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I heard somewhere (although I can't recall where) this his favourite song that he has written is Me and the Eagle. I've never seen him play it and wonder if he ever has live.

Anyone heard any different?

I don't know where you've heard that. This is what I have heard him say on the topic 'favourite song':

Steve Earle:

'The Boy Who never Cried'. 'My favourite - the one that benefitted the most from writing outside the realm I'm comfortable with. I usually write narratives...and I still don't know what the fuck it's about! I think it's about growing up, but I wasn't conscious of that when I wrote it - I had no idea how it was going to end until I wrote the last line. It was written during the first two days of recording - at night - and recorded on the third day. It's probably my favourite song I've ever written.

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kmb117:

We don't have a cure for cancer but we've got 16 million different versions of the Lord of the Rings. What. The. Fuck.

I think it might have been in the Hardcore Troubadour book. I'll have a check when I get home. I'm sure it changes though as he writes new songs.

But The Boy Who Never Cried? I remember a while back when the album came out that there was a newsgroup thread called "The Boy Who Never Cried - Is this Steve Earle's worst song ever?". Although I thought that was a bit of a nasty thing to say I will admit it wasn't on my list of favourites.

Not my favourite at all.

I noticed Steve had a bad taste on his own songs. Some of the bests never played live, doesn't like the Hard Way and beside songs from his current album he plays weaker pieces of his repertoir.

hippy69:

I think it might have been in the Hardcore Troubadour book. I'll have a check when I get home.

A-ha. Can't remember that myself, but it was a while since I read it. 

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kmb117:

We don't have a cure for cancer but we've got 16 million different versions of the Lord of the Rings. What. The. Fuck.

It is in Hardcore Troubador.  I remember reading this in the book because it is my favorite song.  I also think it is very different than his other work.  Somewhat like a fable. 

^ Thx for the info.

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kmb117:

We don't have a cure for cancer but we've got 16 million different versions of the Lord of the Rings. What. The. Fuck.

The Boy Who never Cried is probably in my top 3 all time favourite Steve songs.  I had no idea he rated it so highly himself.  I understand why people hate it.  Aside from the flat production (which is typical Steve and not my taste), I just love the chord structure and lyrics.  My sister also rates it very highly too.

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"I'm not late, if I wouldn't have shown up at all, this would be considered early!"

The Boy Who Never Cried is my favorite because of its simplicity.  I also love the story and the way it is written.  I always felt it was like a poem and then, when I read Hardcore Troubador, I found out it was supposed to be a poem.  It's very different than his other songs.  It doesn't read like a page from his life and it certainly isn't one that you can dance too.  You just sit and listen to it.  And, I love the end of it.  It makes you cry to think of that boy's lonely life and how it eventually made him cry - the very thing he was ostracized for during his lifetime.  Pretty profound.

I don't say I don't like it but not my favourite.

Rich > Which one is the second? :-)
 

The Other Kind

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"I'm not late, if I wouldn't have shown up at all, this would be considered early!"

My favorite SE song varies with where I'm at in life and day to day...but a powerful piece, really more of a narrated poem, is the Warrior.  Got chills the first time I heard him perform it.  Listen to the words, he speaks the truth.

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"I got me a fearless heart"

I don't have any 1st, 2nd, 3rd ... either. But if I had to pick one or I'd die, it would probably be The Other Kind too. (And then/or Hard-core Troubadour, More Than I Can Do)

 
/No Back to the Wall, Warrior nor The Boy Who Never Cried at all!! /