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.
Six Days on the Road
Steve Earle Lyrics
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I've got my diesel wound up and she's running like never before
There's a speed zone ahead on right and I ain't see a cop all night
Six days on the road and now I'm gonna make it home tonight
I got a ten forward gears and a Georgia overdrive
I take little white pills and my eyes are open wide
I just passed a "Gimmy" and a "White"
I've been smokin' everything in sight
Well it seems like a month since I kissed my baby goodbye
And I can have a lot of women but I'm not like some other guys
I can find one to hold me tight
But I could never make believe it's alright
Six days on the road and now I'm gonna make it home tonight
Now the ICC's been a-checkin' on down the line
I'm a little overweight and my log book's way behind
Nothing bothers me tonight
I can dodge all them scales all right
Six days on the road and now I'm gonna make it home tonight
Well my rig's a little low, but that don't mean she's slow
Got the stacks blowin' fire and the smoke's blowing black as coal
My hometown's coming in sight
If you think I'm happy, you're right
Six days on the road and now I'm gonna make it home tonight
The lyrics of "Six Days on the Road" describe the life of a truck driver who is always on the move. He is driving from Pittsburgh, down the Eastern seaboard, towards his hometown, a journey that has taken him six days. He is driving a truck with a powerful diesel engine, and he has no fear of speed zones because he hasn't seen a cop in a while. He is driving in a ten forward gears with a Georgia overdrive, taking little white pills to stay awake. He mentions passing a couple of trucks along the way, but he is more focused on getting home.
The song describes the challenges faced by truckers on the road, including overweight loads and logbooks that are behind schedule. But the driver is undeterred, confident in his abilities to dodge the scales and make it home. Despite his love for his girlfriend, he acknowledges that he is not like other guys who cheat on their partners while on the road. He prefers to stay loyal and find comfort with her when he returns.
Overall, "Six Days on the Road" is a celebration of the free-spirited, adventurous lifestyle of a truck driver, who, despite the challenges on the road, is determined to make it home to be with his loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled out of Pittsburgh rolling down the Eastern seaboard
I started driving from Pittsburgh and heading down the Eastern coast
I've got my diesel wound up and she's running like never before
My diesel truck is running strong and fast
There's a speed zone ahead on right and I ain't see a cop all night
I haven't seen any cops all night and there's a speed zone coming up
Six days on the road and now I'm gonna make it home tonight
After six days of driving, I'm finally going to make it home tonight
I got a ten forward gears and a Georgia overdrive
My truck has a gearshift with 10 forward gears and a Georgia overdrive
I take little white pills and my eyes are open wide
I use amphetamines to stay awake
I just passed a "Gimmy" and a "White"
I just passed two trucks with the brands 'Gimmy' and 'White'
I've been smokin' everything in sight
I've been smoking cigarettes and possibly marijuana
Well it seems like a month since I kissed my baby goodbye
It feels like a long time since I last saw my partner
And I can have a lot of women but I'm not like some other guys
I have the opportunity to be with other women, but I am faithful to my partner
I can find one to hold me tight
I could find someone to comfort me
But I could never make believe it's alright
But I could never pretend that everything is okay
Now the ICC's been a-checkin' on down the line
The ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) has been conducting inspections on the road
I'm a little overweight and my log book's way behind
My load is slightly too heavy and I have fallen behind on keeping track of my driving hours
Nothing bothers me tonight
I'm feeling relaxed and unconcerned tonight
I can dodge all them scales all right
I can avoid the weight checkpoints without getting caught
Well my rig's a little low, but that don't mean she's slow
My truck is lower to the ground but it doesn't affect its speed
Got the stacks blowin' fire and the smoke's blowing black as coal
The exhaust stacks are emitting flames and thick black smoke
My hometown's coming in sight
I'm getting close to my hometown
If you think I'm happy, you're right
I'm feeling happy and excited to be almost home
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Earl Green, Carl Montgomery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind