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.
This Highway's Mine
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't remember where I slept last night
I just remember halfway through the night
I woke up stiff with fright
I dreamed there was no asphalt
I dreamed there was no gasoline
Felt like a rat caught in some nowhere town
I woke up and screamed
This highway
This highway
This highway
This highway
This highway
This highway's mine
I grew up on the dragstrip
I used to shut em down
I used to take their pinkslips
There's a sucker born in every town
I never showed no mercy
I blew them all away
They stood there and cursed me
As I towed their lives away
I used to run the cocaine
I used to run the weed
These days I'm just running
Tryin' to make this highway bleed
Sometimes the only difference 'tween me and this machine
Is I run on desperation
She runs on gasoline
I'm the Roadmaster
The Asphalt Blaster
Mess with me and I'll shut you down
The bad thing
The highway king and I've come to claim my kingdom now
The song "This Highway's Mine" by Steve Earle is a powerful anthem about a man's unshakeable love for the open road. The first verse describes the physical experience of being on the highway - the fatigue and disorientation that comes from driving through the night. However, it's the dream that the singer has that really captures the emotions behind the song. In the dream, he imagines a world without asphalt or gasoline, and suddenly he's stranded in some "nowhere town" like a trapped rat. This image is particularly powerful because it highlights the desperation that can come from feeling tied down and stuck in one place.
The second verse is all about the singer's past experiences with speed, specifically as a drag racer and a drug runner. These are both risky and rebellious activities, and they suggest that the singer is someone who doesn't want to be confined by societal norms or expectations. However, in the final lines of the verse, he admits that these days he's just "tryin' to make this highway bleed." This line is a metaphor for pushing himself to the limit, pushing the car to the limit, and pushing the limits of what's possible on the road. It's a reminder that no matter what he's done in the past, his love for the highway remains the same.
The chorus of the song is a straightforward declaration of ownership: "This highway / This highway / This highway's mine." The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the singer's possessiveness and his sense of entitlement to the road. The final verse drives home this idea with the repeated phrase "I'm the Roadmaster / The Asphalt Blaster." The singer sees himself as a conqueror, someone who can't be stopped or slowed down by anyone or anything.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm running down this highway
I am currently traveling on this road.
Don't remember where I slept last night
I cannot recall my previous night's resting place.
I just remember halfway through the night
Only half of my night appeared in my memory.
I woke up stiff with fright
I became scared to an extent that it made me physically rigid when I regained consciousness.
I dreamed there was no asphalt
In my dream, there was no road pavement.
I dreamed there was no gasoline
In my dream, there was no fuel for my mode of transportation.
Felt like a rat caught in some nowhere town
I felt trapped like a rodent in a small, unfamiliar place.
I woke up and screamed
I let out a loud vocalization due to the nightmare I had.
This highway's mine
This road belongs to me.
I grew up on the dragstrip
During my youth, I spent time on a racecourse.
I used to shut em down
I had a habit of winning races.
I used to take their pinkslips
I collected ownership documents of the vehicles of those who lost to me.
There's a sucker born in every town
Every locality has people who are easily tricked or foolish.
I never showed no mercy
I never exhibited kindness or compassion on my opponents.
I blew them all away
I defeated all the people who raced with me.
They stood there and cursed me
They displayed anger towards me.
As I towed their lives away
I took away something that held great significance to them (their vehicles).
I used to run the cocaine
In the past, I was involved in transporting cocaine.
I used to run the weed
In the past, I was involved in transporting marijuana.
These days I'm just running
Currently, I am simply travelling.
Tryin' to make this highway bleed
I aim to leave my mark on this road, make a big impact.
Sometimes the only difference 'tween me and this machine
On certain occasions, the disparity between me and my automobile is negligible.
Is I run on desperation
My driving force is the feeling of being in a desperate situation.
She runs on gasoline
The automobile runs on fuel.
I'm the Roadmaster
I am the ruler of the road.
The Asphalt Blaster
I demolish people on the road like an explosive object.
Mess with me and I'll shut you down
If someone challenges me, I will cause them to lose the race.
The bad thing
I have a notorious reputation.
The highway king and I've come to claim my kingdom now
I am the highest authority of the road and I am going to establish my undisputed control over it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind