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.
The Crush
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I checked myself right out of this world
One thing will bring me back from this heart attack
And that's your sweet lovin', girl
Ooh, your huggin' and kissin'
Mmm, made my lights come on
You put the crush on me
And now I ain't gonna listen to reason
There's no excuse for the way that I feel
Before one word was spoke
I knew it was no joke
Baby, this love is real
They say you gotta take time to know her
But I can't wait that long
You put the crush on me
Little girl, can't you see I'm gone
You put the crush, crush
My mouth turns to mush
I can't begin to speak of all of your charms
You put the crush, crush
Ooh, what a rush
Now, I can't be satisfied until I'm wrapped up in your arms
Ain't that some kind of love, babe
You know I'm not puttin' you on
You put the crush on me
Little girl, can't you see I'm gone
You put the crush, crush
My mouth turns to mush
I can't begin to speak of all of your charms
You put the crush, crush
Ooh, what a rush
Now, I can't be satisfied until I'm wrapped up in your arms
Ain't that some kind of love, babe
You know I'm not puttin' you on
You put the crush on me
Little girl, can't you see I'm gone
The song "The Crush" by Steve Earle is a classic love song about how the singer met a girl and immediately fell in love with her. The lyrics describe how the girl's presence made the singer feel alive and the emotions he experienced when he is close to her. The singer describes the feeling of falling in love as being like having a heart attack and the only thing that can bring him back is her love. He is deeply in love and cannot wait to be with her although he doesn't know her that well yet.
The singer's emotions are overwhelming since he feels like he has fallen head over heels in love without even knowing her, so he expresses his desire to be with her despite not spending much time with her yet. He rejects the advice of people who say he should wait to get to know her, believing that his feelings are real and that the girl has put a "crush" on him that he cannot shake. He describes the girl as his weakness, and he cannot resist her charms. Despite his fear, he is ready to dive headfirst into their relationship and take the risk.
In essence, the song is a narrative of how love can take over a person's life and how powerful it is. The emotions in the lyrics are deep and relatable to anyone who has ever fallen in love. The song has a beautiful melody and a catchy tune that sets the mood for the lyrics. Steve Earle's voice is excellent, making the song more enjoyable and more emotional.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time I laid eyes on you
I fell in love with you instantly
I checked myself right out of this world
I was so captivated by you that I lost focus of everything around me
One thing will bring me back from this heart attack
Only your love can save me from the overwhelming feeling of love that I have for you
And that's your sweet lovin', girl
Only your love can make me feel better
Ooh, your huggin' and kissin'
Your hugs and kisses are so sweet and wonderful
Mmm, made my lights come on
Your affection has awakened a strong desire in me
You put the crush on me
You have completely won me over
Little girl, can't you see I'm gone
I am completely head over heels in love with you
And now I ain't gonna listen to reason
I am so in love that I will not be swayed by logic or reason
There's no excuse for the way that I feel
My feelings for you cannot be explained or justified
Before one word was spoke
Even before we spoke, I knew that my love for you was real
I knew it was no joke
My love for you is serious and genuine
Baby, this love is real
I am fully committed to this love and it is not just a passing infatuation
They say you gotta take time to know her
People say it takes time to truly get to know someone
But I can't wait that long
I am so in love with you that I cannot wait to get to know you better
You put the crush on me
You have completely won me over
My mouth turns to mush
I am so smitten by you that I can hardly speak
I can't begin to speak of all of your charms
There are so many things that I love about you that it is hard to list them all
Ooh, what a rush
Being in love with you is an exhilarating feeling
Now, I can't be satisfied until I'm wrapped up in your arms
I long to be with you and feel your embrace
Ain't that some kind of love, babe
This love that I have for you is powerful and special
You know I'm not puttin' you on
I am not joking or pretending about my love for you
You put the crush on me
You have completely won me over
Little girl, can't you see I'm gone
I am completely head over heels in love with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind