Copperhead Road

This album has been added to 1 public list:

• 

  1988

  James

  The record pushes country storytelling into heavier, more physical territory. The title track ties family history, war, and criminal survival together without romanticizing any of them, while songs like “Johnny Come Lately” widen the political scope. Steve Earle writes with working-class specificity that never feels performative. It’s tough music, but the toughness comes from accumulated experience rather than pose.