Townes Van Zandt - Marie

[granteversoll]

One of the greatest wordsmiths ever

[Infamissus]

I started crying. Who wouldn't.

[rbutler8585]

wow!

[phoenixcube]

still makes me cry, fucked up again

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, musicloveraustria2. By the way, do you know where in San Antonio John van Zandt is singing? The reason I ask is that I am from San Antonio, yet I do not recognize the location. Thank you.

[TheSkyUnderneath]

@writersblock26 This was at Six Flags, just saw it in the documentary about Townes.

[Mathiaswillyg]

Ich bin sehr froh, Townes Van Zandt noch kurz vor seinem Tod in Dresden gesehen und gehört zu haben - das werde ich nicht vergessen.

[polishpaulie]

me & a friend went on a quest to find the most depressing song ever. it's to bad neither him nor townes is still around. good version & townes even looks half sober!

R.I.P. both of you. (try and find the version from the "privite concert" it's even better.

[polishpaulie]

me & a friend went on a quest to find the most depressing song ever. it's to bad neither him nor townes is still around. good version & townes even looks half sober!

R.I.P.

[4795598]

Townes, I love you. This is one of the darkest songs ever written--but great, moving, brilliant. What is beyond total despair? Townes wandered that territory to great affect.

[danowen777]

Remarkable.

[gymhourfee]

Song of hopelessness.....

[vvdrummer]

wow

[bigbear6161]

This is so authentic and raw. It changes you just listening to it.

[coolanddark]

This is some bad azz shit right here! Townes rocks!

[jackogreen23]

absolutely the wrong setting for this song with all this audience in all their suits and ties and comfy chairs, and really, f**k the guy talking over the end

[steele917]

this man sang out like he's the "the conscience" we have all buried as we've watched TV and ate fast food. He sang out right up till the end of his days. Predicted his own death. He had said he would die before his work here was done. his work continues...through his words and music.

[tallboySR]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

[afpm7]

Saddest goddam song ever!

[Joeyland]

Youtube has made Townes so acessable to a huge audience, I think its great that his art his being discovered all the time now, he was truly an American original.

[dubconor]

@Joeyland Agreed, always been a country fan, mainly hank snr and johnny dac etc, heard rex's blues in a film (leaves of grass) youtubed that song, and im proud to say am I new born Van Zandt fan,, Ill be passing and sharing this gift to many others and implore you all to do the same.

[RATKING10]

ONE OF THE GREATEST SONG WRITERS OF OUR TIME!!

[BrandonDavis1000]

What can be said about this? Speechless, for once.

[babel1967]

Townes' best tune. I also love the version with Willie Nelson. Harrowing!!

[vilniusvilnius]

dank nach klagenfurth

[robertmorganfisher]

Someone asked Townes to "play a happy song!" He deadpanned: "These ARE the happy songs."

[gramhound86]

One of his best songs. What a fucking jaw-dropper.

[lonestar1123]

I don't think many people know about Townes, and it's a shame. Maybe for all of us that do, it means he's our own.

[oplopanux]

why is it when someone writes a song with a story that's actually believable , everyone complains it's so sad? Mayby if we weren't all raised on pop culture lies, these true stories could be more appreciated as both truth and artistry.

[BrandonNorth1120]

@oplopanux I wholeheartedly agree. Like Townes said of his songs when they were called sad, "You don't think life is sad? But by recognizing the sadness you can put it aside and enjoy the happy side of life. The blues is happy music."

[brucethehack]

Learning this. Gonna play it at the Quarter in Galveston.

[rickbangkok]

but for the grace of God, there go I

[tom6612]

Sad song ? No this goes way beyond being a sad song. This song is like a punch in the stomach. I mean this song will scare you. This is what it must feel like to know you are doomed. To know it's all over for you. At the same time it's like a Greek tragedy in that it is cathartic. There is a strange spiritually uplifting feeling you get from it. And the best thing about it is it humanizes the homeless. IT IS THE GREATEST SONG I HAVE EVER HEARD.

[steffkenn]

Such a beautiful song.  The Be Here to Love Me soundtrack has a version where he sounds really drunk and its even more powerful then this one.

[appelcraig]

god bless townes' soul and homeless souls still livin' on the outside

[KtomcatChas]

This just might be the saddest song I ever heard. Townes remains among the greats.

[poopiedartz]

I try to play this song when I play out... And I can only get about half way through it before I get all choked up. This song just humbles the best of them... Townes was a genius...

[MrKneller]

This man was incredible, I can't believe I'm just now only starting to discover him. He's like the best parts of Waits, Dylan, and Cash all rolled into one.

[steele917]

@MrKneller Right there with ya. It was Pancho & lefty (willie & merle's version) that led me to Townes one song at a time...

[dmtdmt1969]

Alcoholism sucks most of the time.

[saltwaterebel]

there but for the grace of god goes you or me. america is a house of cards.

[hinamauka]

It's so wonderful to have all these videos of one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever. Thanks.

[ShadowsOracle]

This is so moving. His voice adds so much to the lyrics.

[Joeyland]

If this doesnt move you, you know your cold.

[phoenixcube]

fuck me, everytime i hear this song i cry, thank god it is not me...

[TTmaniax]

@phoenixcube

Got that right friend. I can barely stand to listen to it.

Heartbreaking doesn't describe it with justice.

It kills me.

[gezahuber]

This is by far the sadest and unconciliatory song I know. It's a killer.

[Marantzguy]

Very reminiscent of Bob Dylan''s "North Country Blues", but a phenomenal tune.

[BrandonNorth1120]

@Marantzguy yes. i learned it recently and the first two and last two lines of each verse are the same chord progression as the entirety of North Country Blues. I think Dylan played it a semitone up though.

[bensmith3200]

According to one interview I've seen, Townes was extremely influenced by the album "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which has "North Country Blues."

[MegaPresa]

Wow what a artist!

[crystaldawn73nc]

Townes is such a brilliant man.

This song is so sad it breaks my heart.

You can hear the pain in voice. It just makes you want to cry...

[Joeyland]

Dark poet, check out "cowboy junkeys lament"

[trylle2]

benturpininthearmy: He said "they aren't totally hopeless"

[handymf]

Totally Harrowing and captures the soul destroying emotion of hopelessness perfectly.... It upsets me so I can barely listen to it. Although i often do, i just can't help it. Songwriting perfection

[jackiejackforever]

the first time I heard this song I cryed, Townes Could paint one hell of a picture with words, he just hits it and you feel it every time. I will miss him and the more from him.

[benturpininthearmy]

Heard this song way back then in Den Bosch, Netherlands at a singer songwriter tour. It is my favorite Townes Song, he was interviewed later and said: "My songs are not sad....they are totally hopeless" or words like that. And just think about all those jokes in between. These solo versions win it over the recorded one with band.

thanks for posting

[mysteria31]

Scary, ain't it...

[deansongs]

God help us all!

[handymf]

IMMENSE

[rosesredvioletsblue]

What an incredible song! He sings about real life and it goes straight to my heart! Wonderful video! thank you for posting!

[owenlonsdale]

Seen Townes sing this at the Bloomsbury Theatre London. Still remember every moment

Thanks

Townes

[decesq]

What an amazingly deprssing song

[Danimalfoster]

Townes said the blues is "happy music".

[rosesredvioletsblue]

Oh, this is truly beautiful.

Gives me chills!!

Thank you!!

[35past11pm]

absolutely beautiful..gives me goosebumps..

[earlefan]

greatest songwriter ever

[Secretlyanothername]

This song is intense, hits me every time.

[wraikes4]

rip Townes