Steve Earle recently moved to NYC from Nashville. At the concert Thursday night, he said living there makes him feel more hopeful about the possibility for change in the country, that the Korean who runs the deli at the end of his block speaks better English than he does, Spanish too, and that this is amazing.

Livin’ in a city of immigrants
I don’t need to go travelin’
Open my door and the world walks in
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

Livin’ in a city that never sleeps
My heart keepin’ time to a thousand beats
Singin’ in languages I don’t speak
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

City of black, city of white, city of light, city of innocents
City of sweat, city of tears, city of prayers, city of immigrants

All of us are immigrants
Every daughter, every son
Everyone is everyone
All of us are immigrants
Everyone

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It was the opening show for his North American tour, we had second row center seats. This self-described “pinko songwriter” transcends categories. Is he country, bluegrass, folk, or rock? Yes.

Singing Jerusalem at the Operation Ceasefire Concert in Washington DC on 9/24/2005

“I woke up this mornin’ and none of the news was good
And death machines were rumblin’ ‘cross the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me that it had always been that way
And there was nothin’ anyone could do or say

And I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
Then I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find

That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem”

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