Throwback Thursday – Steve Earle – “What’s A Simple Man To Do?”
1. Steve Earle hails from Schertz, Texas, just down the road from San Antonio, the home of one Doug Sahm. It is understandable, then, that some of Sahm’s influence might trickle down into Steve’s music. However, Earle chose to pay the man direct tribute on “What’s A Simple Man To Do”, from his 1996 record Jerusalem, which wears Sahm’s influence on its sleeve.
2. The song reveals itself in the form of a letter, read over a pumping Vox organ that would make Augie Meyers double take. A man who has transgressed on his promise to “never cross the border” tries to explain why he finds himself in America. After losing his job in the border factory, he explains that he met a man in Tijuana who gave him a job selling “red balloons”. Though he never meant to stay, he now reveals a little more about his location, saying he “never even saw the police comin’”. At the end of it all, he has few excuses other than being a “simple man” with few options in life, choosing to chase an opportunity.
3. Earle makes a statement (which is not at all unusual) about immigration, surrounding it with Sahm’s unmistakeable Tex-Mex sound. He gets in and out of the song in under two and a half minutes, but the song leaves a musical mark, if not bringing attention to a larger issue. Hard to speak for the man, but I imagine Doug would be proud.
Steve Earle – What’s A Simple Man To Do
Great tune! My favorite off this record, for sure. Glad to see someone else who shares my appreciation…