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 Revolution Starts
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the town where I was born
I was movin' to a beat
That I'd never felt before
So I opened up my eyes
And I took a look around
I saw it written 'cross the sky
The revolution starts now
The revolution starts now
When you rise above your fear
And tear the walls around you down
The revolution starts here
Where you work and where you play
Where you lay your money down
What you do and what you say
The revolution starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin' standin' around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now
Last night I had a dream
That the world had turned around
And all our hopes had come to be
And the people gathered 'round
They all brought what they could bring
And nobody went without
And I learned a song to sing
The revolution starts now
The song "The Revolution Starts Now" by Steve Earle is a commentary on the political and social climate in America in the early 2000s. In the opening lines, Earle describes walking down the street in his hometown and feeling a new beat, a sense of change in the air. He then looks up and sees the words "the revolution starts now" written in the sky. This imagery suggests that change is imminent, and it is up to individuals to take action.
The chorus of the song emphasizes that the revolution starts with individuals overcoming their fear and tearing down the walls that hold them back. Earle calls on people to take action in their own backyard, their own hometown, and to follow their hearts. He paints a picture of a better world in which people come together, sharing what they have and no one goes without.
The final verses of the song suggest that Earle is hopeful for the future, that change is possible and that the people have the power to make it happen. These lyrics reflect a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the status quo, and a belief that things can and must change.
Line by Line Meaning
I was walkin' down the street
I was strolling along a path
In the town where I was born
In the place where I came into this world
I was movin' to a beat
I was dancing to a rhythm
That I'd never felt before
That was new to me
So I opened up my eyes
So I became aware
And I took a look around
And I surveyed my surroundings
I saw it written 'cross the sky
I saw it inscribed upon the heavens
The revolution starts now
The moment of societal upheaval has arrived
Yeah, the revolution starts now
Yes, the revolution is happening now
The revolution starts now
The time for significant social change is at hand
When you rise above your fear
When you conquer your fearfulness
And tear the walls around you down
And deconstruct the barriers that confine you
The revolution starts here
The turning point begins with you
Where you work and where you play
Where you are productive and where you recuperate
Where you lay your money down
Where you invest your financial resources
What you do and what you say
Your conduct and your speech
The revolution starts now
The current era is ripe for revolution
Yeah the revolution starts now
Yes, the revolution truly starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now
Yes, the unrest is going on in this day and age
In your own backyard
In your immediate sphere of influence
In your own hometown
In your own place of abode
So what you doin' standin' around?
So why are you idle?
Just follow your heart
Simply pursue your instincts
The revolution starts now
The time has come to spark change
Last night I had a dream
I had a REM experience yesterday night
That the world had turned around
That the world had undergone a revolution
And all our hopes had come to be
And all our aspirations had come true
And the people gathered 'round
And masses congregated
They all brought what they could bring
They all contributed what they could
And nobody went without
And everybody had what they needed
And I learned a song to sing
And I acquired a melody to vocalize
The revolution starts now
The age of change has commenced
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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