: Steve Earle has stated that he wrote the lyrics based on a story he read in a newspaper about 12 years prior to the song's release. The article detailed an older woman in her 70s who was arrested in Elizabeth, North Carolina, for growing a large marijuana patch in a "holler".
: Collectors often distinguish between different pressings of the 1988 single. One version features printed paper labels , which are distinct from the alternative silver injection-molded labels. Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
Released in 1988, "Copperhead Road" became a career-defining hit for Earle, blending bluegrass with heavy rock—a style sometimes called "power twang". It is now one of the . : Steve Earle has stated that he wrote
In the context of "paper" most commonly refers to a specific physical edition of the single or the real-world news story that inspired the lyrics. One version features printed paper labels , which
: Critics have noted that "on paper," the album should never have been made due to Earle's personal struggles at the time, including his heroin addiction and legal troubles.