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.
Shadowland
Steve Earle Lyrics
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There's a place there lonely fools can go
Where if you hold your money, it'll burn your hand
So you buy you a ticket to the shadowland
[Chorus:]
Down the highway, down the road I'm bound
And my heart keeps poundin' and the wheels go 'round
And a heartbroke pilgrim in the shadowland
Yeah, when I was younger I could hold my own
My right hand was thunder and my left was stone
Now I ain't as handsome as I was back then
So I'm takin' my chances in the shadowland
[Chorus]
Been down a thousand highways and they're all the same
Another empty place where I can hide my shame
And there's a heartache waitin' up around the bend
For a lonesome stranger in the shadowland
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Steve Earle's "Shadowland" tell the story of a man who is searching for a place to escape his troubles. He describes a place where "lonely fools" go to escape their problems, where money burns in your hand, and where the only way to survive is to take chances. The singer of the song is no longer the confident, powerful man he once was. He laments that he is no longer as handsome as he once was and now takes his chances living in the shadowland. The chorus is a melancholic reflection of his journey as a "heartbroke pilgrim in the shadowland." He has been on the road for a long time, but it seems to him that all the highways are the same, and he is still struggling with his pain.
Overall, the song is a poignant meditation on the challenges and pain of the human experience. It acknowledges that life is not always easy, and sometimes people have to search for new ways to cope with their troubles. The shadowland represents that place where people go to hide their pain and take chances, but the road to get there is often lonely and filled with heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out yonder, where the wild wind blows
In a far-off place, where the wind is strong and unpredictable
There's a place there lonely fools can go
There is a place where only the foolish and lonely would venture
Where if you hold your money, it'll burn your hand
Where people are eager to take your money, and it might not be worth the cost
So you buy you a ticket to the shadowland
So you pay the price to enter this dangerous and uncertain place
Down the highway, down the road I'm bound
Traveling along the road, heading towards an unknown destination
And my heart keeps poundin' and the wheels go 'round
Heart is pounding with uncertainty and fear, and the wheels of the vehicle continue to turn
And it's a hard place for a mortal man
It is a difficult and dangerous place for an ordinary human being
And a heartbroke pilgrim in the shadowland
And a wanderer who is emotionally and spiritually broken in this uncertain place
Yeah, when I was younger I could hold my own
In the past, the artist was able to defend himself with confidence
My right hand was thunder and my left was stone
The artist had the power to strike fear and wield a strong fist
Now I ain't as handsome as I was back then
The singer is no longer as youthful or attractive as he once was
So I'm takin' my chances in the shadowland
The artist has no choice but to risk everything and enter this uncertain place
Been down a thousand highways and they're all the same
The singer has traveled countless roads before, but they all lead to the same disappointment
Another empty place where I can hide my shame
Another desolate area where the singer can conceal feelings of guilt and remorse
And there's a heartache waitin' up around the bend
There is pain and sorrow waiting for the traveler just beyond the next turn
For a lonesome stranger in the shadowland
For a solitary person traveling alone in this mysterious, unknown place
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind