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 Virginia
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's not a friend to help you through.
Tryin' to stop the waves behind your eyeballs,
Drop your reds, drop your greens and blues.
Thank you for your wine, California,
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits.
Yes I got the desert in my toenail
But come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Come on, honey child, I beg of you.
Come on, come on down, you got it in ya.
Got to scrape the shit right off you shoes.
I want you to come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
I want you come on, honey child, I beg of you. .
I want you come on, honey child you got it in you.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.
But come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Come on, come on down, I beg of you.
Come on, come on down, you got it in you.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.
The first verse of Steve Earle's "Sweet Virginia" describes a feeling of being overwhelmed by life's struggles. The singer is wading through the waste of a stormy winter, feeling hopeless and alone. There's not a friend to help them through this difficult time, and the waves behind their eyeballs are causing turmoil. They urge themselves to drop their reds, greens, and blues – likely referring to their various coping mechanisms – to try and find a way to move forward.
In the next verse, the singer expresses gratitude for California and its sweet and bitter fruits, but also confesses to hiding speed inside their shoe. This juxtaposition of positive and negative forces creates a sense of tension, highlighting how complex and conflicted life can be. Despite this, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope. The singer pleads with "Sweet Virginia" to come on down, encouraging them to embrace their strength and scrape off the negativity that's been weighing them down.
Line by Line Meaning
Wadin' through the waste stormy winter,
Trying to get through a difficult and unproductive time in life, where nothing seems to be working out.
And there's not a friend to help you through.
Feeling lonely and unsupported in this challenging time.
Tryin' to stop the waves behind your eyeballs,
Struggling with inner turmoil and emotional instability, and trying to gain control over it.
Drop your reds, drop your greens and blues.
Putting aside drugs and other substances that might temporarily alleviate the struggle, but are ultimately harmful.
Thank you for your wine, California,
Acknowledging the pleasures and beauty of life, even during difficult times.
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits.
Appreciating the good and bad experiences that make up life, and recognizing their importance in personal growth and development.
Yes I got the desert in my toenail
Feeling like a part of oneself is missing or dying, like the arid desert landscape.
And I hid the speed inside my shoe.
Keeping personal struggles and vices hidden and secretive, like hiding drugs in one's shoe.
But come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Inviting someone or something to come and help alleviate the struggle and loneliness.
Come on, honey child, I beg of you.
Urging this comforting presence to hurry and provide much-needed support.
Come on, come on down, you got it in ya.
Believing that the force or person invited has the ability to help during tough times.
Got to scrape the shit right off you shoes.
Need to let go of negativity and harmful habits, and start fresh.
I want you to come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Reiterating the desire for this comforting presence and help.
I want you come on, honey child, I beg of you.
Asking again for this force or person to come and provide support as soon as possible.
I want you come on, honey child you got it in you.
Having faith and confidence that the help invited can make a difference during these tough times.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.
Emphasizing the importance of starting fresh and letting go of harmful habits and behaviors.
Contributed by Abigail B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jack Aubrey
Steve"s vocals are great.
simmons1969
Thanks for posting this. Beyond bad ass!!!
Jody Beeson
anything Steve Earle is awesome
Jenkins Boat Works
is that Cheryl Crow? well alright!
Diane Overcash
@Loren Korevec She married to Larry Campbell, mando player.
nilradem
Thanks for the info.
Loren Korevec
Other woman is Teresa Williams. Seriously wonderful.
nilradem
No, it is not Sheryl Crow. If you are talking about the woman to Steve's left in the floral shirt, it is Amy Helm, Levon's daughter. I don't know the other woman's name, but she did back-up vocals and acoustic guitar for Levon's band at the time.
ralph crosby
@bulbheadmyass cause Nashville didn't have anything to do with it....