No wonder he drank himself to death. At least he surrounded himself with people who understand the art of traditional folk music, whose sound creates a milieu that allows the voice to create a mood for entering into the world he is creating for you - notwithstanding the fact that this is one of country music songs whose lyrics stand as poetry alone. FYI: Drugs know how to laugh? He's describing the horror of a history that's not John Wayne, and accurately portrays the historical reality.
@matako07 aka An inane troll with an overinflated ego. No one cares what you do! What you listen to at home, what brand of coffee you drink or what kind of clothes you wear. Why are you disrespecting the lyrics and singing ability of TVZ? Someone you obviously don't listen to enough to know if he is good bad or? Hell with this! I am wasting my time. What songs have you written and sung lately, genius? Critics get paid to say stupid shite. utube critics ARE stupid shite! Peace & Luv, Bluzie ^~_~^
I love this tune. One of my favorite Townes Van Zandt songs. I Watched his Biography on the Documentary Channel here in Canada about for years ago. Now it seems that I can't get enough of his music. R.I.P my friend.
I absolutely love this song. This guy was such a legend/inspiration. If you like depressing music, you should check out ''Fragile Bones(Feels Like Home)'' by Ali Murray, or anything by Ali Murray for that matter. It's musically very different to this, but it's so dreamy and sad and beautiful.
@mcjack1125 There are live versions of this on youtube that are incredible with him singing. Really heavy drug and alcohol use ruined his voice. He was in miserable condition the last years of his life. In his younger years he sounded amazing.
I would like to hear from anyone of the 30 people that found it necessary to put their thumb and head up their ass on the "Like" vote. Please have a good reason.
@alienhuman People that can appreciate a great songwriter. Why do you waste your time commenting negatively on a writer you don't care for. Go somewhere else. Personally, it would please me to help you gum your food in the future.
@chub4play Hey asshole.... if you could count, you would see I was referring to the 30 people that voted negative instead of hitting the like vote. Use your brain before your keyboard next time. Better yet shove your KB up your ass.
@187666coffee thank you for the answer. I wondered when I heard his song "Lungs". A lot of the times when you ask a question on the internet, you get a smart ass remark. Thanks for not doing that. I have just discovered him - a little late, but I sure do love his music.
I grew up in Beaumont, Texas, my dad started teaching me to play guitar when I was a real little kid. Being born in '60 put me right in that time period playing what's now called 'Classic Rock'. Years later I'd gotten tired of it, but the best guitar player I've ever known was in a band that played some country music, and he asked me to work their board. The only 2 songs I liked were this one and Silver Wings. Check out Townes' life story, He was a true Tortured Genius. I'll see him in Heaven.
I heard Townes sing this several times (U of Houston and Liberty Hall) and the quality of it would vary quite a bit. His rendition could be the best or it could be crap. This is a simple song, but there is nowhere to hide.
Only four years before the end. He can't hit the high notes anymore like he could when he was young, but his cracked voice full of the sadness of the world still fits the song so well...
"I found Townes"... is poetry for our troubled times. I found Townes by following "Theo Logos" a might good reviewer of books at Amazon, and discovered his fave music was Steve Earle...and the rest is history. "Three counties and beyond I'm sure, I'm broadcasting TVZ allure... Acoustic siren engrams, who do you I think I am".
Willie and Bo loyal friends RIP and friends of me RIP. On my death bed I will remember them. May there fields always be green and the sun always shine My heart was broken.
and I too, death and pain. I'm just waitin' round to die... so much shame... we all have a cross to carry. even if we drop it along the way... still we must bare it
Wow! Have a lot of TVZ CD's (I was in Austin in the 70-80's. Met Townes once and talked w//him a while). A really tormented soul who wore his heart on his sleeve.
The video was made even better by being introduced by Nanci Griffith. She dies a great cover of Tecumseh Valley (Arlo Guthrie on backing vocals). Rumor has it Nanci covered the song b/c her middle name is "Caroline". She was also a friend of TVZ.
Jerry Douglas on the lap steel and Mark O'Connor on the fiddle. They knew they were backing a great musician, must have absolutely loved doing it, too. To those criticizing his singing, I'm in agreement with many other comments. They just don't get it, and they probably never will.
@jmzfactor Not a great musician, but a great wordsmith. A genius at rhyme and diction not so much of a music scholar, however. A very troubled and lonely man with an lust for things that finally killed him or, at least help to. Genius, yes.. Missed yes..
@drivebytruckerz You're right on.. I would never knock his voice or his playing, because every note and chord comes with something that he seemingly digs right out of his soul. I think your description "beautiful disaster" is a bullseye. If you don't mind, I would like to use that line again if the situation ever comes up.. Have a good weekend....Coleyman
Townes is one of the most under appreciated singer-songwriters, and although his voice is not great its better than Dylan's (not to knock Dylan... i think hes great).
btw... anyone know who's playin pedal steel on this vid?
Townes is one of the most under appreciated singer/songwriters, and although his voice is not great its better than Dylan's (not to knock Dylan... i think hes great).
btw... anyone know who's playin pedal steel on this vid?
He had soul, an unmeasurable amount of soul and soul is all singer really needs. It a shame most singers today don't have any soul or if they did they sold it away early on.
Does anyone know the name of the fly on the wall documentary about TVZ and i think john prine and guy clark, they vist other musicians homes and jam and just hang out.
@fuzzypige222 theres no one that can compare or even come close to Townes, he sings from the heart, no one does that anymore, its all for money and bullshit...
I've heard his music for years but did not know who he was. The lyrics go deep into the soul. I cannot listen very long with that " true voice" and not cry.
@wolfhul They were part of the "American Music Shop" house band...that also had other great Nashville session players as regulars...it was a GREAT television show!
Jerry Douglas on the lap steel and Mark O'Connor on the fiddle. They knew they were backing a great musician, must have absolutely loved doing it, too.
I've heard Towne's sing this song a million different times, a million versions, an I never tire of it, an I love this version, the way he sings it. Also one of my favorites to cover, even though people know it from Willie & Merle, who are great, but I make sure I announce to the audience who made it, and how absolutely brilliant Townes was.
I think the off timing is what makes this so great ( like Syd Barrett ). Besides clarity of voice, rhythm, capacity for hitting long high notes and deep lows are not needed when there is so much emotion and truth filling the gaps between a beautiful melody, there's no frills just rstraight up . There is as much depth to his words than anyone I have ever heard sing. Makes me greatful to know of Townes.
I think the off timing is what makes this so great ( like Syd Barrett ). Besides clarity of voice, rhythm, capacity for hitting long high notes and deep lows are not needed when there is so much emotion and truth filling the gaps between a beautiful melody there's no frills just rstraight up . There is as much depth to his words than anyone I have ever heard sing makes me greatful to know of Townes.
What a tragic life to be led by such a talented soul. Thank you to Steve Earle and others (Crazy Heart) for keeping his music and skills alive. I never tired of listening to the mournful sounds of Townes. He was one for the ages!!
Imagine yourself in the desert by a campfire. Couple of you. Old Townes a stranger. One of you's got a guitar and lend it to him. And he pulls out this song. No steel guitar or fiddle of any filler. Just him and a guitar and a campfire..and awe.
Him trying and failing badly to hit the 'high' notes at 1:08 and 1:56 shows why willie nelson made most of the money from this song. His voice and singing is nowhere even close to as natural as willie nelson's.
Most people don't "get" genius, they're just drawn to it. Some, however, only "like" something when they're told to or they think that doing so will make them "cool." Townes may have been a drunk, but his poetic music is eternal, pure genius. Miss you, Buddy.
What's wrong about his voice? This is not opera! A song like this is supposed to be sung the way he does. A desert-dried and whisky-torn voice that looses the correct pitch now and then is the right tool for tale telling country/folk songs of this category. For me this is magic.
It is kind of interesting to think "just what did Willie and Merle hear when they were workin' on their original version of what is now a legendary take on the song.
Most likely it wasn't a knockout punch but a more subdued rendition as Mr. Van Zandt played here. We forget that songwriters are not always superstars but without them, there wouldn't be many superstars, let alone superstars who also happen to be songwriters playing their own songs. IMHO, Willie and Merle's P&L is a toast to Towns
My friend Andy lived in the same building with Townes years ago and we spent a lot of time together. He was a hell of a guy. I can still remember seeing him at Sand Mountain on Richmond. I heard several songs he did before they were copywritten. He was very insecure and humble and awesome. The last time any of my friends saw him was at the Nelson Art Gallery in Kansas City. She said it was the night of her life for music. I wish I had been there. I really miss seeing him.
townes is my best friend, he helps me to get over al my depressive episodes, like him i´m a manic depressive and his music is better than the best medicine. His lyrics are incredible. Send chills down my spine every time, hits me in the heart and in the head.
@Tarnish, you are so right my friend. I am a very recent fan of Townes van Zandt, but his music sends shivers down my spine. He was more than very good , to me his music is amazing.
to those that say hes a bad singer, hes no barbara strieZANDT, but his voice is HONEST, especially when he was younger.. i think his voice is amazing in Live at the Old Quarter in Houstan. check it out..
to those that say hes a bad singer, hes no barbara striesand, but his voice is HONEST, especially when he was younger.. i think his voice is amazing in Live at the Old Quarter in Houstan. check it out..
I see Townes as an universal cult singersongwriter, going far beyond american identity. One may say that Merle or Willie had a better voice... ok, then. Keep the better voices. I'll keep Townes. To me, Townes is on the same international level as Alan Vega, Scott Walker, Nick Drake, Gary Numan, Lee Hazlewood, Jackson C. Frank. A cult artist. His songs stood out even of the best.
Many may not realize that if one does a cover of this, it does not have to sound like anybody else. Just Do It your own way. Thanks for the song, Townes!
Can you imagine Townes singing a duet with Kris Kristofferson??
Seriously, I don' t like his vocals, but he's a great writer and I'm not going to dis him.
Plenty of incredible writers fit that bill - Townes, Kris, Dylan, and I'd even put Willie in that category for the most part. But they can damned sure write!
The best version of any song is by the person who wrote it. There may be other interpretations of it, but that is a separate tribute to the 'interpreter.' And 'interpretation' is the most important word I know of, because it summarizes subjective, aesthetics and all other ideas about art--it is all about what induces the sublime in a human being, which is subjective bliss....
@OriginalStarchaser I like your description of what i means to hear a song sung by its writer, however, there are many songs which i like better covered. Hurt by nin and johnny cash comes to mind.
@OriginalStarchaser You have verbalized my thought and feelings exactly, yes Bliss and sublime, yes and aesthetics, yes that's it, oh wait a minute... Oops it was only gas. Buuurp!!
Not exactly true. There are many cases of songs being performed better by other artists than who originally wrote it. That is often why the song charts higher too! In some cases the writer even admits it! Case in point,, Bob Dylans song "Mr. Tambourine Man" was made popular by the Byrds because why?? They did it amazing!!.,, so much so that Dylan himself said it was better!! When the original songwriter acknowledges it's better that says everything!
This is the best version of this I ever heard him do. I had the great good fortune to see this man perform live twice. Those are two nights I may remeber on my death bed as having made life worthwhile. :) Peace love and wisdom to you all!
Townes Van Zandt inspired me as a teen and young adult and now he inspires my 19 year old son. Josh says Townes is one of the greatest bards ever. Have to agree.
Townes inspired me as a teen and young adult and now he inspires my 20 year old son. Josh says Townes is one of the greatest bards that ever lived. I have to agree.
It's quite an experience to actually see him sing it. I love youtube.
ihatedapatriots 1 day ago
I'm sorry for your loss, which is too universal. I find this a comforting sound, because he's soothing,
Tiptoes7 1 week ago
No wonder he drank himself to death. At least he surrounded himself with people who understand the art of traditional folk music, whose sound creates a milieu that allows the voice to create a mood for entering into the world he is creating for you - notwithstanding the fact that this is one of country music songs whose lyrics stand as poetry alone. FYI: Drugs know how to laugh? He's describing the horror of a history that's not John Wayne, and accurately portrays the historical reality.
Tiptoes7 1 week ago
Why r u haters listening to TVZ if u prefer ur particular flavor of shite?
dadzbluz 1 week ago
Horrible ...always baffled as to why peeps admire this goof...
and I like a Lot of Good Music.
matako07 1 week ago
@matako07 But apparently wouldn't know a genius songwriter if he slapped you in the face. Sad really...what is your idea of Good Music
luketdrifter2100 1 week ago in playlist YouTube Mix for Townes Van Zandt
@luketdrifter2100 my idea of "good music"?
Bob Marley
James Brown
Erycka Badu
the Beatles
what do Van Zandts horribly overrated/comical song writing "skills" have to do with what I listen to at home?
matako07 1 week ago
@matako07 Case and point. Try listening to song writers, not just writers, for a while.
luketdrifter2100 6 days ago
@matako07 aka An inane troll with an overinflated ego. No one cares what you do! What you listen to at home, what brand of coffee you drink or what kind of clothes you wear. Why are you disrespecting the lyrics and singing ability of TVZ? Someone you obviously don't listen to enough to know if he is good bad or? Hell with this! I am wasting my time. What songs have you written and sung lately, genius? Critics get paid to say stupid shite. utube critics ARE stupid shite! Peace & Luv, Bluzie ^~_~^
dadzbluz 1 day ago in playlist Townes Van Zandt
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TheBluesDixonary 2 weeks ago
What kind of ridiculous asshole give this a "dislike"?
monsterfresh 3 weeks ago
@monsterfresh Every video needs an assclown.
luketdrifter2100 2 weeks ago
Not bad! Not bad at all ! Great in fact!
coolanddark 3 weeks ago
Bill Hicks on slide guitar :)
lennokki 3 weeks ago 3
@lennokki AHAHAHAHA! I adored Bill HIcks and wow! That guy could have been his twin. Thanks for making my day :)
alliezgirl 3 weeks ago
@lennokki Haha, shit, you're right!
MitchGettman 1 week ago
Do you have any info about the sidemen?
joemichaelrowland 1 month ago
I love his voice
etresanchez 1 month ago
One of the best songs ever!
steptorand 1 month ago
I love this tune. One of my favorite Townes Van Zandt songs. I Watched his Biography on the Documentary Channel here in Canada about for years ago. Now it seems that I can't get enough of his music. R.I.P my friend.
DmannThompson 1 month ago 2
@DmannThompson This is a Willie Nelson tune
CorneliusSneedley 1 month ago
@CorneliusSneedley
Absolutely incorrect. Willie and Merle Haggard covered this song, not the other way around.
ObiWanton 1 month ago 5
@CorneliusSneedley shame on you, from Belgium.
Nerudah 1 month ago
@CorneliusSneedley
never was a man so sure about being right when he's wrong,
I guess you'd say he just didn't know the song...
baburjabal 4 weeks ago
@baburjabal It was a joke, people. :)
CorneliusSneedley 4 weeks ago
30 people couldn't find good music if it was their mother.
luketdrifter2100 2 months ago 25
chitty chitty bang bang
AUS10TEX 2 months ago
You can't control drugs. They just laugh at you as they take you down. Thankfully God has mercy and takes his children home. He took my son.
pwg1126 2 months ago 6
There are those that are gifted in a way that we can't explain, analyze, or even describe. TVZ was one of them.
edavidsalways 2 months ago
And people ask why I hate modern country(if I can even use that word) and I point them to this and say this is what it used to be.
bcolby89 2 months ago 4
A staple from the 1970s "FM Radio"
circuits.
EkLarka1 2 months ago
Where is the MAGIC button ?
Like is far from enough.
He was most wonderful asshole in the world.
MisterHoneydog 2 months ago 3
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I absolutely love this song. This guy was such a legend/inspiration. If you like depressing music, you should check out ''Fragile Bones(Feels Like Home)'' by Ali Murray, or anything by Ali Murray for that matter. It's musically very different to this, but it's so dreamy and sad and beautiful.
jenniferjjjx 2 months ago
Precious <3
TheOrangexxx 2 months ago
Sweet like candy
skippybebutter 2 months ago
Great song writer! Pitiful singer :(
mcjack1125 2 months ago
@mcjack1125 He wrote this song. An American classic. Sometimes you just have to listen with your heart instead of your head.
MaricorKushner 2 months ago 4
@mcjack1125 There are live versions of this on youtube that are incredible with him singing. Really heavy drug and alcohol use ruined his voice. He was in miserable condition the last years of his life. In his younger years he sounded amazing.
SansWetware 2 months ago
only let him so wrong..outta kindness I suppose.RIP TVZ
TheScampiCat 3 months ago
It doesn't get much better than Townes Van Zandt playing with Jerry Douglas and Mark O'Connor.
redbirdjazzz 3 months ago 2
I would like to hear from anyone of the 30 people that found it necessary to put their thumb and head up their ass on the "Like" vote. Please have a good reason.
alienhuman 3 months ago
@alienhuman People that can appreciate a great songwriter. Why do you waste your time commenting negatively on a writer you don't care for. Go somewhere else. Personally, it would please me to help you gum your food in the future.
chub4play 3 months ago
@chub4play Hey asshole.... if you could count, you would see I was referring to the 30 people that voted negative instead of hitting the like vote. Use your brain before your keyboard next time. Better yet shove your KB up your ass.
alienhuman 3 months ago
Incomparable.
golfslob 3 months ago in playlist YouTube Mix for Townes Van Zandt
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE... there isn't enough love for this guy... Love him. His music has come to define my life experience.
shovingwords 3 months ago
So sad to think he was dead within 3 years
187666coffee 3 months ago
Did he write this or did Steve Earle?
dawnjakeleah 3 months ago
@dawnjakeleah He wrote it
187666coffee 3 months ago
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dawnjakeleah 3 months ago
Respond to this video... Thank you. Do you know what took his life?
dawnjakeleah 3 months ago
@dawnjakeleah he was an alcoholic and lived a hard life died young like all the greats.
187666coffee 3 months ago
@187666coffee thank you for the answer. I wondered when I heard his song "Lungs". A lot of the times when you ask a question on the internet, you get a smart ass remark. Thanks for not doing that. I have just discovered him - a little late, but I sure do love his music.
dawnjakeleah 3 months ago
Pleasure to spend another moment passing time with one of the enduring wordsmiths of his time.
DAlpe99 3 months ago
sometimes i wonder if i'm pancho, or if i'm lefty.
jaytoddmartin 3 months ago
@jaytoddmartin same, i call my best friend lefty though so that means I must be pancho
187666coffee 3 months ago
I grew up in Beaumont, Texas, my dad started teaching me to play guitar when I was a real little kid. Being born in '60 put me right in that time period playing what's now called 'Classic Rock'. Years later I'd gotten tired of it, but the best guitar player I've ever known was in a band that played some country music, and he asked me to work their board. The only 2 songs I liked were this one and Silver Wings. Check out Townes' life story, He was a true Tortured Genius. I'll see him in Heaven.
Jones60100 3 months ago
I heard Townes sing this several times (U of Houston and Liberty Hall) and the quality of it would vary quite a bit. His rendition could be the best or it could be crap. This is a simple song, but there is nowhere to hide.
Ardalla555 3 months ago
I'm glad I finally got to hear Van Zandt's version. I've always loved the Willie Nelson/Waylon Jennings version.
jmtrapp 3 months ago
Not much of a singer but one hell of a poet! One of the greatest of all time!
fiddlefolk 3 months ago in playlist BruceNelsonCash
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Thank you for posting this, imediocre.
writersblock26 4 months ago
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writersblock26 4 months ago
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writersblock26 4 months ago
Townes is the best songwriter ever
1991russell13 4 months ago
one of the best.
15bluethings 4 months ago
Only four years before the end. He can't hit the high notes anymore like he could when he was young, but his cracked voice full of the sadness of the world still fits the song so well...
badtux 4 months ago
"I found Townes"... is poetry for our troubled times. I found Townes by following "Theo Logos" a might good reviewer of books at Amazon, and discovered his fave music was Steve Earle...and the rest is history. "Three counties and beyond I'm sure, I'm broadcasting TVZ allure... Acoustic siren engrams, who do you I think I am".
UChewbANNA 4 months ago
29 assholes...
samarkanda343 5 months ago
wow. got here thru evan dando. what a tunesmith!
5stringdropout 5 months ago
Willie and Bo loyal friends RIP and friends of me RIP. On my death bed I will remember them. May there fields always be green and the sun always shine My heart was broken.
boils2 5 months ago
Am I smokin' somthin' or was that Nanci Griffith who introduced the late great Townes VZ?
daveslats 5 months ago
@daveslats It is indeed
RossM3838 4 months ago
magnificent
biggerturtle 5 months ago
RIP legend
crb2011 5 months ago
This is possibly one of the most well crafted songs ever written.
How could 29 people not see this?
VAC52 5 months ago
@VAC52 they are fools , thats the idiot button
acadx 5 months ago in playlist Bluegrass and Country
and I too, death and pain. I'm just waitin' round to die... so much shame... we all have a cross to carry. even if we drop it along the way... still we must bare it
...
morleydotes666 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
28 people have not a clue
rand0mtek 6 months ago
This song could have made a damn fine Peckinpah movie.
archer1949 6 months ago
Wow! Have a lot of TVZ CD's (I was in Austin in the 70-80's. Met Townes once and talked w//him a while). A really tormented soul who wore his heart on his sleeve.
The video was made even better by being introduced by Nanci Griffith. She dies a great cover of Tecumseh Valley (Arlo Guthrie on backing vocals). Rumor has it Nanci covered the song b/c her middle name is "Caroline". She was also a friend of TVZ.
TheJerzeejeff 6 months ago
This song makes me feel love and all the hurt goes away.
FishiesFromHell 6 months ago
Who is ignorant enough to dislike Townes Van Zandt? Surely, they haven't a clue who he is. So sad.
katkennedy75 6 months ago
this song is as ageless as townes. love this song
TheDeadhead56 7 months ago
Jerry Douglas on the lap steel and Mark O'Connor on the fiddle. They knew they were backing a great musician, must have absolutely loved doing it, too. To those criticizing his singing, I'm in agreement with many other comments. They just don't get it, and they probably never will.
jmzfactor 7 months ago
@jmzfactor Not a great musician, but a great wordsmith. A genius at rhyme and diction not so much of a music scholar, however. A very troubled and lonely man with an lust for things that finally killed him or, at least help to. Genius, yes.. Missed yes..
coleyman1 6 months ago
@coleyman1 I think his rough style is a beautiful disaster.. I love his musical style.. but it is a little hard to swallow on the surface.
drivebytruckerz 6 months ago
@drivebytruckerz You're right on.. I would never knock his voice or his playing, because every note and chord comes with something that he seemingly digs right out of his soul. I think your description "beautiful disaster" is a bullseye. If you don't mind, I would like to use that line again if the situation ever comes up.. Have a good weekend....Coleyman
coleyman1 6 months ago
good taste in music here, love TVZ
deborahkauffman09 7 months ago
i wish i could have every good song. even if i don't know the song i wish i had it
iiAngelic 7 months ago
townes is a good song writer but the singing....
MrGerardnl 8 months ago
that's a young Jerry Douglas on steel/dobro!
tomgordon100 8 months ago
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sorrow for those who will not hear is but ashes and dust in the mouthes of the righteous...
morleydotes666 8 months ago
Townes is one of the most under appreciated singer-songwriters, and although his voice is not great its better than Dylan's (not to knock Dylan... i think hes great).
btw... anyone know who's playin pedal steel on this vid?
65gmb 8 months ago 2
a young erry douglas? looks like him...
garmantn 8 months ago
@garmantn That sure is Jerry!
BigBoiJC 7 months ago
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a young jerry douglas? looks like him...
garmantn 8 months ago
Townes is one of the most under appreciated singer/songwriters, and although his voice is not great its better than Dylan's (not to knock Dylan... i think hes great).
btw... anyone know who's playin pedal steel on this vid?
65gmb 8 months ago
this is a man who knew he was no mick jagger...no bob dylan....but he sang still.
and thats why you and i are still here...after all these years.
Treadsoftly14 8 months ago
people often miss townes's brilliance.....they either overlook or over complicate it too the point of no discussion.
the simplicity and honestly is what i value in all his music
Treadsoftly14 8 months ago
ok,, I give him credit for the song.. but he cant sing for shit
dlew71662 8 months ago
It's like the male-Alison Crousse, amazing
VRYUKI 8 months ago
AWESOME ...
DieGwinners 8 months ago
Nice to hear the original writer perform it but Willie and gang do it better.
tecnolover2642 8 months ago
He had soul, an unmeasurable amount of soul and soul is all singer really needs. It a shame most singers today don't have any soul or if they did they sold it away early on.
visionsofed 8 months ago
Townes Van Zandt is the essence of melancholy.
visionsofed 8 months ago
im 20 and ive only discovered him, i mean wow, ive never felt like this, and i wasnt even into folk or country, actually love his music
samban 8 months ago in playlist Townes Van Zandt
Pure Texas
mywifeteresa 8 months ago 2
Gods own singer
MrEconline 8 months ago
Does anyone know the name of the fly on the wall documentary about TVZ and i think john prine and guy clark, they vist other musicians homes and jam and just hang out.
okee9 9 months ago
@okee9 Be Here to Love Me
sharp86er 9 months ago
@okee9 Be Here to Love Me
sharp86er 9 months ago
1993. The year I retired from active duty in the Navy. Getting old.
TheRigger45 9 months ago
Damn, awesome! Is that Jerry Douglas and Mark O'Connor? The best!
vociferouscarthusian 9 months ago
This is quintessential americana. . As good as it gets. If he's your poet , let it rest there. - falklands vet.
LuckyBlueSuit1 10 months ago
oh my how did i miss this guy.....all these years...what a jewel...this is real....
fuzzypige222 10 months ago 26
@fuzzypige222
Welcome.
TheYajrennat 5 months ago
@fuzzypige222 theres no one that can compare or even come close to Townes, he sings from the heart, no one does that anymore, its all for money and bullshit...
monchichi025 3 months ago
So good to hear Townes.
fngrpkn06 10 months ago
Really scratches off the scabs of everyday life.It's a shame he had to go so soon.
cuyahogajoe1 10 months ago
3:58 YouTube video: Townes Van Zandt performing his song "Pancho & Lefty" in 1993 on TNN's "American Music Shop"
March 7, 1944: birth of Townes Van Zandt, American musician and songwriter (d. 1997)
mkworkman 10 months ago
cinzsweet, the whole of TVZ was so much greater than the sum of the parts.
laoban1954 10 months ago
I've heard his music for years but did not know who he was. The lyrics go deep into the soul. I cannot listen very long with that " true voice" and not cry.
lustyboy9 10 months ago
Isn't that Nanci Griffith doing the intro?
limnificant 11 months ago
Is that a very young Jerry Douglas and Mark O'Connor playing on the break? Why is it that great musicians tend to attract each other?
wolfhul 11 months ago
@wolfhul They were part of the "American Music Shop" house band...that also had other great Nashville session players as regulars...it was a GREAT television show!
plunka5 10 months ago
@wolfhul
Jerry Douglas on the lap steel and Mark O'Connor on the fiddle. They knew they were backing a great musician, must have absolutely loved doing it, too.
jmzfactor 7 months ago
I've heard Towne's sing this song a million different times, a million versions, an I never tire of it, an I love this version, the way he sings it. Also one of my favorites to cover, even though people know it from Willie & Merle, who are great, but I make sure I announce to the audience who made it, and how absolutely brilliant Townes was.
MrBuk86 11 months ago
keep the fan club growing
03HEMI2500SLT 11 months ago
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I think the off timing is what makes this so great ( like Syd Barrett ). Besides clarity of voice, rhythm, capacity for hitting long high notes and deep lows are not needed when there is so much emotion and truth filling the gaps between a beautiful melody, there's no frills just rstraight up . There is as much depth to his words than anyone I have ever heard sing. Makes me greatful to know of Townes.
toez100 11 months ago
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I think the off timing is what makes this so great ( like Syd Barrett ). Besides clarity of voice, rhythm, capacity for hitting long high notes and deep lows are not needed when there is so much emotion and truth filling the gaps between a beautiful melody there's no frills just rstraight up . There is as much depth to his words than anyone I have ever heard sing makes me greatful to know of Townes.
toez100 11 months ago
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toez100 11 months ago
What a tragic life to be led by such a talented soul. Thank you to Steve Earle and others (Crazy Heart) for keeping his music and skills alive. I never tired of listening to the mournful sounds of Townes. He was one for the ages!!
shirpet44 11 months ago
Imagine yourself in the desert by a campfire. Couple of you. Old Townes a stranger. One of you's got a guitar and lend it to him. And he pulls out this song. No steel guitar or fiddle of any filler. Just him and a guitar and a campfire..and awe.
dharmapunk777 11 months ago 2
Townes Van Zandt was so underrated as a singer/songwriter in my opinion!
RIP Townes Van Zandt March 7, 1944 - January 1, 1997.
crb2011 11 months ago
"The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth." That's songwriting.
FredC1968 11 months ago
poncho 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.
finitenoir 11 months ago
@finitenoir Lefty snitched him off and has to live with it. Even Pancho's mother is a victim here. Pray for all three.
friendlyisle 11 months ago
@friendlyisle nah, lefty didn't snitch him out: he's the one that shot him. that's what i've always thought.
finitenoir 7 months ago
Gone too soon.
wordsinceditor 11 months ago
Gone too soon.
wordsinceditor 11 months ago
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Ive done a small bunch of Townes covers and would really appreciate if anyone would check 'em out and give me some feedback.
Thanks Oli.
fredjenner 1 year ago
Namey, I feel the same way you do. Why in the world anyone wants to listen to mainstream shit I'll never know. Townes was one of the greatest ever.
Bushwackerist 1 year ago 2
I am grateful for youtube as a resource for performances such as these, to relive them and cherish them so. Townes continues to inspire, immortal.
losttroubadour1 1 year ago 2
Him trying and failing badly to hit the 'high' notes at 1:08 and 1:56 shows why willie nelson made most of the money from this song. His voice and singing is nowhere even close to as natural as willie nelson's.
TheMrTide 1 year ago
Really heartbreaking story about this guy....and so many other young talented musicians.
cmatheny2 1 year ago
Most people don't "get" genius, they're just drawn to it. Some, however, only "like" something when they're told to or they think that doing so will make them "cool." Townes may have been a drunk, but his poetic music is eternal, pure genius. Miss you, Buddy.
virtualjohnjrm 1 year ago
this song is awesome
crobarus 1 year ago
What's wrong about his voice? This is not opera! A song like this is supposed to be sung the way he does. A desert-dried and whisky-torn voice that looses the correct pitch now and then is the right tool for tale telling country/folk songs of this category. For me this is magic.
Fitzliputzli23 1 year ago 5
@Fitzliputzli23 I don't see anything wrong with his voice either. He wrote he should be able to sing it.
Peace.
radarlove007 1 year ago
how could anyone "dislike" this song?!
bwaddle1976 1 year ago
@bwaddle1976 prob willie nelson fans
andrewPHY 1 year ago
The dust that Poncho bit down south ended up in 28 other peoples mouths. Damn Sad.
shanec36 1 year ago
haunting voice indeed!
flauteboy 1 year ago
It is kind of interesting to think "just what did Willie and Merle hear when they were workin' on their original version of what is now a legendary take on the song.
Most likely it wasn't a knockout punch but a more subdued rendition as Mr. Van Zandt played here. We forget that songwriters are not always superstars but without them, there wouldn't be many superstars, let alone superstars who also happen to be songwriters playing their own songs. IMHO, Willie and Merle's P&L is a toast to Towns
Twinhit 1 year ago
Townes Van Zandt IS America.
thewhitemosquito 1 year ago
My friend Andy lived in the same building with Townes years ago and we spent a lot of time together. He was a hell of a guy. I can still remember seeing him at Sand Mountain on Richmond. I heard several songs he did before they were copywritten. He was very insecure and humble and awesome. The last time any of my friends saw him was at the Nelson Art Gallery in Kansas City. She said it was the night of her life for music. I wish I had been there. I really miss seeing him.
john9944 1 year ago
RIP . Great tunes . Thank you
crobarus 1 year ago
What an artist. May he rest in peace.
Dave29671 1 year ago
townes is my best friend, he helps me to get over al my depressive episodes, like him i´m a manic depressive and his music is better than the best medicine. His lyrics are incredible. Send chills down my spine every time, hits me in the heart and in the head.
poppetje8365 1 year ago
@Tarnish, you are so right my friend. I am a very recent fan of Townes van Zandt, but his music sends shivers down my spine. He was more than very good , to me his music is amazing.
hanjomorren 1 year ago
to those that say hes a bad singer, hes no barbara strieZANDT, but his voice is HONEST, especially when he was younger.. i think his voice is amazing in Live at the Old Quarter in Houstan. check it out..
tarnish 1 year ago
to those that say hes a bad singer, hes no barbara striesand, but his voice is HONEST, especially when he was younger.. i think his voice is amazing in Live at the Old Quarter in Houstan. check it out..
tarnish 1 year ago
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please check out my cover guys, it'd be much appreciated :)
fredjenner 1 year ago
I see Townes as an universal cult singersongwriter, going far beyond american identity. One may say that Merle or Willie had a better voice... ok, then. Keep the better voices. I'll keep Townes. To me, Townes is on the same international level as Alan Vega, Scott Walker, Nick Drake, Gary Numan, Lee Hazlewood, Jackson C. Frank. A cult artist. His songs stood out even of the best.
furzkanne 1 year ago
@Renotzz You may want to stick with Céline Dion, since you didn't feel this song, TVZ is not for everyone.
Gedub1955 1 year ago
Many may not realize that if one does a cover of this, it does not have to sound like anybody else. Just Do It your own way. Thanks for the song, Townes!
AustinRogers1 1 year ago
Can you imagine Townes singing a duet with Kris Kristofferson??
Seriously, I don' t like his vocals, but he's a great writer and I'm not going to dis him.
Plenty of incredible writers fit that bill - Townes, Kris, Dylan, and I'd even put Willie in that category for the most part. But they can damned sure write!
Bamaboompa 1 year ago
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What a terrible singer. I'd rather listen to nails on a chalkboard.
Renotzz 1 year ago
The best version of any song is by the person who wrote it. There may be other interpretations of it, but that is a separate tribute to the 'interpreter.' And 'interpretation' is the most important word I know of, because it summarizes subjective, aesthetics and all other ideas about art--it is all about what induces the sublime in a human being, which is subjective bliss....
OriginalStarchaser 1 year ago 22
@OriginalStarchaser I agree with you. It's nice to see an intelligent comment for a change.
peerman2006 10 months ago
@peerman2006 I disagree completely, but I second the intelligent commenter bit :P
isolateslowfaults 10 months ago
@OriginalStarchaser I like your description of what i means to hear a song sung by its writer, however, there are many songs which i like better covered. Hurt by nin and johnny cash comes to mind.
7mattduser 9 months ago
@OriginalStarchaser You have verbalized my thought and feelings exactly, yes Bliss and sublime, yes and aesthetics, yes that's it, oh wait a minute... Oops it was only gas. Buuurp!!
sglenna 9 months ago
@OriginalStarchaser
Not exactly true. There are many cases of songs being performed better by other artists than who originally wrote it. That is often why the song charts higher too! In some cases the writer even admits it! Case in point,, Bob Dylans song "Mr. Tambourine Man" was made popular by the Byrds because why?? They did it amazing!!.,, so much so that Dylan himself said it was better!! When the original songwriter acknowledges it's better that says everything!
tecnolover2642 8 months ago
This is the best version of this I ever heard him do. I had the great good fortune to see this man perform live twice. Those are two nights I may remeber on my death bed as having made life worthwhile. :) Peace love and wisdom to you all!
TreehouseOnMars 1 year ago 3
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Townes Van Zandt inspired me as a teen and young adult and now he inspires my 19 year old son. Josh says Townes is one of the greatest bards ever. Have to agree.
sophizgood 1 year ago
Townes inspired me as a teen and young adult and now he inspires my 20 year old son. Josh says Townes is one of the greatest bards that ever lived. I have to agree.
sophizgood 1 year ago
who made that shirt...and who ok'd it?
radishrose 1 year ago
what a badass. can't beat that songwriting
rosswsp 1 year ago