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.
Tom Ames' Prayer Lyrics
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well the sheriff had caught him stealin' chickens and such
By the time that he was ten
And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill
And he tucked it in his hand
He said I can tell you're headed for trouble son
And your momma wouldn't understand
So he took that money and his brothers old bay
And he left without a word of thanks
Fell in with a crowd in some border town
And took to robbing banks
Well outside the law your luck will run out fast
And a few years came and went
'Till he's trapped in an alley in Abilene
With all but four shells spent
And he realized praying was the only thing
That he hadn't ever tried
Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how
But he looked up to the sky
Said you don't owe me nothing and as far as I know
Lord don't owe nothing to you
And I ain't asking for a miracle Lord
Just a little bit of luck will do
And you know I ain't never prayed before
But it always seemed to me
If praying is the same as begging Lord
I don't take no charity
Yeah but right now Lord with my back to the wall
Can't help but recall
How they nearly hung me for stealing a horse
In Fort Smith Arkansas
Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
Just like a cannon shot
And I went away quietly
And I began to file and plot
Well they sent the preacher down to my cell
He said the Lord is your only hope
He's the only friend that you gonna have
When you hit the end of Parker's rope
Well I guess he could of kept on preaching till Christmas
But he turned his back on me
I put a home made blade to that golden throat
And asked the deputy for the key
Well it ain't the first close call I ever had
As I'm sure you already know
I had some help from you Lord and the devil himself
It's been strictly touch and go
Yeah but who in the hell am I talking to
There ain't no one here but me
And then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
And he walked out in the street
"Tom Ames Prayer" by Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band is a story about a man, Tom Ames, who has lived his life outside the law and is now facing his own mortality. The song is a narrative of Ames' life, beginning with his childhood in Nacadoches when he was caught stealing chickens at the age of ten. Ames' father gave him some money and a horse and asked him to leave their home, stating that Ames was headed for trouble, and his mother wouldn't understand.
Ames then left without a word of thanks to join a crowd in a border town and rob banks. He was a successful outlaw for several years until he was trapped with nearly no ammunition in an alley in Abilene. Ames then turned to prayer, admitting that he had never prayed before. He didn't ask for a miracle but just a little bit of luck. He acknowledged that he didn't want to beg and that the line between prayer and begging was delicate.
In the second half of the song, Ames recounted his life, including a close call where he almost got hanged for stealing a horse in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He also remembered a preacher who visited him while in jail but didn't give him the hope he was looking for. In the end, he wonders who he's talking to and finishes with a powerful image of cocking both pistols, spitting in the dirt, and walking out into the street.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ame's would come to some bad end
Tom Ame's reputation in the town of Nacadoches was not good and it was common knowledge that he was going to end up in bad situation.
Well the sheriff had caught him stealin' chickens and such
The sheriff had caught Tom Ame's stealing chickens and other things and he was in trouble with the law from a young age.
By the time that he was ten
Tom Ame's trouble with the law started at a very young age, before he was even ten years old.
And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill
Tom Ame's father gave him ten dollars as a warning that he was headed towards a bad future.
And he tucked it in his hand
Tom Ame's father gave him the money secretly without his mother's knowledge.
He said I can tell you're headed for trouble son
Tom Ame's father warned him that he was making bad choices that would lead to negative consequences.
And your momma wouldn't understand
Tom Ame's father thought his mother would not support his method of trying to correct Tom's behavior.
So he took that money and his brothers old bay
Tom Ame's took the money and his brother's old horse and left home.
And he left without a word of thanks
Tom Ame's left without thanking his father for the money.
Fell in with a crowd in some border town
Tom Ame's ended up in a bad crowd in a border town and was influenced by them.
And took to robbing banks
Tom Ame's started robbing banks with his new associates.
Well outside the law your luck will run out fast
Tom Ame's criminal activities would be risky and he would face consequences for his actions.
And a few years came and went
Tom Ame's spent a few years living a life of crime and getting away with it.
'Till he's trapped in an alley in Abilene
Tom Ame's got trapped in an alley in Abilene and had very few bullets left.
With all but four shells spent
Tom Ame's had only four bullets left in his gun.
And he realized praying was the only thing
Tom Ame's felt that praying was his only option at this point.
That he hadn't ever tried
Tom Ame's had never prayed before in his life.
Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how
Tom Ame's was unsure how to pray or if he was doing it correctly.
But he looked up to the sky
Tom Ame's looked towards the sky, a symbol of heaven.
Said you don't owe me nothing and as far as I know
Tom Ame's acknowledged that he had no right to ask God for help.
Lord don't owe nothing to you
Tom Ame's felt like he did not deserve any help or mercy from God.
And I ain't asking for a miracle Lord
Tom Ame's is not asking for a big miracle from God.
Just a little bit of luck will do
Tom Ame's is just hoping for a little good fortune to come his way.
And you know I ain't never prayed before
This is the first time that Tom Ame's has ever prayed.
But it always seemed to me
Tom Ame's always thought that praying is like begging and he did not want to ask God for help.
If praying is the same as begging Lord
Tom Ame's thinks that praying is like begging for charity, which he did not like to do.
I don't take no charity
Tom Ame's did not want to be indebted to anyone or take charity from anyone.
Yeah but right now Lord with my back to the wall
Tom Ame's feels like he is in a desperate situation and has no other options left.
Can't help but recall
Tom Ame's remembers one time when he was almost hanged for stealing a horse.
How they nearly hung me for stealing a horse
Tom Ame's almost got hanged for stealing a horse in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
Tom Ame's was found guilty in court and was sentenced to punishment by Judge Parker.
Just like a cannon shot
The sound of the gavel was loud and abrupt, like a cannon shot.
And I went away quietly
Tom Ame's accepted his punishment and quietly accepted his fate.
And I began to file and plot
After being sentenced, Tom Ame's started to plan his escape.
Well they sent the preacher down to my cell
The authorities sent a preacher to Tom Ame's cell to talk to him.
He said the Lord is your only hope
The preacher told Tom Ame's that God is his only hope in this desperate situation.
He's the only friend that you gonna have
The preacher told Tom Ame's that God is the only ally he has left.
When you hit the end of Parker's rope
The preacher implied that when Parker is done with Tom Ame's punishment, he will be out of options.
Well I guess he could of kept on preaching till Christmas
The preacher could have continued preaching to Tom Ame's for a long time, but he chose not to.
But he turned his back on me
The preacher left Tom Ame's in his hour of need.
I put a home made blade to that golden throat
Tom Ame's tried to harm the preacher with a makeshift weapon.
And asked the deputy for the key
Tom Ame's asked the deputy to let him out, now that the preacher was gone.
Well it ain't the first close call I ever had
Tom Ame's had been in similar threatening situations before.
As I'm sure you already know
Tom Ame's feels like the listener already knows about his history of close calls.
I had some help from you Lord and the devil himself
Tom Ame's feels like he has been helped in the past by both God and the devil.
It's been strictly touch and go
Tom Ame's has narrowly escaped danger many times.
Yeah but who in the hell am I talking to
Tom Ame's realizes that there is no one there listening to his story.
There ain't no one here but me
Tom Ame's is alone in his thoughts and in his situation.
And then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
Tom Ame's readies himself for what he thinks could be his last stand, by cocking both his pistols and spitting in the dirt.
And he walked out in the street
Tom Ame's walks out to face his enemies and his fate head on.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind