Added: 4 years ago
From: mccrabapple
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  • I don't care who likes and who doesn't. Why do you care that others don't agree with you? Is your opinion changed that easily?

  • 7 of you 'dislike' because you're tired of watching this over an over because it's just that AWESOME!!!

  • I watch this vid about every half year, I love it, but I still curse Townes for dying, damn him. Townes, one of the best ever, yeh. Really do not know what to say, other than check out the rest of Townes vids, and oh yeh, please, if you like Townes, check out the vids by my dead friend Handsome Ned, a good friend of mine (well, before he kicked himself)

  • townes wrote my life in this song

  • love this as always, this vid is knockout for townes music, damn, I love this video very much. Never met Townes, did not share a beer or a bong, but know tthat I would have loved him, cause we just think alike

  • His biography,he didn't need 500 pages to move me,just a few minutes

  • Very nice video. engages well with the song

  • if i ever hope for tomorrow so badly it all comes from this song

  • Caleb Followill

  • @ChrisTNMex Ran into your comment about how Townes music should be stripped, how it should be he and the guitar, and could not agree more, he was an artist that did not require anyone else to help interpret his work. Besides that, hey, if we met him in a bar, and jammed, it would just be us, not some silly string orchestra, or whatever.

  • @fubar50cat fact not fiction

  • I would really love and appreciate if someone could go back and re-master a lot of Townes work, eliminating all of the superfluous instrumentation added to his songs that really take away from their core beauty.

    To me it should be Townes and his guitar, and that is all you need.

  • R.I.P. maestro. You were the greatest.

  • @21loondog He still IS

  • @jancamion True dat!

  • Nicely done, weird creepy images to go with his trademark strange and sad lyrics

  • Thank you for posting this, mccrabapple.

  • I cold go on forever about what a master of song Townes is. The art on this is fantastic. It wold be nice to see it in higher resolution,

  • great song writing.one of the best.ever wish more were out there.today

  • IMHO one of the few times that the orchestral arrangement on a Townes' song heightened the drama and power of his words. As usual for Townes, it's an amazing song in its own right. Hell just reading the lyrics on their own is pure poetry.

  • So, then, who else came here searching for "The Rake"? :P

    Still, nice song.

  • @inferno232 I've found a song that I liked better than the one I was looking for that way. I was looking for a traditional Colombian song abot a city called Cali and found Cali Swingin

  • Townes van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.

  • The song may grow stale after repeated listening, so I always space it out in my music rotation so it never seems old...the imagery here is excellent! I would love to get into video design someday...great choices to match the mythological tones of this song...

    I vote 'Rake' as otherworldly as 'The Silver Ships of Andilar'. If you ever do another TVZ video, that would be a great companion to this dark piece of Twilight-esque poetry :D this of course being much better.

  • i relate to his music so much it just grabs u on a diffrent level then anything else i've ever herd

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  • Great job on the video. His songs were those of a soul in flames.

  • the most underated song writer of this century, good on he.

  • veronicawebster, that is a painting of MARY MAGDALENE who actually wiped Jesus' face when he was sweaty and bloody and was made to walk the streets of Jerusalem with a cross on his back before he was crucified.  This is a picture of her moarning his crucified body.

  • So I did a cover of this song, no editing just a simple laptop camera. I was hoping to convey the feeling of the song. Please let me know what you think.

  • What is the painting with Christ in the tomb and the woman weeping at 3:00?

  • What is the painting with Christ in the tomb and the woman weeping at 3:00?

  • And Bob Marley(another Overrated dick) sucks too. majority of people just have shitty taste in music. I do believe Good taste in music is rare.

    The Really clever,creative talented

    artist never gets a chance(shame).

  • @imaStonesFan Yes of coarse! I agree 100 percent.

  • @dannydkn lol

  • @imaStonesFan Bob Marley is an overrated dick??? You have no idea what you're talking about. You did not grow up in Trenchtown and some how rise out of it make something out of your life through music and a great message. And if you really were a Stones fan you would know that Keith and Mick both played with Peter Tosh, one of Bob's early music companions, and had great respect for reggae music and the hard hard lives that these reggae musicians had to live. Do some studying kid.

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  • This song is so beautiful. I've been a Townes Van Zandt fan since I was a young boy, and I never get sick of his songs. This tune is among his top gems. The lyrics are incredible.

  • Wow. None of the top critics recognizes Van Zandt as a great artist. Well they can go to hell where they can talk to the Beatles (Nothing against the Beatles) If anyone doesn't know a Rake is an immoral or dissolute person.

  • @RdVirus777 you sound like a portugese missionary in the amazon (no offence)

  • Love Towns Van Zandt! great artist!!

  • He outshines the Beatles (easy an overrated band)

    He outshines Cream (not so easy but the lyrics goes along way)

    He outshines Hendrix (very, very, very, very hard ) but he nails it 0,000000000001 % more than Hendrix does.

  • @opiumrebel LOL YES Beatles very overrated!! i agree with the rest u said too.

  • @opiumrebel Wtf man ? The Beatles overrated ? They're just the most important band in history (not only in music) yet they're not the best imo. But you can't say they're overrated. Cream or Hendrix are overrated but not The Beatles.

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz

    The're just the least the important band. Sorry my friend.

  • @opiumrebel The least important? The ones who spread rock music outside America were the least important band?

  • @vomitgorefromheaven

    How can the Beatles ever outshine songs like "Kathleen" "Waitin' around to die" "Rake" and ect.

  • @opiumrebel With "While my Guitar Gently Weeps"

  • Sorry, you 've lost Townes beats them by a long shot.

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz

    Sorry my friend, I'll stick to my opinion. The Beatles can never outshine "Machine Gun"

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz Overrated Big time. Towns better singer better songs! in fact many bands are better than the beatles.

    You lose man!

  • @23wade2L How can the band that composed While my Guitar Gently Weeps and Happines is a Warm Gun is overated?

  • @23wade2L Well, I love Townes, I prefer listening to him more than The Beatles and than many other bands, but let's state this : he didn't influence that much musicians. The Beatles as long as Mozart made a kind of musical revolution. But it's ok, you can dislike them.

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz

    That's not the point, name one Beatles song that's as vital as "Rake"

  • @opiumrebel What the hell are you talking about ? What do you mean by "vital song" ?

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz wow you`re not very smart are you? Vital is a Must.

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz they SUCK

  • @23wade2L

    Kudos for speaking the truth.

    Yep, sorry to all Beatles lovers, many bands are better than the beatles.

  • @23wade2L

    Thank you my friend, for speaking the truth.

  • @FeedTheTrollPlz Hendrix overrated??? man...dig what was happening on the guitar before Hendrix came along. He completely revolutionized the instrument. I would still argue that he's under rated. Some real educated folk here on youtube.... I understand that you people want lesser known artists to get their due credit but don't go around making absurd statements about our modern geniuses in the process.

  • @SirSampsonSimpson No Hendrix NOT overrated. I agree with u on that. But Marley is!!! Sorry he`s not my type of music and yes he is overrated.

  • @imaStonesFan yes he's over rated, plenty more talented reggae musicians from Jamaica then him....but you can't call a musician that fought so hard for human rights a dick.

  • @SirSampsonSimpson Yes i guess i exaggerated when calling him a dick. I apologize for that remark.

  • I don't know why but this song reminds me of the very sad movie boys don't cry

  • One of the Greatest songs ever written by the world's greatest songwriter... Love you, Townes.

  • Thank You!! I used to sing this to my son to get him to go to sleep.

  • … a soulful lament about the recognition and cognizance of expiry … I think

  • Great song...never watched this stupid video

  • I've always loved the way that the overtones of an open D minor chord ring out. Townes makes the most of that sound in the intro to this song.

  • i know that i have commented on this vid before, but you have art in the song, and art in this vid, so yes, I keep on coming back, like a Leanard Cohen fan that needs Susanne again. Somehow, their music is united.

  • OKAY! The song is called Rake and the word "faceless" was in the description. Coincedence?

  • mr gator hugger you are very wrong

  • mr gator hugger

  • Rake is looking back, right, to the youth, to the past, without regretting. "doing wild crazy things", thats what he said and I believe every word of this. don't you think so? gotta live, gotta do things, gotta love, gotte loose. thats all about - and it's perfect. happy birthday Mister TVZ!

    M

  • I'M Nr. 2936 to place this link at Facebook and never the Last!

  • not sure what to say, other than we have lost someone good!

  • Сильно!!!В музыка в старом стиле,ушедшего времени!!!

  • @IGORCHERNOV Имейте это в живых! Вместе!

    Good music from old times. And I drop we keep this in mind together!

  • Dylan at times. Sometimes pure country.

    That was his problem. No Genre. Not a political guy with pop that was easy to hum. He wasn't a pure songwriter with rock and pop like Petty. Not country.

    Always outcast, even I cant stomach the sometimes mauldling and simpliest verses.

    However, on Rake, it was Genuis.

    He could have been a Billy Joel type but dark.

    This was his masterpiece.

    If only he had more.

    I don't think you can take 2-3 great songs and say the 'greatest"

    No, you just can't.

  • @Gatorhugger

    Townes did what he wanted to do. so no problem about the "the genre". what remains are the songs, and, you know, this feeling. once touched, never alone. cheers. M

  • Dylan at times. Sometimes pure country.

    That was his problem. No Genre. Not a political guy with pop that was easy to hum. He wasn't a pure songwriter with rock and pop like Petty. Not country.

    Always outcast, even I cant stomach the sometimes mauldling and simpliest verses.

    However, on Rake, it was Genuis.

    He could have been a Billy Joel.

    This was his masterpiece.

    If only he had more.

    I don't think you can take 2-3 great songs and say the 'greatest"

    No, you just can't.

  • to at times. sometimes Townes goes pure country.

    That was his problem. No Genre. Not a political guy with pop that was easy to hum. He wasn't a pure songwriter with rock and pop like Petty. Not country.

    Always outcast, even I cant stomach the sometimes mauldling and simpliest verses.

    However, on Rake, it was Genuis.

    He could have been a Billy Joel.

    This was his masterpiece.

    If only he had more.

    I don't think you can take 2-3 great songs and say the 'greatest"

    No, you just can't.

  • Vampires? Really? No. This song is about the staining darkness of the human heart, and its resistance to ever being washed completely clean.

  • This song reminds me of a man I once knew with hair like summer, eyes like winter and miles all around him.

  • Townes wrote from the heart...which it makes his music so special....such simple and beautiful honesty....I doubt he wrote this about Bram Stoker's Dracula as that one guy said....He wrote about life

  • Gee, a crabapple video. When you see that, you know you're in for something good. Whoopeeee!

  • hearing this song Steve Earl was right "Townes is the best singer/songwriter".

    Let's all put on our Cowboy Boots and stomp and Dylans coffee table.

  • I didn't know this guy was dead untill I looked it up on Wikipedia

  • beautiful

  • KINGS OF LEON SENT ME HERE

  • @youngrelleus19

    nice one,

    but Kings Of Leon told you Townes is the Best.

  • One of the greatest songs ever written.

  • wonderful

  • a rake is a libertine, one who lives for the pleasures of the flesh and licentiousness, frequents alehouses and brothels. Originally from the rich, ruling classes, rakes later became know as anyone that disdaned common morality------ the Rake's Progress was a book many years ago that illustrated the downfalls of promiscuity

  • Thanks for your satanicness dude.

  • Townes Van Zandt's songwriting is a humbling gift from the God's of music. His life was tragic and some say he departed before his time, but I believe that is not true. He was put on earth to do exactly what he did.

  • Man, I never tire of that song

  • Actually heard about this in a Caleb Followill interview. Great stuff!

  • Thanks Townes! We love you, your music is reaching allot of new ears.

  • this song is so clearly not about vanpires, its about being old and married and looking back on your younger days when you were single partying raising hell and breaking hearts, the nightlife is now behind him and he regrets it.

  • @timmccloskey1 you dont need to be a vampire to do that

  • The tears again...

  • DAMN !!!!!!

  • Townes is, was, will always be the best.

    The pounding heart of Americana.

  • Wonderful Song von TWZ and fine set of Franz von Stuck...Thanx!!!

  • i played a game of d&d completely around this song ive never heard it before then im glad i know it now

  • Someone recommended him to me. I like him more and more with every listen.

  • I've only recently got into this guy and I think he's one of the best song writers i've ever heard. The Rake, Kathleen, Waiting Around To Die. Classics!!!

  • Alela Diane and Alina Hardin's cover of this is amazing. This is gorgeous too, don't get me wrong, but I definitely think they do it justice.

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  • Beautiful video! It works amazingly well with this song!

  • This is one of my all time favorite songs, it has the most amazing lyrics.

  • vinfromuk, I think you said it the most correctly about the whole bi-polar thing and shock therapy. If you have seen the DVD Titled 'BE HERE TO LOVE ME' you will know that TVZ indeed received shock therapy which changed him permanently according to his friends. If you like TVZ's music you should buy this DVD, its very interesting. I love watching it. Cheers, my fellow TVZ friends.

  • I always figured it was about manic depression/bipolar disorder. The night is mania, the day is depression, and the "night to the day we're a-bindin'" is medication/electro shock turning everything into a hazy twilight.

    Love the video!

  • this is an amazing song... this video sucks. it's the "i typed words from the lyrics into google and made a shitty slideshow" interpretation of the lyrics.

  • @cheetahsYAY Gee, Cheetahs. Based on your comments, I figured you must have some really awesome stuff posted here, so I went to your profile to check out YOUR videos. I especially liked the one you made of...oh, wait! You don't have ANY videos. Go teach your grandmother to suck eggs, pilgrim.

  • vampires are the symbol of never being satisfied ..this is art.,l .it's the work of inscribing a dogma through a symbol..this artist is incredible..

  • My body was sharp the dark air clean

    and outrage my joyful companion

    whisperin' women how sweet did they seem

    kneelin' for me to command them

    And time was like water but I was the sea

    I'd have never noticed it passin'

    except for the turnin' of night into day

    and the turnin' of day into cursin'

  • Thanks for sharing . . . gotta love Townes songs.

  • this shit aint about vampires! its about bein a rake in the classic sense! goin out into the night, gettin drunk off wine, playin guitars, sleepin with strange women

  • they shoud have used this song at the end of red dead redemption

  • I had to make an account just to say how awesome this song is. TVZ is one of my favorite artists and this song gets to me every time I listen to it. It's nice to know other people feel the same way.

  • mccrabapple) - Yeah the song is no doubt a TVZ classic. And this video footage is F@ck#ng KILLER!! Couldn't have went together any better in my opinion!! FANTASTIC

  • I think this must be one of my favorites on youtube, because I keep on coming back to it. Not exactly sure whether I am so fascinated by the artwork in Townes music, or the artwork, period, But they sure do compliment each other! I have often wondered what a kick Townes would have gotten being compared to classical anything..........

  • Beautiful. Well done. Thanks for posting this!

  • It's a song about a guy that wakes up late and starts drinking.

    When the sun sets he gets more comfortable.

    When the sun rises he has great regret.

    I know I sure do.

  • mccrabapple is so right, townes lived with demons, we only have so many memories of his loves or demons, and this song, which i think was rather self descriptive, should give us some understanding of how he would like us to be. The Rake says go out and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh while you can, get wasted!

  • Thanks for posting this mccrabapple.  Now I don`t have to pop the DVD in the player everytime I wanna see it. Thanks.

  • Thanks for posting this mccrabapple. Now I don`t have to pop the DVD in the player everytime I wanna see it. Thanks.

  • My favorite Townes Song. If you like Townes, by the DVD ``Be Here to Love Me``. It is excellent. It gives you an inside look at a man who was depressed for much of his adult life but was a true musical genius. I watch it all the time and it always moves me. I love the scene where he plays WAITIN AROUND TO DIE and the gentleman in the background starts to cry as Townes is playing. Very touching.

  • Awesome man!!!!  You just did something for mankind with that one!!!! I just did a cover of "Tecumseh Valley" and posted it! Check it out and tell me what you think!!!!

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  • one of the greatest and most under appreciated singer songwriters to have ever lived

  • This song will hit you like a ton of bricks when you finally, actually, listen to these words.

  • @katadantesux expand an explain your comment

  • You're given an opportunity at this gift of life. As far as we know it happens once, seeing that nobody has told me different... death will take you. Love the money, fuck as much as much and whoever you want. Work your job as much as you want. Drink and drug as much as you want or can, but understand, death will be there. Townes, who would have been 66 two days ago, knew what was coming.... Many folks made fun of him for his stories...

  • Do all that you say and more....but treat fellow man with respect and love.....theres nothing so sure in Life as the day you're born and the day you die!.....as for an afterlife....I believe, thats just me....others believe that Death is the end....its free speech for all or is it?

    Townes!! dont really know much of his music, but after hearing this, i ordered 'be here to love me' and istantly liked him, felt he was a lonely, wise and weary soul who had seen it all before!

  • ..lacking in fact due to loss of memory from insulin shock therapy when he was young. If you like credentials, he scored just above a 1700 on his ACT's and was a student at UC Boulder. If you like money, his family helped build Ft. Worth, Texas. Our peers can be horrible and cruel, especially when their chastising is based on materials and pedigree... Death comes to us all. Your high dollar jeans and pretentiousness mean nothing.

  • Take time to love those around you, wholeheartedly. Understand living and take time to enjoy what is beautiful. Thank the people who have helped you, understand and accept the faults of those who torment, yet do not judge. People, we all die. the world is wrought with evil. We see horrible things on television and within ourselves. Don't give in.

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  • Wow, smoking hot song. Loved this ballad.

  • GREAT! LOVE YOU TOWNES!

  • Not according to Townes it wasn't...

    It's an autobiographical metaphor.

  • @mccrabapple Hi. Thanks for posting this gem. It's true musical poetry. Brutally beautiful and honest. What's your source for Townes' own description of the song? I had someone ask me recently for an original source; I guess he doesn't believe me(-: I just assumed it was autobiographical because I know about his life.

  • I confess, I don't have a source that says its autobiographical, but Townes did NOT have vampires in mind when he wrote it, that has been stated by his ex-wife. She thought it was about vampires, Townes said that it was an interesting thought, but it wasn't what he had in mind when he wrote it.

    To me it just sounds autobiographical... though metaphorical. On that I could be wrong.

  • @mccrabapple Actually for those who are interested look up Rake (an archetype not the tool) and you will see what this song is about. It is, in a sense, autobiographical. Im too lazy to explain in detail.

  • @mccrabapple

    Sounds more plausible than vampires! Also supported by his shedding tears when doing this in the "Personal concert"-video...

  • I feel like this song was written by the dying embers of the ego, the part in each of us that wants what it wants - the power, the love. When time hems us in we're forced to learn wisdom or choke to death on the ravenous bites we took in life. Everyone experiences that; whether this song is autobiographical or not (isn't all art? even myth), it's universal. It cuts to the bone.

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  • @mccrabapple That's the way he wrote...we get to fill in the blanks, he was so against The EGO of noteriety and stardom, I think he made things not quite as definite for more than one reason. I've read he admired Bob dylan and was inspired by his early stuff, but when Bob wanted to sit and play together he refused. Still he spent hours playing his songs for him one night. (it's in the Book)

  • @mccrabapple Actually, I'm pretty sure it's about Edward Cullen. Either that, or a slutty gardening tool

  • OH YEAH?? You might be right. And Pancho & Lefty was about LAVERNE & SHIRLEY!!

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  • @samijo1836 No this is not about Dracula, As per the book " A Deeper Blue " the life and music of TVZ its about the Depression Townes had suffered all his life.