Page type: artist reference
Canonical path: /robert-earl-keen
Lyric pages live: 74
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Artist profile
Robert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen came up in Texas, where he started playing small venues after a stint in Nashville didn't work out. He returned home and built a following...
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Songs in focus
Keep moving through Robert Earl Keen
Beats The Devil
2 visits
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Billy Gray
2 visits
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Don't turn out the light
2 visits
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A Border Tragedy
1 visits
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All I Have Is Today
1 visits
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Barbeque
1 visits
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Copenhagen
1 visits
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Down That Dusty Trail
1 visits
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Dreadful Selfish Crime
1 visits
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Fallin' Out
1 visits
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Feelin' Good Again
1 visits
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For Love
1 visits
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Goin' Nowhere Blues
1 visits
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Gravitational Forces
1 visits
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Gringo Honeymoon
1 visits
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I Still Miss Someone
1 visits
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Background notes
Archive material and source history
Robert Earl Keen came up in Texas, where he started playing small venues after a stint in Nashville didn't work out. He returned home and built a following the hard way, playing his own songs for people who wanted something different from mainstream country radio.
His 1989 album 'West Textures' had the song 'Shades of Gray' that caught on with listeners. The album helped him reach a wider audience, and he became known as a solid live performer who could hold a crowd's attention with his storytelling.
Keen's songs like 'Barbeque' and 'Beats The Devil' show his knack for everyday details and characters. He writes about regular people and situations without making them sound heroic or tragic, just human.
In 1994, he faced backlash after making insensitive remarks about Native Americans during a concert. He later apologized for what he'd said.
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Where should I start with Robert Earl Keen on LyroVerse?
The Start here section opens with Beats The Devil, Billy Gray, and Don't turn out the light so you can move through the artist's stronger lyric pages first.
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LyroVerse currently has 74 visible lyric pages for Robert Earl Keen.
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