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.
Promise You Anything
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outside the sun is sinking low
I feel you letting go
I will promise you anything
Wind whispering in your ear
I'll tell you what you want to hear
If you'll only let me near
Well, I don't have to prove my intentions are golden
I don't have to tell you where we're goin'
Feel somethin' wild baby out there blowin'
If you follow me
Run with me if you dare
Hold on I'm gonna take you there
Solemn as a prayer
I will promise you anything
No curtains on my window
Outside the moon is hangin' low
True colors start to show
I will promise you anything
The lyrics to Steve Earle feat. The Dukes's song "Promise You Anything" talk about a person willing to do anything to keep their love from leaving. The first verse describes a setting where the person's lover is about to leave and they can sense them slipping away. The chorus then emphasizes the extent to which the person is willing to go to keep their lover. They promise to say and do anything, even if those things are not necessarily true or realistic, just to keep them with them.
The second verse talks about a feeling of desperation and wind whispering in the person's ear, urging them to convince their lover to stay. The lines "I don't have to prove my intentions are golden, I don't have to tell you where we're goin'" reinforces the idea that the person is willing to do what it takes to keep their lover even if they don't have a clear plan. The song ends with the same lines as the first verse, "True colors start to show, I will promise you anything."
Overall, the lyrics convey a poignant message of how far one can go for the sake of love, even if it means sacrificing one's own personal honesty and integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
No curtains on my window
There are no barriers between you and me; I am willing to be transparent with you.
Outside the sun is sinking low
The day is coming to an end, but I still have time to make things right with you.
I feel you letting go
I sense that you're giving up on us, and I want to do everything I can to keep us together.
I will promise you anything
I am willing to make any pledge to you in order to salvage our relationship.
Wind whispering in your ear
You may be hearing doubts or fears in your mind, but I will provide reassurance and comfort.
I'll tell you what you want to hear
I am committed to making you feel heard and understood, even if it means telling you things you want to hear.
If you'll only let me near
I need your trust and acceptance to show you that I am here for you and that I care about you.
I will promise you anything
I will continue to make promises to you with the hope that they will make a difference in our relationship.
Well, I don't have to prove my intentions are golden
I do not have to justify or explain my motives to you because they are pure and genuine.
I don't have to tell you where we're goin'
I do not know exactly where our relationship is headed, but I am willing to work towards a brighter future with you.
Feel somethin' wild baby out there blowin'
I sense that there might be some obstacles or challenges ahead, but I am ready to face them with you by my side.
If you follow me
If you trust me and stay committed, I will lead the way towards a better future for us.
Run with me if you dare
I am daring you to take a leap of faith with me and see where our relationship can go.
Hold on I'm gonna take you there
I am confident that I can bring you to a place of happiness and fulfillment in our relationship.
Solemn as a prayer
I am serious and sincere about my commitment to you, and I hope to earn your trust and faith.
I will promise you anything
I will continue to make promises to you with the hope that they will make a difference in our relationship.
No curtains on my window
There are no barriers between you and me; I am willing to be transparent with you.
Outside the moon is hangin' low
The night may be dark and uncertain, but I am still here and committed to you.
True colors start to show
As we spend more time together, I hope to reveal my true self to you and vice versa.
I will promise you anything
I will continue to make promises to you with the hope that they will make a difference in our relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARIA MC KEE, PATRICK SUGG, STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind