That's amazing! God Bless your uncle for making sure that incredible moment was immortalized for future generations like myself who are just discovering it. Just magical.
Thanx to your uncle I am seeing TVZ sing and play for the very first time. And I love it. One man and one guitar is pure magic in my opinion. 🤓🏴👍
Townes is one of several that I was privileged to see shortly prior to his demise, along with Gregg Allman and John Prine. In the summer of 1996, a friend and I saw Townes at a venue in small town South Carolina. He was in delirium tremens and did not seem well at all. One or two songs into his third set he said “F*** it” and left the stage. I felt sorry for him. On the way to the car afterwards, we saw him out at his travel trailer. We went over to speak to him. By this time he had had a few drinks and was in better spirits. He invited us into the trailer and offered us a beer. His J-200 was there and I asked if I might play it. His answer was “sure”. I started playing one of his songs and at a point he began singing “Flyin’ Shoes”. He was extremely nice to us. Fond memory!
"my friend and me"...."not my friend and I" (this liar went back and edited his post)....in his original made up story, he wrote "Townes handed a bottle to my friend and I".
🤚You have a high probability of being correct.😮 yes you. Whatever😴 your👉 fake tuber👈 name is🙈 Ever heard the term, "psychological operations" ? 🤥My guess is u have.😳😮🐑🙊😴 Hmmm, thats ironic, don't you think? Peace love hair Be more like a Monk.....
Agreed. Any time I'm feeling detached from my true feelings, I play Townes. 3 or 4 songs is all it takes to scroll through my entire soul like an old secretary's rolodex. Same with John Prine. These 2 men have done more to get me through life than my own dad, and for that I am truly grateful.
'You weren't your mother's only son, but her favorite one, it seems. She began to cry when you said goodbye, and sank into your dreams.' The man was a poet. Pure genius.
I also love "The dust that Pancho bit down south, ended up in Lefty's mouth." I loved the Willie Nelson versions of this for years before I realized what Federales are.
@@eilishoshea3349 He wore his gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel & Lefty, he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to, the dust that Poncho bit down south ended up in Lefties mouth. Townes was a great poet! This okie's Shakespeare
I'm a 24 year old asian-american and not what most people would expect a country music lover to be. That said, I was born in Texas and grew up my entire life exposed to Southern culture and music. I've come to love old country and grew up listening to Hank Williams Sr., Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, Merle Haggard and etc with my father. When I first heard Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of the song it quickly became my favorite. Then I learned that the original song was by this gentleman right here and it has become my new favorite. I was heartbroken to hear about his struggles with drugs; but he's at peace now and left an amazing legacy. I really wish I could have watched him perform this live.
My girlfriend grew up in Maoist-era China and had to toe the line not to end up on the wrong side of the Red Guards (though it happened anyway). She loves all this music too. Although when I sang her "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", her first comment was, "As a parent, that sounds like good advice." But my point is, it's what's in your soul that counts, not your ethnicity, and clearly, you got it.
Race doesnt define your taste in good music man, this is mericana, all colors accepted, its cool to know theres people that appreciate this kinda music, NOSTALGIC, and cheers to texas with that being said, one of the best places iv ever lived and experienced
"I'm a 24 year old asian-american and not what most people would expect a country music lover to be." Why not, because you're only 24? Shoot man, that don't mean nothin'.... : )
100% People ask me if I like country and I typically say no. As to the mainstream stuff going on today, but this, this poetic greatness, incredible song writing, yes I absolutely love everything TVZ ever did. I wish There was more documentary's about this legend.
i grew up with my moma listening to this music , it will never fade once u hear it , it sticks . luv the name btw , my baby son, my 18yr old is named after me & my dad pennington garan ☮️!!
I know how you feel I’m 47 and just started listening to country. From now on I’ll give any kind of music or art a chance and I’ll try my best to have an open mind. Townes and Blaze Folley should be right up there with Dylan! They are to me and I’m a big Dylan fan.
Your description is almost as beautiful as the song Miss Britt. Songs written by a man's soul are only heard by the souls of those who invite him in. The ears only hear silence but the spirit hears a beautiful story with no beginning or end, of life lived and lost, one of peace .
Thank you so much for turning my day around...you left a mark so big it could not be contained only pushed into the universe...and today l caught YOUR vibe and it filled my sad heart with your spark Thanks again T.
"Medley of our hit" - Crosby Stills and Nash (Nash talking?) put that one out there at Woodstock, in '69. It is on the video and audio products from the event.
What impresses me so much is how vast townes influence spreads. From traditional country to doom metal. To me he's like the Bob Dylan for us in Appalachia
Dylan's alright, I guess. He wrote some good songs, but I don't know that he really felt it the way TVZ did. Dylan always seemed a little pretentious and aloof. TVZ is relatable and a genius. Then again, Dylan did inspire one of the best songs ever written, Diamonds and Rust.
@@eliseintheattic9697There is nothing “pretentious” about something as heartwrenching and honest as Blood on the Tracks. Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and anybody who knows a damn thing about songwriting will tell you the same
@CaptainTrips560what a reductive and limited way to view Dylan. You seem to be stereotyping him as just the guy who sang protest songs in the early 60s with a guitar while ignoring the instrumental genius of the electric trilogy which is musically light years beyond anything that Townes has achieved and this is coming from a fan of Townes
With all due respect to Mr.Prine, Townes Van Zandt is the greatest American songwriter ever. Across all genres, across all eras, Townes is the best to ever do it.
like me he suffered bipolar awful mental illness back then no meds why he did every drug every drink man!! damn sad! to us despair sadness loneliness is happiness we hate it the feeling but it wont leave our brains!!!
Don't think it would've mattered all that much to him, and could possibly have been detrimental to his writing.......genius tends to thrive on self-doubt, after all. Besides, he wrote the most beautifully bitter sweet songs, and his own sad story only adds to the melancholy when we listen, don't you think? I'm welling up just thinking about it....
@@warshipsatin8764 Steve Earle said that Townes knew how good he was. He was probably nicotine and alcohol addicted as a young teenager, and then the insulin shock therapy made it worse. Most of the guys his age struggled with these things at one time or another...
@@Dandroid5000 Any songs in particular of his you'd recommend? I just realized he wrote Dead Flowers and Poncho and Left by Willie and Waylon is one of my favorite all time songs and I just learned he wrote that too. Thinking there's probably a lot of great stuff from him that I need to start uncovering but I'm easily discouraged and not really sure where to start.
The world is empty without song writers like this . Straight off the cuff. He used the gifts God gave him. No regrets. Better to die broke and have tried rather than follow the sheep.
This song makes me cry. A good friend of mine who passed in July used to always play parts of it when we'd be hanging out way too drunk. He was so shy of his voice so ended up singing everything in this really subdued and haunting way. I don't have any recordings of him but it's fresh enough I can still hear him singing this and I fucking miss it.
I'm pretty much the last one that survived out of my good friends, even lost my brother and mother of my kids. This song reminds me of my brother. I doubt he ever heard it but he would love it
An alcohol friend of mine would text me a song each morning telling me how great the day was going to. All the while he was in his wheelchair with his dog looking out the window at his bird feeder. This was one he sent a few times. RIP Eric.
1:20 That older fella just watching and listening with a stone wall face. Suddenly one lyric brings up a memory and a huge smile grows on his face. That's why music like this is so great.
@@hamcheesecola Yes that is a remarkably authentic moment. I think this is Austin. I lived there in the 70's and that beautiful girl is classic 70's Austin Hippie Chick.
uncle seymour is too cool .. just chilling in the back taking in the song - the whole atmosphere seems so peaceful and quaint - pure Americana right here
I only discovered Townes a couple of months back at 43, this is my favourite song to play now along with Waiting Around to Die. I wish I had heard his music earlier, but I found it at a really important time to me.
Depressing to see him halfway nodding out and shit. Buried too many people I love. Watched too many buried alive to slowly rot away in the concrete tombs of some penitentiary. This song feels like my own bad choices and decisions in life staring at me in my face.
Townes has been my life support during the covid pandemic. Endless hours listening to him in the lockdown, i wish i could have said thank you, i miss him like that Love from Nepal
Suyash, i have been listening to him since ages man ! What a coincidence, its Saturday morning here and with my milk tea i am hooking up with TVZ. Cheers. Dherai khusi lago !
Another accolade on this unforgettable video. The cameraman panning slightly to Uncle Seymour’s hands at 3:23 creates a memorable picture of both their hands. Whoever filmed this did an amazing job.
My grandma passed the other day. I was able to be with her during her early days of hospice. I listened to this a bunch while I was visiting, Dandridge Tennessee. A beautiful place to be during a hard time. Beauty in life in death and in pain. Thank you Townes Van Zandt. RIP my Geema, Kathy.
i think of this type of thing often. hes way back there in the 70s. i dont think anyone from that long ago really ever dreamed of anything like the internet happening . Im not sure where they thought these videos would go. But they certainly never dreamed, i dont think, that the videos would be sitting here for us all to watch daily, at any hour, of day or night. Its wild man.
When im drinking alone i always listen to his music. The pain in his voice and the way he expresses emotion through poetry is incredible. I only dicovered him about 6 months ago but he is my favourite now
A sad, tragic, broken man who managed to pur so much of his pain and confusion into song. I know the was a total drug and alcohol addict, BUT I cannot but wonder if those damnable insulin shock treatments set all of it in motion.
Julian -can't argue whether or not the shock treatments brought all of us towards Townes. I also wonder if weed would have helped him then and kept him with us today now. Like it did Willie. I've watched this video many time in my past. Ken Burns brought me back here now. I'm weak with emotions after every episode of "History of Country Music" on PBS.
I saw Townes play a small venue in London only a couple of months before he passed. Voice like gravel, still smoking, still mesmerising. We all sang along to this chorus - he loved it, we loved it. Then he slipped away - no kindness there I suppose.
Something about Townes' music makes change... loss... endings... aging... death... a little easier to make peace with. We're all just trying our damned best to make it through life in as little misery as possible. I'm glad he was able to leave behind a legacy that helps bruised hearts and minds navigate life a little more surefooted. Thank you man, for all you left us.
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman's Odyssey
I fell in love with this tune recently, as covered by another artist with more than a few gifts, storytelling in song being one of them: TYLER JAKES. Check out his rendition, as he shares a killer tribute to Townes. It was great to hear what inspired Townes to pen the tune and then to watch him perform it live in an intimate setting. MEMORABLE❣️
Traci Jane Hill Are you stupid? You probably prefer songs about sexy tractors and Chattahoochees being hotter than hoochecoochees or other some stupid shit.
I agree. He plays with that little hint of swing in the timing that really gives this version, of all of TVZs versions something special.. His fingerpicking also picks out a lot of the melodic lines that he sings to, which is also different to many of his other versions.. I also think his singing is spot on. You can tell he is in a very good, and jovial mood, and it comes through every essence of the song.
Had lunch with Townes Van Zandt at the Edmonton Folk Fest a few years before he died. One of the sweetest men I have ever met. Pancho and Lefty is one of my favorite songs to play. "The most missed man the world never knew, TVZ"
This exact offering, to me, is the best I've heard of Pancho and Lefty. Seeing Townes, in a relaxed environment, delivering it at his natural pace. Really great.
one of the things I really love about townes van zandt is how often he'd have some corny little joke or anecdote, and then right after just play one of the most beautiful haunting songs ever written.
The absolute LOVE of my life, chose death over me 😢 my love for him was/is the strongest I've ever felt for another human. I would have conquered ANY obstacle to have been with him forever 😢❤
Wow, I never knew this was the original until today. I always loved the Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard version but this has a really different feel to it. Glad I finally got to hear the original.
Can't recommend enough checking out Live at the Old Quarter 1973. It has a little bit better version of this imo, along with around 10 other songs that are among the best ever written
Every time I hear this song I think of my young son who has passed on. He love this song and Townes' music.. I have wonderful memories of Kendrik and I listening to this song in the truck.
This here is the reason I picked up a guitar 6 years ago and haven’t stopped picking ever since. Damn shame I couldn’t have met this man. Cheers Townes.
"Pick it! ...and it won't ever heal" Townes... hope he knows there are some of us who struggle with the same ailments he did. Thanking him for the brief relief of song and real songs at that. From Australia
I watched an interview with Steve Earle about Townes, the interviewer asked him, "Virtually everyone agrees that Townes was an exceptionally talented songwriter and performer, why wasn't he more successful?" Earle replied, "Townes kept shooting himself in the foot, he was a good shot, and his foot was right there."
@@jamesbondaygee I don't think you have to be a virtuoso singer to be an excellent performer. When you write exceptional songs that comes from two things: talent and your experiences. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine none are very good singers but they are great performers because they are exceptional song writers who lived and experienced the songs they sing. Others can sing their songs well, because they may have similar experiences, but those experiences didn't move them to the point where they had to write it down and record it and I think that makes a difference in your ability to perform a song. Townes was cut from the same cloth as those guys.
I thought willie wrote this for the longest time... when I discovered Townes, bc I searched the song, I think I've played him every day since, for the last two months.. He has, and is still, having a profound affect on my life... for the first time in five years, I bought new strings for one of my three dusty guitars, and now, want to try playing again.
Possibly the best song I've heard in my life thus far.. I always avoided country and folk in favour of extreme metal and punk but this hits so much harder than that stuff. It is so honest that it hurts to listen to. I am so happy/grateful that my good friend recently played the full "Live at the Old Quarter, Houston" double LP for me because I am absolutely hooked on Townes now and can't stop listening to that album!
That's so cool man. I went thru the Punk scene myself for quite a time. (& some metal). Found that when it comes to punk, ska, hardcore, etc. there are many who are "music snobs". You know the ones, I bet; the ones who refuse to even hear anything outside their genre! The ones who go thru years, or a lifetime, of missing out! (I still don't do a lot of country but if I've always been able to... Well, If I hear a good song then the genre doesn't matter to me. [granted, sometimes the artist does.] I've heard of this guy but didn't know he wrote this song, til now, (one of my favourites). A song of his used in series _Hell on Wheels_ brought me here...then I saw "Pancho" & had to listen. The simplicity of the song coupled with the story... Just wow. (the thing, I still love how it's done by Willie (& Merle?...& back-up ladies) But to hear it, sort of "camp-fire" style, is really special. I'm about to listen to rest of the list on here!
Yes to that.The honesty is soul crushing at times .The words so simply pulling together and weaving a story in under 5 minutes most times.Songwriters are genious.Holy fuck I babble on for a half an hour or more to my dogs about what good boys they are. I love a great song.Billie Strings is Metalgrass .If u haven't already check him out.
some of us come to understand that we will always drift away from the ones who only want to love and help us. some of us tire of seeing expressions of disappointment in the faces of those who have tried so hard to save our souls and failed.
My aunt and TVZ were a couple for the last 2 years of his life, she says that he did not really show his depressions that hard in his private life, so maybe there just was nobody who tried to help him. I'm sorry if i'm talking bullshit right now, I don't know that much about him^^
I THINK THAT MR. TOWNES VAN ZANDT WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED SONGWRITER OF ALL TIME, THE PEOPLE WHO SAW HIS SKILLS DID HIS SONGS, THANK ALL OF YOU WHO DID HIS SONGS, SOME ARE STILL WITH US, SOME ARE NOT.. R.I.P. MR. Van Zandt, COUSIN FIGEL
You can tell he really likes townes music. Says a lot about townes. Watch the waiting around to die from this same session and you will see how hard townes music hits him.
Merle Haggard covered this song after one of his friends brought it to him. At the time they said it was the best song written in the past decade or more.!!! Townes Van Zandt, You’re one of the greatest song writers of all time, RIP Townes❤️
My uncle made this film in 1975. Glad you all enjoy it!
Really?
@@Daniel-tx8un Yes, really.
That's amazing! God Bless your uncle for making sure that incredible moment was immortalized for future generations like myself who are just discovering it. Just magical.
@@Daniel-tx8un NO! (Father Dick Byrn)
Thanx to your uncle I am seeing TVZ sing and play for the very first time. And I love it. One man and one guitar is pure magic in my opinion. 🤓🏴👍
Willie Nelson has described this song as the best song ever crafted. That's one Hell of a compliment.
Willie Nelson is a hack.
Life.and great music
Damned right! I pray that the world sees song writing like this again.
@@Nubenhoofer colter wall has crafted some great stories. and he's still in his 20's. and i think he was only 20 when he wrote kate mccannon.
@user-gz1kv1us8r he's a Canadian western singer songwriter. he's really a story teller though. there is quite a bit of his stuff on youtube.
Gold. There is more grit and honesty in that room than in 95% of country music today.
Whenever people mock country music, I send them the link to this video. It is a true masterpiece. Nothing to do with your regular Nashville crap.
There's more grit and honesty in these cats hats.. than 95% of country music today
You damn right!
I’m glad a few artists are bringing real country back to life! It took 5 musicians to write Jason Alden’s last hit 😂 what a joke.
@@chopcitycustoms6451😂 very true
Townes is one of several that I was privileged to see shortly prior to his demise, along with Gregg Allman and John Prine. In the summer of 1996, a friend and I saw Townes at a venue in small town South Carolina. He was in delirium tremens and did not seem well at all. One or two songs into his third set he said “F*** it” and left the stage. I felt sorry for him. On the way to the car afterwards, we saw him out at his travel trailer. We went over to speak to him. By this time he had had a few drinks and was in better spirits. He invited us into the trailer and offered us a beer. His J-200 was there and I asked if I might play it. His answer was “sure”. I started playing one of his songs and at a point he began singing “Flyin’ Shoes”. He was extremely nice to us. Fond memory!
"my friend and me"...."not my friend and I" (this liar went back and edited his post)....in his original made up story, he wrote "Townes handed a bottle to my friend and I".
Thank You Mack. BTW, it’s Mac not Mack
😉
This is such a cool story
You're a lucky man Rick.
Clips like this is what makes the internet great.
Amen to that.
One of my favorite drinking songs on a cold day
Yes, they certainly... is.
No. "memes" make the internet it's a fact. Yes this song is a classic.
One of few.
If Townes Van Zandt can't break your heart, you ain't got one
Oof. Well said, my man.
Amen, brother.
Yessss ❤❤❤❤🇨🇭
🤚You have a high probability of being correct.😮 yes you. Whatever😴 your👉 fake tuber👈 name is🙈
Ever heard the term, "psychological operations" ? 🤥My guess is u have.😳😮🐑🙊😴
Hmmm, thats ironic, don't you think?
Peace love hair
Be more like a Monk.....
Agreed. Any time I'm feeling detached from my true feelings, I play Townes. 3 or 4 songs is all it takes to scroll through my entire soul like an old secretary's rolodex. Same with John Prine. These 2 men have done more to get me through life than my own dad, and for that I am truly grateful.
'You weren't your mother's only son,
but her favorite one, it seems.
She began to cry when you said goodbye, and sank into your dreams.'
The man was a poet. Pure genius.
I also love "The dust that Pancho bit down south, ended up in Lefty's mouth." I loved the Willie Nelson versions of this for years before I realized what Federales are.
@@eilishoshea3349 He wore his gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel & Lefty, he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to, the dust that Poncho bit down south ended up in Lefties mouth. Townes was a great poet! This okie's Shakespeare
The simplicity is the complexity.
Exactly 💯
That's what she said.
Townes Van Zandt...a tortured soul, with a knack for writing songs from the heart....brings a tear to my eye! RIP Townes!
I find it hard to understand why Townes Van Zandt has not been inducted in the Nashville song writers hall of fame. He is one of the greatest ever
charles owen any hall of fame seems like a popularity contest, especially the R’n’R HoF.
Fixed in 2016 )
MONEY & POLITICS...That's why
Go to Nashville, it will be obvious.
Because Nashville is garbage
I'm a 24 year old asian-american and not what most people would expect a country music lover to be. That said, I was born in Texas and grew up my entire life exposed to Southern culture and music. I've come to love old country and grew up listening to Hank Williams Sr., Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, Merle Haggard and etc with my father. When I first heard Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of the song it quickly became my favorite. Then I learned that the original song was by this gentleman right here and it has become my new favorite. I was heartbroken to hear about his struggles with drugs; but he's at peace now and left an amazing legacy. I really wish I could have watched him perform this live.
My girlfriend grew up in Maoist-era China and had to toe the line not to end up on the wrong side of the Red Guards (though it happened anyway). She loves all this music too. Although when I sang her "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", her first comment was, "As a parent, that sounds like good advice." But my point is, it's what's in your soul that counts, not your ethnicity, and clearly, you got it.
Race doesnt define your taste in good music man, this is mericana, all colors accepted, its cool to know theres people that appreciate this kinda music, NOSTALGIC, and cheers to texas with that being said, one of the best places iv ever lived and experienced
@@edwardkay2743 "As a parent, that sounds like good advice." Lmao, that's awesome!
"I'm a 24 year old asian-american and not what most people would expect a country music lover to be." Why not, because you're only 24? Shoot man, that don't mean nothin'.... : )
"The dust Pancho bit down South ended up in up in Lefty's mouth" is quite possibly the greatest lyrics in all of American songwriting.
Followed only by "Now you wear your skin like iron, and your breath's as hard as kerosene." Christ.
I agree
It is good
100%
Guy Clark’s “I have seen the David, seen the Mona Lisa too, and I have heard Doc Watson play Columbus Stockyard Blues” is right up there too.
Townes was the best of America, in the old sense---poetic, rustic, funny as hell, a little drunk, sad, and a stranger. Those days are long gone.
Unfortunately America is being devoured whole by authoritarian globalism much like the rest of the Western world.
maybe for you. sorry but they are not. all in the looking glass
100% People ask me if I like country and I typically say no. As to the mainstream stuff going on today, but this, this poetic greatness, incredible song writing, yes I absolutely love everything TVZ ever did. I wish There was more documentary's about this legend.
Check out Tyler Childers friend
Those days just got a little farther now that John Prine when & joined that Musical Skyway to the Stars,...
There will never be another Townes. There was never one before him. He wasn't america. He was loved and adored, always alone, forever an outcast.
That's Uncle Seymour Washington in the back. Born 1896, died 1977 (the year after this was filmed)
My 4 yr old little boy burst into tears when he heard this song and couldn't stop crying.
I heard Willie and Merle's version at around that same age, and had a similar reaction. I'm 44 now, and this song still has that same power.
My dad sang it to me when i was that age. I did too
Your boy must be "an old soul" to be so moved .
Ask him about that when he's grown.
Just change his diaper, then.
How the hell have I gone 31 years without knowing who this guy is? He's great.
my feelings today exactly
Youre here now.....welcome home
i grew up with my moma listening to this music , it will never fade once u hear it , it sticks . luv the name btw , my baby son, my 18yr old is named after me & my dad pennington garan ☮️!!
I know how you feel I’m 47 and just started listening to country. From now on I’ll give any kind of music or art a chance and I’ll try my best to have an open mind. Townes and Blaze Folley should be right up there with Dylan! They are to me and I’m a big Dylan fan.
You are really fucked up no doubt
“Pick it and it won’t ever heal” got to love Townes sense of humor.
Psoriasis has joined the chat
I think about that one liner way too often. It's funny, but fuck if it ain't truth I could have used a few times in my life.
This video has an ambiance thats hard to describe its musical but it feels silent and still , like a picture come to life
Hello miss Britt, I'm harry all the way from Texas, how are you doing today
@@harrywilliams6049 hi Harry
You should listen to Tecumseh Valley then. One of my favorite Townes songs.
Only know to well of the connection between alcohol and intellectual behavior
Your description is almost as beautiful as the song Miss Britt. Songs written by a man's soul are only heard by the souls of those who invite him in. The ears only hear silence but the spirit hears a beautiful story with no beginning or end, of life lived and lost, one of peace .
Thank you so much for turning my day around...you left a mark so big it could not be contained only pushed into the universe...and today l caught YOUR vibe and it filled my sad heart with your spark
Thanks again T.
Unappreciated genius...
One of rhe best songwriters of any era.
Left us way too soon - but his music, and his legacy, endures.
We tend to focus on his songwriting, but "a medley of my hit" is a hell of a quip. :)
"Pick it and it won't ever heal" is a good quip too.
"Medley of our hit" - Crosby Stills and Nash (Nash talking?) put that one out there at Woodstock, in '69. It is on the video and audio products from the event.
I've heard Tom Rush say that when introducing "No Regrets/Rockport Sunday".
Townes told jokes between songs on stage.
What impresses me so much is how vast townes influence spreads. From traditional country to doom metal. To me he's like the Bob Dylan for us in Appalachia
Hello Jackie, I'm harry all the way from Texas, how are you doing today
Dylan's alright, I guess. He wrote some good songs, but I don't know that he really felt it the way TVZ did. Dylan always seemed a little pretentious and aloof. TVZ is relatable and a genius.
Then again, Dylan did inspire one of the best songs ever written, Diamonds and Rust.
@@eliseintheattic9697There is nothing “pretentious” about something as heartwrenching and honest as Blood on the Tracks. Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and anybody who knows a damn thing about songwriting will tell you the same
@CaptainTrips560what a reductive and limited way to view Dylan. You seem to be stereotyping him as just the guy who sang protest songs in the early 60s with a guitar while ignoring the instrumental genius of the electric trilogy which is musically light years beyond anything that Townes has achieved and this is coming from a fan of Townes
Both of them are great. Others have road far on their great time
With all due respect to Mr.Prine, Townes Van Zandt is the greatest American songwriter ever. Across all genres, across all eras, Townes is the best to ever do it.
100%
Someone ask him why he didn't write any Happy Song. He replied that these were the Happy Songs.
Another star that was too bright for this existence.
Even under the Texas big Skies.
Hell this song makes me happy.
He said there were 2 kinds of music, the blues and zippedy-doodah.
like me he suffered bipolar awful mental illness back then no meds why he did every drug every drink man!! damn sad! to us despair sadness loneliness is happiness we hate it the feeling but it wont leave our brains!!!
This quote is worth repeating:
"The dust that Pancho bit down South, ended up in Lefty's mouth"
I only wish Townes truly understood how great he was before he passed.
Don't think it would've mattered all that much to him, and could possibly have been detrimental to his writing.......genius tends to thrive on self-doubt, after all.
Besides, he wrote the most beautifully bitter sweet songs, and his own sad story only adds to the melancholy when we listen, don't you think? I'm welling up just thinking about it....
he knew he was great, only realized too late he didnt need to destroy himself for it
@@warshipsatin8764 Steve Earle said that Townes knew how good he was. He was probably nicotine and alcohol addicted as a young teenager, and then the insulin shock therapy made it worse. Most of the guys his age struggled with these things at one time or another...
@@Dandroid5000 Any songs in particular of his you'd recommend? I just realized he wrote Dead Flowers and Poncho and Left by Willie and Waylon is one of my favorite all time songs and I just learned he wrote that too. Thinking there's probably a lot of great stuff from him that I need to start uncovering but I'm easily discouraged and not really sure where to start.
@@johnmckay6254 One I'd highly recommend is Waiting Around to Die. Powerful song.
I love it when a songwriter sings their songs. That’s the rendition as it’s meant to be. This is great.
The world is empty without song writers like this . Straight off the cuff. He used the gifts God gave him. No regrets. Better to die broke and have tried rather than follow the sheep.
This song makes me cry. A good friend of mine who passed in July used to always play parts of it when we'd be hanging out way too drunk. He was so shy of his voice so ended up singing everything in this really subdued and haunting way. I don't have any recordings of him but it's fresh enough I can still hear him singing this and I fucking miss it.
R.i.p
I'm so sorry. I lost my brother recently, and I wish I could sing with him again. I'm so glad you have this memory!
I'm pretty much the last one that survived out of my good friends, even lost my brother and mother of my kids. This song reminds me of my brother. I doubt he ever heard it but he would love it
An alcohol friend of mine would text me a song each morning telling me how great the day was going to. All the while he was in his wheelchair with his dog looking out the window at his bird feeder. This was one he sent a few times. RIP Eric.
@@jessedevilbiss8436 RIP
1:20
That older fella just watching and listening with a stone wall face. Suddenly one lyric brings up a memory and a huge smile grows on his face. That's why music like this is so great.
look up "waiting around to die" from this same video. The lyrics hit him hard and he starts to cry. Really moving
@@hamcheesecola Yes that is a remarkably authentic moment. I think this is Austin. I lived there in the 70's and that beautiful girl is classic 70's Austin Hippie Chick.
read the book 'A Deeper Blue' - there's a section about when they stayed with him. He was a retired blacksmith
His breath's as hard as kerosene and horse as fast as polished steel. Who else can make similes like these? No one. Thanks for this masterpiece, TVZ!
TVZ was a roaring freight train of similes... Hell maybe they was metaphors.
i am hispanic and i listen to this at 4am in Austin Tx . Rip this spiritual mentor and i hope he out grows his wrongs in the afterlife
uncle seymour is too cool .. just chilling in the back taking in the song - the whole atmosphere seems so peaceful and quaint - pure Americana right here
+RugbyDemon6789 I miss those kinds of settings, many in my youth, not so many now. If I live long enough I'm gonna buy me a cabin in the woods.
You can see Uncle Seymore say a little something to his mother in heaven @1:19 so cool.
Agreed. I thought that was dereus Rucker
Townes is so good. This guy Brett McDaniel is great too. He's an up-and-comer for sure. th-cam.com/video/nWpwnKcJzrY/w-d-xo.html
I never wanted to step into a video before. I strangely want to be there.
me too
Townes is so good. This guy Brett McDaniel is great too. He's an up-and-comer for sure. th-cam.com/video/nWpwnKcJzrY/w-d-xo.html
Yup.
I want to do drugs with all of these people
This song is a great example of why country music fans should be angry about the bastardization of the genre.
alex freeman I couldn’t have said it any better myself, brother.
Amen
Yep
There's still great country being written and played, just gotta turn off the radio to find it.
Country radio is just pop now. Sad. Country has lost its folk and mountain music roots.
The old black gentleman knew that was a legend in the making...his face expressions says it all
I'm 70 and 'Pancho and Lefty' is my all time favourite song to play and sing on my Guitar.
That’s awesome man
I only discovered Townes a couple of months back at 43, this is my favourite song to play now along with Waiting Around to Die. I wish I had heard his music earlier, but I found it at a really important time to me.
Years ago I was in a jam group. This was known as “my song.” Thanks, guys.
Excellent. I have a hard time singing it, but I love it anyway.
Seeing him 4 times in the Netherlands. I'll never forget he was singing this song live in a small Dutch music cafe
That's the kind of thing that makes you miss something you never had.
True that!
The American tragedy. An ocean of grief in a stolen land.
Depressing to see him halfway nodding out and shit. Buried too many people I love. Watched too many buried alive to slowly rot away in the concrete tombs of some penitentiary. This song feels like my own bad choices and decisions in life staring at me in my face.
This.
You dont want it
one of the most beautifully crafted storytellers songs of all time
Uncle Seymour cried some grown ass man tears to this, that shows the power in these lyrics.
I saw him in Ireland, Cork, ... and again in Galway. Genuine Genius 🎶
Hello Ro, I'm harry all the way from Texas, how are you doing today
Fantastic
You lucky son of a gun
The older I get the more I appreciate Towne's poetry/music. I just turned 66 and first heard his stuff back in the 1970's.
Townes has been my life support during the covid pandemic. Endless hours listening to him in the lockdown, i wish i could have said thank you, i miss him like that
Love from Nepal
Say "thank you", he'll hear you. I miss him too!
Me too, and some Guy Clark, they were good buddies back in the day check it out is good!
Amazing that my old Austin neighbor is being heard in Nepal!
Suyash, i have been listening to him since ages man ! What a coincidence, its Saturday morning here and with my milk tea i am hooking up with TVZ.
Cheers. Dherai khusi lago !
Are you a native to that part of the world? amazing to me that Townes speaks to you so clearly......but then again, I like Ravi Shankar!
Legend…one of my hero’s. Songwriting is unmatched.
Another accolade on this unforgettable video. The cameraman panning slightly to Uncle Seymour’s hands at 3:23 creates a memorable picture of both their hands. Whoever filmed this did an amazing job.
i thought so too. such a subtle moment but it was very beautiful - which i guess could sum up the whole video haha
Literally just screenshotted that shot. Amazing
Magnificent…❤️
Both the lyrics and the arrangement of this song are incredibly haunting. The film slayed me.
My grandma passed the other day. I was able to be with her during her early days of hospice. I listened to this a bunch while I was visiting, Dandridge Tennessee. A beautiful place to be during a hard time. Beauty in life in death and in pain. Thank you Townes Van Zandt. RIP my Geema, Kathy.
Thanks for sharing, I miss mine like crazy.
More country in that room than in all of Nashville!
Thank you Willie and Merle for making me curious enough to look up Van Zandt and discover this gem of an artist in 2022.
One of the best-crafted country songs ever written! So sad that Townes struggled so tremendously with substance abuse. Died far too soon.
It boggles my mind that Townes doesn’t even realize he’s playing to 4.5 million people through that camera he’s looking at
5.7m now Bryan
i think of this type of thing often. hes way back there in the 70s. i dont think anyone from that long ago really ever dreamed of anything like the internet happening . Im not sure where they thought these videos would go. But they certainly never dreamed, i dont think, that the videos would be sitting here for us all to watch daily, at any hour, of day or night. Its wild man.
The greatest artist has the most humble heart.
@@FurtzdeBooty this cannot be overstated enough. a humble poor person will forever be above a rich greed asshole.
@@musek5048 Townes came from a wealthy family.....
She is so in love with him. This video is so beautiful and raw.
I love the way he picks that guitar. If there is a better version of this song, I don't care.
There isn't.
Agreed
The version on Live at the Old Quarter is possibly better but you can’t watch him perform so..
When im drinking alone i always listen to his music. The pain in his voice and the way he expresses emotion through poetry is incredible. I only dicovered him about 6 months ago but he is my favourite now
A sad, tragic, broken man who managed to pur so much of his pain and confusion into song. I know the was a total drug and alcohol addict, BUT I cannot but wonder if those damnable insulin shock treatments set all of it in motion.
Julian -can't argue whether or not the shock treatments brought all of us towards Townes. I also wonder if weed would have helped him then and kept him with us today now. Like it did Willie. I've watched this video many time in my past. Ken Burns brought me back here now. I'm weak with emotions after every episode of "History of Country Music" on PBS.
I discovered Townes about 10 years ago myself and am sad it took me so long, at least the music lives forever!
Positivity brother . Control it and raise another one !
Sittin' here drinking alone and just read this comment. Yup, I reckon so.
Wrote this for 2 bandits i saw on tv after i wrote this song lol
Lord we lost so many great ones at a way too early age Townes Van Zandt was certainly one of them.
I’m 27, my name is Gabriel and I wish more people around me appreciated this as much as I do.
"Pick it.!, and it won't ever heal." Love it.
I saw Townes play a small venue in London only a couple of months before he passed. Voice like gravel, still smoking, still mesmerising. We all sang along to this chorus - he loved it, we loved it. Then he slipped away - no kindness there I suppose.
I was only 1 when this was recorded. It took me 45 yeays to stumble across it. Its the little things ya know.....gotta love it!
Always make my eyes water. His honesty, his purity, almost too much to handle. He was a genius. I will forever be grateful for Townes.
Yup
Me too
Something about Townes' music makes change... loss... endings... aging... death... a little easier to make peace with. We're all just trying our damned best to make it through life in as little misery as possible. I'm glad he was able to leave behind a legacy that helps bruised hearts and minds navigate life a little more surefooted. Thank you man, for all you left us.
Perfection
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman's Odyssey
I fell in love with this tune recently, as covered by another artist with more than a few gifts, storytelling in song being one of them: TYLER JAKES. Check out his rendition, as he shares a killer tribute to Townes. It was great to hear what inspired Townes to pen the tune and then to watch him perform it live in an intimate setting. MEMORABLE❣️
Ha, same here but with Billy Strings instead.
@@sgenetti77 I will check it out! ❤️
th-cam.com/video/uwtAmnVTfV8/w-d-xo.html@@shariblack4128
I always thought this was a willie Nelson tune. Absolutely brilliant lyrics. Beautiful guitar licks.. he makes it look so easy.
this is my favorite version and recording of this song
Nate Whelden are you high
Traci Jane Hill Are you stupid? You probably prefer songs about sexy tractors and Chattahoochees being hotter than hoochecoochees or other some stupid shit.
same
While I appreciate Willie & Merle's version, I have to totally agree with you.
I agree. He plays with that little hint of swing in the timing that really gives this version, of all of TVZs versions something special.. His fingerpicking also picks out a lot of the melodic lines that he sings to, which is also different to many of his other versions..
I also think his singing is spot on. You can tell he is in a very good, and jovial mood, and it comes through every essence of the song.
The scene is set sooo perfectly- uncle seymour, the girl, townes van zandt. It just reminds you of a past that didnt exist. Something.
Patriots are subscribing to thesonsoflibertymedia.com
To get our country out of socialism and soon to be communism.
@@smasco6447 Sit down, close your mouth, listen, go back to school, think, don't follow asses.
@@smasco6447 how dare you desecrate this song with that. the master is playing sit down, shut up, and grow out of that crap
Disagree, totally. This image is a true picture of what parts of our country were and still are really like…
You haven’t spent much time in Texas, have you?
This is my first time seeing this video and it’s amazing
Any one still here in 2024 ?
Absolutely
👋👋👋💔
Forever❤
You know it! 🎉
I'm hearing this song for the first time now! 👌
Had lunch with Townes Van Zandt at the Edmonton Folk Fest a few years before he died. One of the sweetest men I have ever met. Pancho and Lefty is one of my favorite songs to play. "The most missed man the world never knew, TVZ"
Lucky you. I just found him 2 days ago by chance. I’m in Edmonton as well.
This exact offering, to me, is the best I've heard of Pancho and Lefty. Seeing Townes, in a relaxed environment, delivering it at his natural pace. Really great.
one of the things I really love about townes van zandt is how often he'd have some corny little joke or anecdote, and then right after just play one of the most beautiful haunting songs ever written.
I wish I had known about Townes before he left us as he really was such an awesome Singer and Song writer ..
The absolute LOVE of my life, chose death over me 😢 my love for him was/is the strongest I've ever felt for another human. I would have conquered ANY obstacle to have been with him forever 😢❤
I like townes too!!!@
im 19 been playing bluegrass since i was 7, this stuff keeps me going man
My favourite version of this song. Nothing else to say really.
He wrote it , he sang it , nobody can improve on that. That's the way it should be sung.
Same as Bobby McGee....
Then we wouldn't have Dead Flowers, Dirty Old Town, or Cocaine Blues to say the least.
loadi2 AMEN !
loadi2 why?
its like trying to improve the monalisa or a picaso painting,
Wow, I never knew this was the original until today. I always loved the Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard version but this has a really different feel to it. Glad I finally got to hear the original.
Emmylou Harris's version which predated Willie & Merle's version & may have been the first version released is very good too.
@@sparky6086 Ooh, thanks for letting me know. I'll have to check out her version as well.
@@joshuas193 You'll love it. Also check out a fabulous new version by Glen Campbell's daughter Ashley!! th-cam.com/video/WpNrcAmmTxE/w-d-xo.html
Can't recommend enough checking out Live at the Old Quarter 1973. It has a little bit better version of this imo, along with around 10 other songs that are among the best ever written
Check out Gillian Welch and David Rawling’s rendition if the song.
He not only wrote this wonderfull song he worked out the amazing fingerpicking here.
Every time I hear this song I think of my young son who has passed on. He love this song and Townes' music.. I have wonderful memories of Kendrik and I listening to this song in the truck.
Ha, 'a medley of my hit', what a dark wit he had alongwith everything else. I love you TVZ.
I like how he has a different story of how the song was written every time he plays it.
Joanne Wolf I am. It certain that originated with him, I heard it plenty in those days
“Wrote this song about two Mexican bandits I saw on the television two weeks after I wrote it” 🤣
@@lyonsson6480 He was a wonderful musician but a grade z comedian...
just a beautiful moment caught on camera, great post, thanks.
Incredible music from just one guy and his guitar. A real artist.
This here is the reason I picked up a guitar 6 years ago and haven’t stopped picking ever since. Damn shame I couldn’t have met this man. Cheers Townes.
"Pick it! ...and it won't ever heal"
Townes... hope he knows there are some of us who struggle with the same ailments he did. Thanking him for the brief relief of song and real songs at that. From Australia
I watched an interview with Steve Earle about Townes, the interviewer asked him, "Virtually everyone agrees that Townes was an exceptionally talented songwriter and performer, why wasn't he more successful?" Earle replied, "Townes kept shooting himself in the foot, he was a good shot, and his foot was right there."
Steve Earle knows a thing or two about that as well. Cut from the same cloth.
Just discovered him. Love him, but he isn't a virtuoso singer.
@@jamesbondaygee Towns was an excellent singer before the drugs and alcohol. Listen to his first two albums.
@@jamesbondaygee I don't think you have to be a virtuoso singer to be an excellent performer. When you write exceptional songs that comes from two things: talent and your experiences. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine none are very good singers but they are great performers because they are exceptional song writers who lived and experienced the songs they sing. Others can sing their songs well, because they may have similar experiences, but those experiences didn't move them to the point where they had to write it down and record it and I think that makes a difference in your ability to perform a song. Townes was cut from the same cloth as those guys.
@@VoxGothica yes.... indeed he was 👍
I thought willie wrote this for the longest time... when I discovered Townes, bc I searched the song, I think I've played him every day since, for the last two months.. He has, and is still, having a profound affect on my life... for the first time in five years, I bought new strings for one of my three dusty guitars, and now, want to try playing again.
townes' version makes willies seem like a pile of crap. MASSIVE willie fan, but not meant to play that upbeat
Awesome, no go get your money out of those strings!
Heartbreaking and beautiful ❤️ what I love about country
"Heartbreaking and beautiful" yes, extremely
Possibly the best song I've heard in my life thus far.. I always avoided country and folk in favour of extreme metal and punk but this hits so much harder than that stuff. It is so honest that it hurts to listen to.
I am so happy/grateful that my good friend recently played the full "Live at the Old Quarter, Houston" double LP for me because I am absolutely hooked on Townes now and can't stop listening to that album!
That's so cool man. I went thru the Punk scene myself for quite a time. (& some metal). Found that when it comes to punk, ska, hardcore, etc. there are many who are "music snobs". You know the ones, I bet; the ones who refuse to even hear anything outside their genre! The ones who go thru years, or a lifetime, of missing out! (I still don't do a lot of country but if I've always been able to... Well, If I hear a good song then the genre doesn't matter to me. [granted, sometimes the artist does.]
I've heard of this guy but didn't know he wrote this song, til now, (one of my favourites). A song of his used in series _Hell on Wheels_ brought me here...then I saw "Pancho" & had to listen. The simplicity of the song coupled with the story... Just wow. (the thing, I still love how it's done by Willie (& Merle?...& back-up ladies) But to hear it, sort of "camp-fire" style, is really special. I'm about to listen to rest of the list on here!
Yes to that.The honesty is soul crushing at times .The words so simply pulling together and weaving a story in under 5 minutes most times.Songwriters are genious.Holy fuck I babble on for a half an hour or more to my dogs about what good boys they are. I love a great song.Billie Strings is Metalgrass .If u haven't already check him out.
when you think about it, outlaw country is punk
Fugg Off I listen to atmospheric black metal, country folk, and classic rock. It not about the genre, it’s about the quality of the music
@Seraph909 You Tube is such a blessing .I get to hear music I wouldn't otherwise.God Bless You.
God bless this song and everyone who listens to it. “Pick it! and it won’t ever heal...” ugh hits so hard❤️❤️
Hi Taylor, I'm harry all the way from Texas, how are you doing today
I'm so glad we have this. God bless Townes Van Zandt.
Hi Tina, I'm harry all the way from Texas, how are you doing today
This song always resonates, but the writer playing it is something else. A level they couldn’t match.
It´s so harrowing that nobody could help this man. What a tortured soul he was. And what an amazing poet.
some of us come to understand that we will always drift away from the ones who only want to love and help us. some of us tire of seeing expressions of disappointment in the faces of those who have tried so hard to save our souls and failed.
Very wise words, and it should be wise for parents to remember them when dealing with their children
Riley Everson
You know what you're talking about for sure brother...
My aunt and TVZ were a couple for the last 2 years of his life, she says that he did not really show his depressions that hard in his private life, so maybe there just was nobody who tried to help him. I'm sorry if i'm talking bullshit right now, I don't know that much about him^^
One of the all-time great songs! It's an absolute blessing to get to hear him sing it.
The old man in the back intently listening is enough to bring a tear .. such a cool video
Yep...still brings tears to my eyes...deserts quiet and Cleveland's cold...
I THINK THAT MR. TOWNES VAN ZANDT WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED SONGWRITER OF ALL TIME, THE PEOPLE WHO SAW HIS SKILLS DID HIS SONGS, THANK ALL OF YOU WHO DID HIS SONGS, SOME ARE STILL WITH US, SOME ARE NOT.. R.I.P. MR. Van Zandt, COUSIN FIGEL
Cousin Figel not under appreciated for the last 15 years... another great was “Guy Clark”, hundreds of songs ( most all hits)
I'd love to hear the music that the older gentleman behind townes has heard in his day
Uncle Seymour'
You can tell he really likes townes music. Says a lot about townes. Watch the waiting around to die from this same session and you will see how hard townes music hits him.
It is the genuine imperfection that makes this type of music so raw and perfect.
Shalom and blessings
Merle Haggard covered this song after one of his friends brought it to him. At the time they said it was the best song written in the past decade or more.!!! Townes Van Zandt, You’re one of the greatest song writers of all time, RIP Townes❤️