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.
Shadowlands
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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]
In Steve Earle's song Shadowlands, the lyrics describe a place where lonely fools who have lost everything can go. It's a place where money is worthless and the only way to enter is to buy a ticket. The pilgrim embarks on a journey down the highway, leaving everything behind while his heart pounds and the wheels go round. The shadowland is a tough place for a mortal man, but this heartbroken pilgrim is willing to take his chances there.
The lyrics reveal a man haunted by his past, who seeks refuge in the shadowland where he hopes to escape his pain and hide his shame. He reminisces about a time when he was strong, both physically and mentally. However, time has taken its toll on him, and he's no longer as handsome as he was back then. The shadowland represents his last chance at redemption, a place where he can forget his past, start over, and leave his troubles behind.
In conclusion, Steve Earle's Shadowlands is a melancholic song about a man who has lost everything and seeks refuge in a place where he hopes to start afresh. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man embarking on a journey, leaving everything behind, and entering a new world where money is worthless, and the only thing that counts is survival. The song's haunting melody and Earle's emotional voice offer a profound message of hope in the face of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out yonder, where the wild wind blows
In a distant place, where the wind blows freely and wildly
There's a place there lonely fools can go
There is a place where people who are isolated and foolish can go
Where if you hold your money, it'll burn your hand
A place where greed and materialism can swallow you whole
So you buy you a ticket to the shadowland
So these lonely fools are willing to pay the price to seek solace in this place
[Chorus:]
Recurring section of the song that signifies the shadowland
Down the highway, down the road I'm bound
Traveling down a path, uncertain of one's destination
And my heart keeps poundin' and the wheels go 'round
Feelings of anxiety while continuing to move forwards
And it's a hard place for a mortal man
The shadowland can be a difficult place for any ordinary person
And a heartbroke pilgrim in the shadowland
In this place, one can feel like a pilgrim, lost and wandering
Yeah, when I was younger I could hold my own
Reflecting on a time where strength and confidence were more prevalent
My right hand was thunder and my left was stone
Feeling powerful and unbeatable, both physically and mentally
Now I ain't as handsome as I was back then
Recognizing personal changes and imperfections
So I'm takin' my chances in the shadowland
Taking a risk to seek comfort in a mysterious and dangerous place
[Chorus]
Recurring section of the song that signifies the shadowland
Been down a thousand highways and they're all the same
Feeling like every journey is mundane and unfulfilling
Another empty place where I can hide my shame
The shadowland becomes a place to avoid confrontation with one's own faults and inadequacies
And there's a heartache waitin' up around the bend
Regardless of the path taken, there is always pain and hardship ahead
For a lonesome stranger in the shadowland
In the shadowland, one can feel like a stranger, disconnected from others and themselves
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind