Steve Earle Quotes

I could stand in the street and sing and get enough to pay the bills. I don't need millions of dollars.

I've never had much and I've never needed much. If I had only two bucks in my pocket, I knew I could spend it because I could always do another show of some kind, even on a sidewalk.

When I first came out, I was a film student, and my mom sewed clothes. I was already doing a million things then, whatever it took to survive. If I had to braid someone's hair to get one pound for my lunch money, that's what I did.

I didn't think we would ever make enough money to pay rent by playing music.

I have no definite talent or trade, and how I stay alive is largely a matter of magic.

I often think I am a better person because I lived for many years of my life with a flashlight. I have developed skills I did not think were possible - bathing with a cup of water by candlelight, for instance, and writing a story with a headlamp on.

I've worked as a labourer, driven taxis and school buses, and been a car mechanic - whatever I could do just to get by. But it does mean that I know a little bit about a lot of things.

As an actress for most of my life, I am profoundly familiar with poverty.

I was able to support myself by acting alone about six years ago. Until then, I was just scraping by.

There's something so romantic about being broke in New York. You gotta do it. You have to live there once without any money, and then you have to live there when you have money. Let me tell you, of the two, the latter is far better.

I am not preparing myself or my family for anything but life.

Kids aren't going to understand single life in New York City.

There have been moments where I'm like, 'I don't know how I'm going to survive and pay next month's rent.' And the next month I'm filming a movie in New York City.

I came of age believing that, no matter what happened, I would always be able to support myself.

I was 20 years old. My entire possessions consisted of $5 and a sewing machine.

I come from a simple background, so I couldn't call my father and say, 'Come pay my bills,' so I had to get out there and work.

I've had days here and there where I would get discouraged because I wasn't a big star, but I've made a living ever since I was 27. Not a great living, but enough for me. I think actually being able to pay my rent and eat and perform is enough, and I did that for many years. Then I had some good years in there, too, where I made pretty good money.

We have to make a living and you can't do that playing bluegrass.

Coming from a middle class background, I faced a lot of hardships during my initial years in Mumbai. I did not have much money and had to sing jingles and bhajans to survive. But those years taught me that a singer should be versatile.

I'm just trying to make rent and do my work.

I don't think that there's any shame at all in doing what you have to do in order to survive, to make money while you continue to pursue your dreams.

I was brought up knowing that you have to make a living.

I thank God I am endued with such qualities that if I were turned out of the Realm in my petticoat I were able to live in any place in Christendom.

I think that I'm lucky in that, even at levels where I, by and large, wasn't making enough money to sustain my life, I worked as a male nanny, I waited tables and did what I had to, to keep doing theater and acting.

I always kept busy. If the music business got bad I'd get me a job doin' somethin' else. Bellhop. Porter. Anything to make an honest living.