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 Truth
Steve Earle Lyrics
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There's a shadow that creeps across my cell block floor
And it comes to remind me what I'm in here for
No, I'm not admittin' that I done the crime
I'm only getting down to doin' time
The passin' of day is no concern of mine
And he's always about a half inch off of me
Like he needs to keep remindin' me that I'm not free
God forgive him 'cause he doesn't see
He's no less a prisoner 'cause he holds a key
And God forbid he turn his back on me
For every wall you build around your fear
A thousand darker things are born in here
There fed on contempt for all that you hold dear
The truth is it doesn't matter what you do
'Til you gaze in that mirror with an eye that's true
And admit that what scares you is the me in you
The lyrics of Steve Earle's song "The Truth" describe the life of a prisoner who is reflecting upon their incarceration. In the blue of the evening, when the sun is low, and a shadow creeps across the cell floor, the prisoner is reminded of their fate. The prisoner is not admitting to having done the crime, but they are resigned to serving their time. The passing of days is irrelevant to someone who is behind bars.
The guard on the second shift comes on at three, and he is always close to the prisoner, reminding him of his captivity. The guard holds the key to the prisoner's cell, but he too is a prisoner in his own way. The prisoner asks God to forgive the guard for not seeing that he is not free. The prisoner also hopes that the guard will never turn his back on him.
The song's theme is that fear can lead to darker things. Walls built around one's fear can lead to contempt for all that is held dear, which feeds the hatred within. The truth is, it doesn't matter what you do until you look in the mirror and see the real you. Only then can you admit the fears within and come to terms with your true self.
Line by Line Meaning
In the blue of the evening when the sun is low
During the calm and silent time of the day, as the sun goes down
There's a shadow that creeps across my cell block floor
A creeping shadow silhouettes across the concrete floor of my prison cell
And it comes to remind me what I'm in here for
The shadow serves to remind me of the reason behind my incarceration here
No, I'm not admittin' that I done the crime
No, I'm not confessing to having committed the crime
I'm only getting down to doin' time
I'm merely serving my time behind bars
The passin' of day is no concern of mine
The ticking away of time holds no relevance to me
There's a guard on the second shift comes on at three
A prison guard on the second shift comes on duty at three
And he's always about a half inch off of me
He stands uncomfortably close, barely an inch away from me
Like he needs to keep remindin' me that I'm not free
It's almost as if he feels compelled to remind me that I'm not a free man
God forgive him 'cause he doesn't see
God may forgive him, as he's blind to his own imprisonment
He's no less a prisoner 'cause he holds a key
Being a guard doesn't make him less of a prisoner to the system in which he works
And God forbid he turn his back on me
It would be unfortunate if he ever turned his back on me while I'm so vulnerable
For every wall you build around your fear
For every defense you build to ward off your fear
A thousand darker things are born in here
A thousand more negative consequences and fears arise within you
They're fed on contempt for all that you hold dear
These fears are nourished by your disdain for everything that you value
The truth is it doesn't matter what you do
The truth is that it doesn't matter what actions you're taking
'Til you gaze in that mirror with an eye that's true
Until you can look at yourself honestly and truthfully
And admit that what scares you is the me in you
And acknowledge that what frightens you is the possibility of yourself behaving like me
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind