Just for the record: Townes Van Zandt was a god! A GOD, I tell you!

[Hand]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tJ_xWynQMGo

Livin on the road my friend, was gonna keep you free and clean
Now you wear your skin like iron
Your breath as hard as kerosene.

You weren't your momma's only boy, but her favorite one it seems
She began to cry when you said goodbye
And sank into your dreams.

Pancho was a bandit boy, his horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel.
Pancho met his match you know on the deserts down in Mexico
No one heard his dyin' words, ah but that's the way it goes

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him slip away, out of kindness I suppose

Lefty he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low, Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go, there ain't nobody knows

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him slip away out of kindness I suppose

The poets tell how Pancho fell, and Lefty's livin in cheap hotels
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold
And so the story ends, we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do, and now he's growing old

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

A few gray Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

:applause: :cry: :applause:

[taterguy]

1. The weird thing is that it's difficult to appreciate Townes when you're drinking

At least for me it is.

His lyrics were so complex that I find myself constantly rewinding to figure out what the hell he just said.

Edit: I love his version of Dead Flowers

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wonPmOhglhs

[Hand]

3. He was an incredibly complex guy.

Wikipedia sez:

Born in Fort Worth, Texas to an oil-wealthy family, he traveled during his youth around Texas and Colorado. He was the third-great-grandson of Isaac Van Zandt, a prominent leader of the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County in east Texas was named after his family in 1848.

Van Zandt was being groomed for Texas governorship(WOW!), but he dropped out of college in the 1960s after being inspired by singer-songwriters and deciding to pursue a singing career. He was very intelligent and was diagnosed manic-depressive in his early twenties. He was treated with insulin shock therapy, which erased much of his long-term memory. His lack of memory and his mental condition contributed to both the passion and sense of isolation evident in his songs.

...

Generally shy and reserved, Van Zandt struggled with alcoholism throughout his adult life. At times he would become drunk on stage and forget the lyrics to his songs. Some critics believe his alcoholism inhibited his performances, whereas others believe it made his lyrical expression more genuine. His performances showcased his dry sense of humor, a feature that also showed in some of his songwriting.

1953-1997... a short life like a meteor. :cry:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. yes ~

http://www.youtube.com/v/1YdRHIKM9YE&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=0

If I needed you would you come to me
Would you come to me, for to ease my pain
If you needed me I would come to you
I would swim the sea, for to ease your pain.

Well, the night's forlorn and the morning's born
And the morning's born with the lights of love
And you'll miss sunrise if you close your eyes
And that would break my heart in two.

If I needed you would you come to me
Would you come to me, for to ease my pain
If you needed me I would come to you
I would swim the sea, for to ease your pain.

Baby's with me now since I showed her
How to lay her lily hand in mine
Who could, I'll agree she's a sight
To see a treasure for the poor to find.

If I needed you would you come to me
Would you come to me, for to ease my pain
If you needed me I would come to you
I would swim the sea, for to ease your pain...

[fishwax]

4. great clip! thanks for sharing. Have you seen

Be Here to Love Me? It's a great documentary about the man :applause:

[likesmountains 52]

5. oh yes..I bought his albums, then cassettes, then replaced them with CDs..and now I copied it all

to mp3...and I'll put his music on whatever comes next. 30 years of listening to him and it's still fresh.

[mitchum]

6. Wonderful

great song from a great songwriter
also a very fine singer