Saturday, June 23, 2012

Justin Townes Earle - Wanderin'

The kids are all right.

Justin Townes Earle is Steve Earle's son, but it wasn't an easy road.  His dad split when he was two.  Justin got into drugs early.  He almost got tossed out of bands because he was a hard core user.  It wasn't the years, but the miles, and those miles weren't paved.

But like Johnny Cash he turned that around.  He started writing music, and has produced some fine music that is a long, long way from your over produced, over packaged Country Pop.  His 2010 album Harlem River Blues had this song, and a bunch of others ranging from rockabilly to blues to folk and most places in between.  It's easy to write something simplistic, it's a lot harder to write something simple.



Wanderin' (Songwriter: Justin Townes Earle)
Well I'm just a lonely traveler and I don't know where I'm bound.
Though, that if I keep on moving then I know that I'll be found.
I'll climb high atop a mountain, call for he who holds the crown,
But until that day, keep on wanderin'

Well now, when the soul wanders there are things a man must see.
There are trials he must know and there are troubles he must meet.
He must stare in the eyes of evil and know that he is free.
'Til the good lord calls, keep on wanderin'

Now, my father was a traveler and my mama stayed at home.
And she cried the day that he walked out and left us on our alone.
But now I'm older than he was when I was born and I don't know,
Which way is home so I'm wanderin'

Yes, oh lord, I've seen your oceans, I've seen your mountains high.
I've been lost inside your cities, I've seen the underside.
Yeah, I know the troubles that plague a troubled mind,
But they can't catch me I'm a wanderin'

No they can't catch me I'm a wanderin'

4 comments:

Old NFO said...

Interesting song and interesting set of lyrics. Glad he's 'survived' the trip!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful. thanks for sharing this!

Walter Zoomie said...

I had to check, 'cuz I thought it looked and sounded like him on the mandolin...Marty Stuart ain't no hack either! Damn...he is looking OLD!

Sabra said...

I always thought it was sad the son went through the same troubles as the father. I guess that is a warning to us as parents to live our own lives well, so if our kids go looking for us, they don't have a destructive path to follow.