What Really Happened in the Song “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle

The song was one of Steve Earle’s hit songs throughout his career. ‘Copperhead Road’ hit the charts landing at no. 10 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. And to make things even better, the song was Earle’s highest-peaking song as of 2022, which is so amazing!

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Since the song was so great and was loved by many country listeners, it didn’t just hit the charts in the US. It even hit the charts in Australia, landing at no 23, Canada at no. 12, and the UK at no. 45.

And it was one of the most bought singles of Steve Earle, having sold not just thousands of copies but over a million. But what did happen in Copperhead Road?

Meaning Behind the Song 

Copperhead Road is a song inspired by one of Steve Earle‘s most intriguing or, more precisely, ‘worst’ years in his life. He was imprisoned in 1988 for assaulting a police officer while also having several personal, legal, and business troubles.

However, did you know that Copperhead Road is a real road in East Tennessee? In the song, the road is the hot spot where moonshine, an illicit high-proof liquor, is produced, and marijuana is cultivated two generations later.

The song depicts the narrative of a soldier who returns home after serving in Vietnam and, instead of living a regular life, begins trafficking marijuana on the aforementioned Copperhead Road. It’s an intriguing plot for a song, but it surely fulfills the aim of being different, which is why it piqued people’s curiosity.

As a result, if you wish to see Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road performance. You can view it right here.