Guitar Town

Album: Guitar Town (1986)
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  • Lyrics currently unavailable Writer/s: STEVE EARLE
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Comments: 5

  • John from TexasKeith from Kentucky, it when Steve hitch hiked from San antonio to nashville, he left with his Yamaha guitar and $17. He made it to his grandmother in Jacksonville TX and she gave him $20. They made him change it to "Jap" for the music video for concerns of being offensive to Japanese people.
  • Dan from CanadaI believe that early in his career Earle mostly played a Takamine guitar, made in Japan, and I imagine he got a lot of negative feedback in those early days from “purists” who felt that real country required an American built instrument. i.e, “you won’t get far with a […] Jap guitar”. So, it was an anti-racist ironic observation by Earle, really, but too subtle/clever for the masses. So a sanitized version changed the wording to “cheap guitar”. Great songwriter, tremendous talent in many fields. I really enjoyed his first novel.
  • Chris from Farmingdale, NyMaybe Steve felt his talent wasn't enough and had to appeal to the racist element. Yes, they have guitars all over the world.
  • Keith from Kentuckywhen I first heard this song the line was "verybody told me you can't get far on $37 and a "cheap" guitar, why did it become a jap guitar and do they have guitars i n Japan?
  • Andy Roper from Evansville In Been enjoying your music since you’ve put it out
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