply wrong with my current situation
Someone turn the wheel before I drown Beneath your mountain
I need someone to steer me away from this dangerous situation before it's too late
Oh, it's so strange
My situation is bizarre and hard to comprehend
Sometimes I see these things That don't exist
I am haunted by illusions and false perceptions
Beyond my dreams
These illusions are beyond my own imagination and unconscious desires
Wake up,with nerves sprayed on the wall
I am jolted awake by the intensity of my own fear
There's a saint across the hall,but she's not at home now
Even the people I thought could help me are not available in my time of need
Empty-too full of fear to fill up
I feel like an empty vessel, unable to face my fear and move on
Too far gone to stop, too scared to move
I am too deep in my fear and confusion to know how to escape
[Chorus] Stone cold sweat
My fear is so intense that it's causing me physical distress
I bleed to death every night
My fear is causing emotional pain that feels unbearable
Something here ain't exactly right
I know that something is wrong, but I can't quite put my finger on it
Someone turn the wheel before I drown Beneath your mountain
I need someone to help me navigate the treacherous waters that I am in
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HAMZA ROBERTSON, SAMI YUSUF, N UNKNOWN WRITER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind