Steve Earle has a birthday today.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

[Hoyt]

1. Revolution Starts Now

[The Polack MSgt]

2. This man is one of my personal favorite artists of any style any age anywhere.

As good a songwriter as ever lived. As good as Dylan,Chuck Berry, Neil Young, Lenin & McCartney, Joan Baez, Hank Williams, Jagger & Richards... You get the point.

Hard ass hillbilly rock and roller balladeer blue grass maestro.

Two pack habit and a hotel tan-

Well my daddy worked in the coal mine 'til the company shut 'er down
Then he sat around & drank himself blind 'til they put him back under ground

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[argyl]

3. Here's one of his first and best. Probably sang it in Nashville clubs on open mic night.

As great a use of metaphor as I've ever heard in a song.
It rings like an old colloquialism. Sounds like an old Central/Hill Country Texas saying. It's that good.

Emmylou Harris is a very good friend of his and I read an account of her recalling the first time she heard this song. She said it was the most perfect song she'd ever heard. I believe she was in the audience at a Nashville club open mic night.
The superb Emmylou Harris wowed by a skinny kid from Schertz, Texas.

One of the great singer/ songwriters. My personal favorite. He also puts on a hell of a live show.