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.
Waitin On The Sky
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting on the sky to fall
Everybody I knew, hangin' around
Wondering what to do
When the draft board calls
Looking back it musta have been a miracle now
I ever grew up at all
To sing about living in a military town
Waitin' on the sky to fall, boys
Waitin' on the sky to fall
Chicken Little wasn't makin' nothing but noise?
Waiting on the sky to fall.
Spent a lonely lifetime
Rollin' on down the line
Searchin' for the holy grail
Never once crossed my solitary mind
That any such consecrated quest'd fail
Come up upon an ocean and much to my chagrin
They told me that ship had sailed
Walkin' on the water, 'cause I never learned to swim
Searchin' for the holy grail
Searchin' for the holy grail, friends
Searchin' for the holy grail
Been across the ocean and now I'm back again
Searchin' for the holy grail.
Whoop
Been around enough to know a little bit now
And I am sitting on top of the world
Wangin' on a guitar while the sun goes down
And singin' a song about a redheaded girl
Was a time I would have said them days was gone
But, I'm givin' it another whirl
Didn't know that I was gonna live this long
Now, I'm sittin' on top of the world
Sittin' on top of the world, y'all
Sitting on top of the world
Eyes wide open till the messenger calls
Sittin' on top of the world!
Steve Earle's "Waitin On The Sky" is a nostalgic yet bittersweet reflection of his upbringing in a military town, waiting for something to happen. The song speaks to how difficult it was being raised in that atmosphere, wondering if and when the sky would fall, and ultimately realizing that all that waiting was for nothing. Earle's lyrics touch on the idea of a conscripted life, where young men were sent to fight in the Vietnam War, leaving behind their families and friends. The opening verse paints a picture of the anxiety and fear that permeated through the town. The chorus is a more playful and sarcastic take on how Chicken Little was just making noise, juxtaposing the fear felt by the people in the town with the larger world view. The second verse has Earle on his quest for the holy grail, representing a search for something deeper and more profound in his life. He references walking on water, an allusion to Jesus' miracle, and how he never learned to swim, representing how deep his quest was. Despite crossing the ocean, Earle returns to his search, recognizing that he hasn't found what he's looking for yet. The final verse shows Earle's maturation and self-discovery, culminating in his "sittin' on top of the world." From being frustrated with his life, to searching for something deeper, Earle has finally found peace and is content with where he is.
Line by Line Meaning
I grew up in a military town
I was raised in a place where most people were associated with the military
Waiting on the sky to fall
Constantly anticipating for something bad to happen
Everybody I knew, hangin' around
All the people I associated with, just loitering without any purpose
Wondering what to do
Uncertain about what the future holds
When the draft board calls
Fearing being conscripted by the military during the war
Looking back it must have been a miracle now
Reflecting on the past, can't believe I made it out alive
I ever grew up at all
I almost didn't make it through childhood
To sing about living in a military town
It's strange that I'm singing about growing up in a place that was so heavily influenced by the military
Waitin' on the sky to fall
Even after all this time, still waiting for something bad to happen
Waitin' on the sky to fall, boys
Addressing a group of male comrades who likely share similar experiences
Chicken Little wasn't makin' nothing but noise?
Is constantly worrying for nothing really worth it?
Spent a lonely lifetime
Lived a secluded life for many years
Rollin' on down the line
Continuing on with life, not really knowing where it's headed
Searchin' for the holy grail
Looking for something that's nearly impossible to find
Never once crossed my solitary mind
I never even considered that this quest might fail
That any such consecrated quest'd fail
The notion that this journey was doomed to fail never occurred to me
Come up upon an ocean and much to my chagrin
I reached an obstacle and was very upset to realize it
They told me that ship had sailed
Others informed me that the opportunity already passed and I can't do anything about it now
Walkin' on the water, 'cause I never learned to swim
I found myself in a tough situation because I never learned certain skills to solve it
Searchin' for the holy grail, friends
Still looking for something unattainable, addressing a group of people
Been across the ocean and now I'm back again
Traveled far and wide, ended up back where I started
Been around enough to know a little bit now
Having enough life experiences to have a bit of wisdom
And I am sitting on top of the world
Feeling incredibly happy and satisfied with life
Wangin‘ on a guitar while the sun goes down
Playing music as the day comes to an end
And singin‘ a song about a redheaded girl
Singing about someone I care for, possibly a past love interest
Was a time I would have said them days was gone
In the past, I thought that these happy moments would never happen again
But, I'm givin' it another whirl
Trying again against all odds, hoping for the best
Didn't know that I was gonna live this long
I never expected to live for so long and enjoy life this much
Now, I'm sittin' on top of the world
Reinforcing that he is truly happy with life right now
Sittin' on top of the world, y’all
Addressing a group, sharing his joy with them
Eyes wide open till the messenger calls
Keeping vigilance and enjoying life while it lasts, aware it won't last forever
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beverly Esskridge
I love, love Steve. He makes my heart stop with some of his sad songs.
ryanskateuh
luv everything about steve earle's music & happy he's sitting on top of he world - ed handel
Wiggs Dannyboy
soooo hyped to see him at the SF bluegrass festival next month. amazing artist.
Livi Crazy Music
Love the honesty, "Thanks for coming", "It's my job, it's a promotional tour". Haha
nilradem
I think I might just need a Steve Earle 12 step program.
ggforeigner
seriously getting psyched for Saturday ... finally in Paris !!!
Neil Clark
He's Fuckin' Amazin'!!! <3
Joanna Backman
@paskoxbox really? you need to really listen to Steve Earle, his music, passion and work for the betterman so many goes back many years..probably before you were even born. This is real music that needs to be heard with an open heart. God bless Steve Earle.
Frank Enstein
Steve Earle writes about my life and I'm so embarrassed.
Marcus Griffin
I don't know what kind of guitar that is...but I want it.