Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Te… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter best known for his country music and rock 'n roll tinged "alt-country." He is also a published writer, a keen political activist (particularly in protesting against the death penalty in the U.S., as in his song "Ellis Unit One" from the movie Dead Man Walking), and has written and directed a play. Earle also had small roles on the HBO television shows "The Wire" and "Treme". His sister Stacey Earle is also an acclaimed singer-songwriter, as is his most recent wife, Allison Moorer, whom he wed in 2005. His first son from an earlier marriage is the singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, named for Earle's hero Townes Van Zandt.

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.

Sweet Little '66
Steve Earle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now I'm a pretty big man around this town
I got me the hottest little Chevy around
My sweet little '66
She got a yellow front fender and a gray one on the back
But my income tax is comin' and I'm gonna paint her black
Sweet little '66

She got the 396, she got the four on the floor

And those stickers in the window ain't just for show
My sweet little '66

Now old Bubba and me built her back in '79
Then he went into the army so now she's all mine
Sweet little '66
I used to run her down on River Road and make a little dough
Can't afford another ticket so I'm laying kinda low
Me and my '66

Now she ain't too good on gasoline, she burns a little oil
But she was built by union labor on American soil
Sweet little '66
So when your Subaru is over and your Honda's history

I'll be blastin' down some back road with my baby next to me
In my sweet little 66

Overall Meaning

The song Sweet Little '66 by Steve Earle is an ode to a man's beloved Chevy car. The lyrics describe the car in great detail, expressing pride in its features and appearance. The singer refers to himself as a big man in town, likely due to the status conveyed by his impressive car. He boasts about the car's powerful engine, a 396, and its manual transmission, which adds to the sporty feel of the car. He even mentions the stickers in the window, emphasizing that they are there because they signify something about the car's performance.

Line by Line Meaning

Now I'm a pretty big man around this town
I have a reputation and am well-respected here.

I got me the hottest little Chevy around
I have a really great car that people admire.

My sweet little '66
Referring to his 1966 Chevy car, which he loves and values highly.

She got a yellow front fender and a gray one on the back
His car has a mismatched appearance with different colored fenders.

But my income tax is comin' and I'm gonna paint her black
He plans on using his tax money to paint the car black to improve its appearance.

She got the 396, she got the four on the floor
His car has a powerful V8 engine and a manual transmission - features that car enthusiasts would appreciate.

And those stickers in the window ain't just for show
The decals in his car have real meaning and significance to him, rather than just being there for decoration.

Now old Bubba and me built her back in '79
He and his friend Bubba restored the car back in 1979.

Then he went into the army so now she's all mine
His friend Bubba left for the military, so he got to keep the car to himself.

I used to run her down on River Road and make a little dough
He used to race the car on River Road and earn some extra cash from it.

Can't afford another ticket so I'm laying kinda low
He's trying to avoid getting another ticket since he can't afford to pay any more fines.

Me and my '66
He has a strong attachment to his car and sees it as a part of his identity.

Now she ain't too good on gasoline, she burns a little oil
The car isn't the most fuel-efficient and requires some maintenance.

But she was built by union labor on American soil
His car was made by American workers who belonged to a union, and this is something he takes pride in.

So when your Subaru is over and your Honda's history
Other cars, like Subarus and Hondas, will eventually wear out or become outdated.

I'll be blastin' down some back road with my baby next to me
He envisions himself driving his beloved car with his significant other beside him, enjoying the open road and the car's power.

In my sweet little 66
Referring to his car again, which is a source of joy and pride for him.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS