# Any Steve Earle fans out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356 "2007-10-20T00:07:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/1 "2007-10-20T00:07:10Z")
I’m really digging \*Manhattan Square Serenade \* right now. Partly because I miss Manhattan (I’m living in NC now, but spent the better part of the last 15 years in NYC.) The album is chock full of NYC references, but mostly it’s some good damn music. I’m not an Earle afficionado, but I liked _Copperhead Road_. On this CD he sounds like he’s channeling Tom Waits sometimes. Anyone else listening? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/2 "2007-10-20T00:08:59Z")
Missed the edit window, but that would be “_Washington Square Serenade_”… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/3 "2007-10-20T00:35:31Z")
I liked _Copperhead Road_ but _Guitar Town_ is my favorite album, mostly for Little Rock 'n Roller. I’m a patsy for songs sung to kids by their absent dads. Steve had a small role in _The Wire_ (HBO) as an ex-junkie, and he’ll be recording the title song for season five. The Wire uses the same song for each season, but different interpretations by different artists (one of which was Tom Waits). ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/4 "2007-10-20T00:36:04Z")
Big Earle fan here. I started out with the “Aint Ever Satisfied” compilation and would recommend it to anyone wanting to check him out. I have almost all his stuff and haven’t heard the new one but will order it soon. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/5 "2007-10-20T00:49:46Z")
I’m not a fan of country music, but I do have _Copperhead Road_ I got it because The Pogues play on it. I like _Johnny Come Lately_ not only because The Pogues play on it, but because starts out during an era in which I have an interest. I wonder about this verse though: \*Now my granddaddy sang me this song Told me about London when the Blitz was on How he married Grandma and brought her back home A hero throughout this land Now I’m standing on a runway in San Diego A couple o’ Purple Hearts so I move a little slow ain’t nobody here, maybe nobody knows About a place called Vietnam \* The P-47 entered combat in late-1942. Let’s say the pilot was 22 years old. So he may have been born in 1920. The narrator in the song was wounded in Vietnam. That war officially ended (for the U.S.) in January 1973. Let’s say he’s 18, so he would have been born in 1955. His ‘granddaddy’ would have been 35 years old. The timing has always bugged me. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/6 "2007-10-20T01:08:22Z")
I have Copperhead Road and really like all the songs on it, especially the eponymous track, _Snake Oil_, and _Devil’s Right Hand_. I’m unfamiliar with the rest of his work, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/7 "2007-10-20T04:10:04Z")
Johnny, that has always bugged the hell out of me as well, and I too did the math and came out with the same basic numbers. I mentally sing it as “ol’ Daddy” and “Mama.” Used to see Earle all the time when he played Knoxville back in the mid-late 90s in support of “Train a Comin’” and “I Feel Alright.” Guy had a great sense of humor and cutting wit when dealing with drunken yokels in the audience. The following exchange I witnessed live, and it got written up in a review of the performance. Steve and the V-Roys (a great local band) are playing such and such song. Song ends. Yokel: “Play ‘Copperhead Road.’” Steve lights a smoke, tunes his guitar, ignores the drunk. Yokel: “Play ‘Copperhead Road.’” Different Yokel: (to first Yokel): “Shut up. Do whatever you like, Steve.” Earle glances up, and in a southern drawl version of an icy Jack Nicholson voice says, “I usually do.” "Train a Comin’ is my favorite album. Love “Ben McCullough.” Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/8 "2007-10-20T04:16:45Z")
I used to like him - particularly the post-prison years albums like ‘I Feel Alright’ and ‘El Corazon’. Then he went all political and spoiled it all ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/9 "2007-10-20T07:46:51Z")
Not a big fan, but I really like _The Revolution Starts Now_. Especially \*\*The Gringo’s Tale \*\* and **I Though You Should Know**. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/10 "2007-10-20T23:32:20Z")
For my money, Steve Earle is one of the great song **writers**. But as a singer? Not so much. On the other hand, I _do_ like Earle singing [Goodbye](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTSRJLn15k). ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/11 "2007-10-21T02:38:58Z")
Yep, Steve Earle is one of my best faves, and I love his new albums, too. He has a wild true heart. Memphis concert memory, sitting next to a really whupped up truck driver fan, screaming “Devil’s Right Hand!!! Devil’s Right Haaannndd!” for half the night. When Earle did play the song, my new buddy Michael crumpled up against me, sobbing, “Dahmmm, Dahhhmmm, that meant a lot, man, that song…ever since my brother-in law shot my baby sister…shit… shit…” Composing himself abit…" Man I gotta drive a truck load of frozen ass chicken to California tomorrow. This made it worth it, though." Steve Earle is great at helping ya get through it all. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/12 "2007-10-21T03:11:27Z")
I have been a Steve Earle fan for many years. Two years ago he toured Australia and played 9 gigs in 12 days. Somehow I managed to not know that he was coming or that he was here until the day of his last show, which of course was sold out. It was the lowest key tour by any name act I can recall. I saw no publicity (although no doubt there was some) and most of the gigs were at pubs and small clubs. Kicked myself for weeks over that. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/13 "2007-10-22T14:26:35Z")
Here’s an interesting Steve Earle cover for you (YouTube clip): [“My Old Friend the Blues” as performed by The Proclaimers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucgUKCeQlwM). And here’s a song cowritten by Jason Ringenberg and Steve Earle (pardon the Firefly video and enjoy the tune): [“Bible and a Gun” as performed by Jason and the Scorchers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI2W9PqaAKw). **Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks** did a nice cover of “ **The Devil’s Right Hand** ,” but I can’t find that one on the internets. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/14 "2007-10-22T15:16:52Z")
I’m a big Steve Earle fan also. I first got into him in college with Copperhead Road. I’m not sure exactly where we first heard him though. I want to say he must have been on Letterman but I’m sure that’s wrong. I have quite a few of his albums and I love listening to them chronologically to hear the changes he goes through musically. If you only ever buy one Steve Earle CD it should probably be Copperhead Road but if you are willing to listen to a little more I would add Guitar Town and I Feel Alright. Those three really give a good sense of the talent he has and the life he has lived. I love Copperhead Road but I think my favorite is I Feel Alright. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/15 "2007-10-22T15:19:06Z")
p.s. Sorry for the double post but I forgot to add. I still love his music but I did drop off from his new music a little bit because he has become too blatantly political for me to really enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/16 "2007-10-22T15:40:17Z")
Unless they are going over my head (which is extremely possible…) the songs on the new album don’t seem very political to me. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/17 "2007-10-22T19:16:07Z")
[QUOTE=Southern Yankee] Unless they are going over my head (which is extremely possible…) the songs on the new album don’t seem very political to me. [/QUOTE] Steve has been doing political stuff for years. (I haven’t heard the new album yet.) Much of it is pretty subtle. For example, here’s a bit of “Dixieland”–on his Bluegrass set, _[The Mountain](http://www.steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-mountain.php#Mountain)_. > [@](#): > > I am Kilrain of the 20th Maine and I damn all gentlemen > Whose only worth is their father’s name and the sweat of a workin’ man > Well we come from the farms and the city streets and a hundred foreign lands > And we spilled our blood in the battle’s heat > Now we’re all Americans It’s a song about an Irish immigrant who fights for the Union. But some might find more current meaning in the words. Occasionally, Steve gets more obvious–he even refers to Woody Guthrie in one song! Of course, it may be that I don’t disagree with Steve Earle’s politics. Those whose beliefs match Lee Greenwood’s (of the execrable “Proud to Be An American”) are probably put off when confronted with Steve’s obvious talent. He’s an amazing songwriter who’s adapted many “styles”–solo acoustic folk, folk rock, hard rock & stone Bluegrass. (With lashings of Irish traditional.) And he’s a good singer in the “folksinger” vein–no great technical skill, but plenty of feeling. I’m glad he’s still producing good work. And annoying those who need it. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/18 "2007-10-24T03:52:38Z")
I was just musing today about which current musician can live up to [Woody Guthrie’s](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/no/e/e7/This_Machine_Kills_Fascists.gif) bold guitar statement of his time; “This Machine Kills Fascists” Steve Earle lives up to that. And I ain’t at all ashamed to love it. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/19 "2007-10-24T14:22:56Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] I was just musing today about which current musician can live up to [Woody Guthrie’s](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/no/e/e7/This_Machine_Kills_Fascists.gif) bold guitar statement of his time; “This Machine Kills Fascists” Steve Earle lives up to that. And I ain’t at all ashamed to love it. [/QUOTE] I’m sure you’ve heard his [Christmas In Washington](http://www.steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-elcor.php#ChristmasInWashington)–here’s the chorus: > [@](#): > > So come back Woody Guthrie > Come back to us now > Tear your eyes from paradise > And rise again somehow > If you run into Jesus > Maybe he can help you out > Come back Woody Guthrie to us now From _El Corazon_. An album that also includes some hard rock, stone honky-tonk & a tender farewell to Townes van Zandt. Yeah, I like Steve’s politics. But they’re just icing on the cake. He’s hardly a one-trick pony. (Mixing metaphors much?) ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356/20 "2007-10-24T15:48:52Z")
I didn’t mean that I was turned off because I disagreed with his politics. I just thought that some of the songs on The Revolution Starts…Now sacrificed quality for preachyness. And I hate being preached to. I think I will have to pick up the new one and give it a listen. Thanks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-steve-earle-fans-out-there/423356.md?page=2)