In 1984, an aspiring Texas singer-songwriter went to see “a pretty good hillbilly singer from New Jersey” in concert and walked away inspired to record his own first solo album.
Two years later, he was covering his inspiration on television.
Steve Earle’s Guitar Town was brand new in 1986 and earning both popular and critical acclaim, particularly its Springsteen-inspired title track. The song earned him a pair of Grammy nominations, a Top Ten song on the country chart, and an invitation (one of many over the years) to perform on Austin City Limits.
In 2004, Earle’s complete ACL performance was finally given an official release on both CD and DVD, and included in both versions is his brooding, menacing cover of Bruce’s 1982 deep cut, “State Trooper.”
Earle would go on to cover and perform with Bruce in concert many times over the decades, but this early “State Trooper” performance remains one of his best, a snapshot of a Springsteen-inspired artist just beginning to come into his own.
