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.
To Live Is To Fly
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't say I need you, babe
But I'm gonna' get you, babe
And I will not do you wrong
Living's mostly wasting time
And I waste my share of mine
But it never feels too good
So let's don't take too long
We got the sky to talk about
And the world to lie upon
Days up and down they come
Like rain on a conga drum
Forget most, remember some
Oh, but don't turn none away
Everything is not enough
Nothing is too much to bear
Where you've been is good and gone
All you keep is the getting there
Well, to live's to fly, all low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
It's goodbye to all my friends
It's time to leave again
Here's to all the poetry
And the picking' down the line
I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low and the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think too much
On things you leave behind
Well, I may be gone, but it won't be long
I'll be bringing back the melody
And the rhythm that I find
We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make
Time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
Well, to live's to fly awe low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eye
Oh, shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eye
In Steve Earle's song To Live Is To Fly, the main message is about the transience of life and how important it is to live in the present moment. The first stanza speaks of the reluctance to express love, but an intention to woo and cherish. The next stanza talks about how living can feel like a waste of time, but he still cherishes his time with his loved one. The fact that they have each other and the sky above them to talk about, is enough to make their lives meaningful.
The third stanza talks about life's ups and downs, and how important it is to remember and learn from the past but not hold onto it. He speaks of how everything can never be enough, but at the same time, nothing is too much to bear. The only thing that matters is the journey, not the destination. The lyrics show an appreciation for the moment and the experience of life, including its joys and pain.
The fourth and final stanza speaks of the need to leave everything behind and move on. He acknowledges the good times and the bad but emphasizes how it does not always pay to hold onto things that are left behind. The focus is on the importance of continuing to live and find new experiences, with the metaphor of shaking the dust off of one's wings and eyes, symbolizing the need to let go and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't say I love you, babe
I won't verbally express my love for you
Won't say I need you, babe
I won't admit my emotional dependence on you
But I'm gonna' get you, babe
I will pursue you, though I won't say I love or need you
And I will not do you wrong
I promise to treat you right
Living's mostly wasting time
Life is often meaningless
And I waste my share of mine
I too have wasted time in my life
But it never feels too good
Wasting time is still unsatisfying
So let's don't take too long
Therefore, we should not waste too much time in our pursuits
Well, you're soft as glass and I'm a gentle man
You are fragile and I am a caring person
We got the sky to talk about
We have endless possibilities to discuss
And the world to lie upon
We have endless opportunities to explore
Days up and down they come
Life has its ups and downs
Like rain on a conga drum
Changes in life can be unpredictable and chaotic
Forget most, remember some
We forget much of our past, but remember some highlights
Oh, but don't turn none away
We should not ignore our experiences, good or bad
Everything is not enough
No matter how much we have, we always want more
Nothing is too much to bear
We can handle anything that comes our way
Where you've been is good and gone
The past is gone, and we should not dwell on it
All you keep is the getting there
The journey is more important than the destination
Well, to live's to fly, all low and high
Living is about experiencing both highs and lows
So shake the dust off of your wings
Get rid of the things holding you back
And the sleep out of your eyes
Wake up to the possibilities of life
It's goodbye to all my friends
It's time for me to say goodbye to my friends
It's time to leave again
It's time for me to move on
Here's to all the poetry
Cheers to all the creative work I've done
And the picking' down the line
And the time I've spent playing music
I'll miss the system here
I'll miss the way things work here
The bottom's low and the treble's clear
Life's challenges are intense, but the rewards are great
But it don't pay to think too much
But we shouldn't overthink things
On things you leave behind
We should not dwell on what we leave behind
Well, I may be gone, but it won't be long
I might be leaving now, but I'll be back soon
I'll be bringing back the melody
I'll return with new music
And the rhythm that I find
And the inspiration I discover
We all got holes to fill
We all have gaps to fill in our lives
Them holes are all that's real
Those gaps are the only thing truly meaningful in our lives
Some fall on you like a storm
Some challenges come suddenly and forcefully
Sometimes you dig your own
Sometimes we create our own problems
The choice is yours to make
We have the power to make our own choices
Time is yours to take
We should take advantage of the time we have
Some dive into the sea
Some people take risks and explore new things
Some toil upon the stone
Others work hard and persistently
Oh, shake the dust off of your wings
Get rid of the things holding you back
And the tears out of your eye
And the sadness from your life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Townes Van Zandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
chris ammons
Best cover of the song by Townes
Flynn1933
Saw TCM Remembers and had to find this song. Glad I did. So meloncholy and beautiful.
Noni D
Can't listen to this without a tears springing up. Two amazing singer songwriters. Heaven in musical form. Goes straight to the soul
Evelyn Overcash
First time I have ever heard this song. Stunning.
Cathy Crago
Check out Townes Van Zandt the legendary Texas singer songwriter who wrote it and is Steve's hero
fecklessmovies
This is an amazing version. Having just spent money on two Steve Earle CDs I was trying to resist this one, but now I've got to have a copy of this...
Darryl Deachman
Is there A Townes song that Steve doesn't cover well? Love this version. Love how his wife just sneaks in there just nice and light., kinda like the song lol.
rick pauley
I love this album. I think he really did a nice job with Townes' songs.
Joanna Backman
it was a great tribute to a man he always called his first teacher.
Terry Mathews
I'm waiting for the CD to arrive via UPS ... can't wait to hear it.