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.
you're still standin' there
Steve Earle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But just when I catch up to them, they slip away from me
Now I've been down a thousand trails I've never walked before
And I found out that without fail, they lead me to your door
And the world keep turning round and round
It leaves me hanging in the air
My heart keeps turning upside down
You're still standin' there
Now lately I see all the signs, I feel it in the wind
And the same thing happens every time that you come back again
Now I'll admit that there are nights when I sit up and cry
But sometimes I turn out the lights and pray you'll pass me by
And the world keep turning round and round
It leaves me hanging in the air
My heart keeps turning upside down
And you're still standin' there
Now since you've gone my empty arms have nothing left to hold
And your memory cannot keep me warm but it never leaves me cold
And the world keep turning round and round
It keeps me hanging in the air
My heart keeps turning upside down
You're still standin' there
And the world keep turning round and round
It leaves me hanging in the air
My heart keeps turning upside down
You're still standin' there
The lyrics of Steve Earle's You're Still Standin' There depict a man who has been wandering around aimlessly, trying to find his way through the ups and downs of life. He admits that he has been following things that he cannot see and when he thinks he has caught up to them, they slip away from him. Despite all this, he has found himself at the doorstep of the woman he loves every time he has walked down an unknown path. He has seen the signs of her return and even though he tries to resist the pull he feels towards her, he prays that she will return to him time and again.
The repetition of the line 'And the world keeps turning round and round, it leaves me hanging in the air' is indicative of the constant wheel of fate that keeps turning, leaving the singer in limbo. The line 'My heart keeps turning upside down' shows how the return of the woman repeatedly rocks the singer's emotions upside down. The song draws to a close with the singer admitting that he is unable to shake the memory of the woman and though she is no longer with him, he still feels her presence every day.
Line by Line Meaning
I've spent my life following things I cannot see
I have spent my life chasing after things that are not clear to me.
But just when I catch up to them, they slip away from me
Everytime I appear to have found what I am looking for, it disappears right before my grasp.
Now I've been down a thousand trails I've never walked before
I have been on many paths that are new and unfamiliar to me.
And I found out that without fail, they lead me to your door
It is inevitable that wherever I go, I will be led back to your doorstep.
And the world keep turning round and round
The world keeps moving even though I feel stuck in time.
It leaves me hanging in the air
I feel suspended, unable to move forward or backward.
My heart keeps turning upside down
The turmoil and confusion of my heart never subsides.
You're still standin' there
You remain a constant presence in my life.
Now lately I see all the signs, I feel it in the wind
I have been noticing all the signs that you are about to return, as if the wind is guiding you back to me.
And the same thing happens every time that you come back again
Every time you return, I am consumed by the same emotions and struggles.
Now I'll admit that there are nights when I sit up and cry
At times, I am overwhelmed by my emotions and cannot help but cry.
But sometimes I turn out the lights and pray you'll pass me by
Other times, I try to avoid you, hoping you will not come my way.
Now since you've gone my empty arms have nothing left to hold
Ever since you left, I feel empty and have nothing to hold onto.
And your memory cannot keep me warm but it never leaves me cold
Although your memory does not fill the void in my life, it also does not make me feel completely alone.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind