Townes Van Zandt Album

By townes van zandt

I got two hands
I wanna clap my hands together
I got two legs
I wanna dance to heavens door
I got one heart
I gonna fill it up with up jesus
And I ain't gonna think about trouble anymore

Well now, this old world sometimes it does get lonesome
And it's many a grown man has hung his head and cried
Down in your soul there's one that won't desert you
Ain't it fine to have the saviour by your side

Now the lord resides inside a house of golden
And faith is the door and love is the key
And warm is the light pouring from his mighty windows
And that light, my friend, it shines on you and me

When the wind blows on that faithful morning
And I close my eyes, lord, and fly my body home
I don't want my friends to cry no tears about me
I'll be bathing in the glory of the throne

I got two hands
I wanna clap my hands together
I got two legs
I wanna dance to heavens door
I got one heart
I gonna fill it up with up Jesus
And I ain't gonna think about trouble anymore

Well, the birds were talking all at once
and the old man mowing down his lawn
he didn't look like much too bad a guy
And I was thinkin' Hang on, man, something's wrong
your blues seems to be gone
heaven ain't bad but you don't get nothing done.

Lay down your head a while
you are not needed now
you are not needed now

Well, Allison laid a hex on me
and every time I turn around
it's swimming through the air above my bed
I told Miss Higgs and she said fine
as long as you're back in your room on time
I keep you clean and the girls will keep you fed

Lay down your head with mine
you are not needed now
and we got things to do

Between the blankets made of wool
the trains roll by every half an hour
and the body can get no restin' done, that's true
so I do my best, as best I can
thinkin' big and making plans
and wondering where them trains are rolling to

Lay down your head poor boy
and feel how the ground does move
and hear how them drivers sing

Well, goodbye friends, it's time to close
everybody knows that's the way it goes
where was it you lived in case I'm ever there
Well, three doors down and two behind
and it gets a little bit out of hand sometimes
don't let it fool you into thinkin you down care

Lay down your head and fly
I'll quietly pass you by
you won't even see me go

If I thought about it long enough
I just might make some kind of move
watchful lies are too hard on the soul
With the smoke house just across the way
and it's fog upon the light of day
that would be hard comin' up with where to go

Lay down your head poor boy
feel how the ground does move
hear how them drivers sing
What now, my darling one
go find a little fun
you are not needed now

By townes van zandt

Greensboro woman don't you smile on me
I do not feel like being comforted
And anyway I'll be home soon
For once is someone waitin' there
And if you don't mind
I just think on her instead

Your face, she's a picture, babe
Pictures ain't what I crave
I don't feel this way most generally
I just put a thousand miles 'tween me
And where my thoughts do lie
And I thank you kindly baby to kindly let me be

Your car, she's smooth and fast
Babe, your bourbon's fine
But I ain't feelin free and clear today
Texas loving laying on my mind
I couldn't do you right babe spinnin' round this way

Greensboro woman don't you smile on me
I do not feel like being comforted
And anyway I'll be home soon
For once is someone waitin' there
And if you don't mind
I just think on her instead

My days, they are the highway kind
They only come to leave
But the leavin' I don't mind
It's the comin' that I crave.
Pour the sun upon the ground
Stand to throw a shadow
Watch it grow into a night
And fill the spinnin' sky.

Time among the pine trees
It felt like breath of air
Usually I just walk these streets
And tell myself to care.
Sometimes I believe me
And sometimes I don't hear.
Sometimes the shape I'm in
Won't let me go.

Well, I don't know too much for true
But my heart knows how to pound
My legs know how to love someone
My voice knows how to sound.
Shame that it's not enough
Shame that it is a shame.
Follow the circle down
Where would you be?

You're the only one I want now
I never heard your name.
Let's hope we meet some day
If we don't it's all the same.
I'll meet the ones between us,
And be thinkin' 'bout you
And all the places I have seen
And why you where not there

By townes van zandt

I'm standin' with my bowed head down now
That ain't right that ain't wrong
It's just a feelin' but I can't shake it
I keep on tryin but it's been so long

If I hurt you I did not mean to
I beg you pardon I did not want to
When I leave you don't you think about me
I won't be back babe I'll be long gone

When the time comes and I'm not ready
Seems it's over before I'm started
The time comes and I don't feel it
I don't know nothin' but my own

Kingdoms into the sky go
And the highway like a river does flow
And my way sometimes it hurts so
And your way just don't go home

Now this man down at the used car lot
Tried to sell me four wheels and a trunk.
I said, "man, there is no engine!",
He said, "the engine's just a bunch of junk.
You don't need no engine to go downhill
And I could plainly see, that that's the direction
You're headed in", and he handed me the keyes.

(I said) no deal; you can't sell this stuff to me
No deal, I'm going back to tennesee

Well, I went to a doctor of the highest order,
He said I couldn't have a drink for a year.
One glass of wine on my birthday
If my birthday wasn't too very near.
Lord, he must have put me in a state of shock
'cause I made it for about two weeks;
Then he sent me a bill
That knocked me flat off the wagon
And back down on my feet.

When true love knocked upon my door
She'd just barely turned fifteen
And I was a little bit nervous
If you know just what I mean.
But I've heard somewhere
That true love conquers all
And I figured that was that
Then I started having dreams 'bout
Being chased out of town
Wearing nothing but my cowboy hat.

Well, I come through this life a stumbler, my friends
I expect to die that way
It could be twenty years from now
It could be most any day.
But if there is no whiskey and women, lord,
Behind them heavenly doors
I'm gonna take my chances down below,
And of that you can be sure

Won't say I love you, babe
Won't say I need you, babe
But I'm gonna' get you, babe
And I will not do you wrong
Living's mostly wasting time
And I waste my share of mine
But it never feels too good
So let's don't take too long
Well, you're soft as glass and I'm a gentle man
We got the sky to talk about
And the world to lie upon

Days up and down they come
Like rain on a conga drum
Forget most, remember some
Oh, but don't turn none away
Everything is not enough
Nothing is too much to bear
Where you've been is good and gone
All you keep is the getting there
Well, to live's to fly, all low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes

It's goodbye to all my friends
It's time to leave again
Here's to all the poetry
And the picking' down the line
I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low and the treble�s clear
But it don't pay to think too much
On things you leave behind
Well, I may be gone, but it won't be long
I'll be bringing back the melody
And the rhythm that I find

We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make
Time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
Well, to live's to fly awe low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eye
Oh, shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eye

When he offers his hand
Don't you turn him away
He can lead you to light
Through the darkest of days
With his love wrapped around you
You can't go astray
When he offers his hand
Don't you turn him away

In a world full of sorrow
A world full of hate
You can't wait for tomorrow
'cause tomorrow's to late
Come and stand amongst the pilgrims
In their golden array
When he offers his hand
Don't you turn him away

I am no simon,
No matthew, no paul
It don't take an apostle
To answer his call
And it don't take a prophet
To stand up and say
When he offers his hand
Don't you turn him away

I hope as I'm leavin'
My message is clear
It's a fool that would turn down
A gift that's so dear
When he offers his blood
Your depts to repay
Now he offers his hand
Don't you turn him away

The wicked king of clubs awoke
It was to his queen turned
His lips were laughing as they spoke
His eyes like bullets burned
The sun's upon a gambling day
His queen smiled low and blissfully
Let's make some wretched fool to play
Plain it was she did agree

He send his deuce down into diamond
His four to hart, and his trey to spade
Three kings with their legions come
Preparations soon where made
They voted club the days commander
Gave him an army face and number
All but the outlaw jack of diamonds
And the aces in the sky

He give his sevens first instructions
Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation
'tween a man named gold and man named mud
Club filled gold with greedy vapors
'til his long, green eyes did glow
Mud was left with the sighs and trembles
Watching his hard earned money go

Flushes fell on gold like water
Tens they paired and paired again
But the aces only flew through heaven
And the diamond jack called no man friend
The diamond queen saw muds ordeal
Began to think of her long lost son
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy
Prayed to the angels every one

The diamond queen, she prayed and prayed
And the diamond angel filled muds hole
The wicked king of clubs himself
Fell in face down in front of gold
Now three kings come to clubs command
But the angels from the sky did ride
Three kings up on the streets of gold
Three fireballs on the muddy side

The club queen heard her husband's call
But lord that queen of diamond's joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall
Turned out to be a wandering boy
Now mud he checked and gold bet all
And mud he raised and gold did call
And the smile just melted off his face
When mud turned over that diamond ace

Now here's what this story's told
If you feel like mud you'll end up gold
If you feel like lost, you'll end up found
So amigo, lay them raises down

By townes van zandt

My home is in the blue ridge mountains
My home is in the blue ridge mountains
My home is in the blue ridge mountains
And I ain't comin' back here anymore

I had me a mother that could pray, boys
She prayed for me both night and day, boys
And I tore down every down every prayer that she could say, boys
And I ain't comin' back here anymore

I wanna find me a lady fair and tender
Wanna play her song on my steel strings
Gonna lay her down in a bed of clover
Then I ain't comin' back here anymore

I've seen this whole wide country over
From New York City down to Mexico
And I've seen the joyful and the sorrow
And I ain't comin' back here anymore

So mister (sinby) can you hear me
Down there in (gracel), louisana-o
I'll lay a joint upon your grave, sir
Then I ain't comin' back here anymore

My home is in the blue ridge mountains
My home is in the blue ridge mountains
My home is in the blue ridge mountains
And I ain't comin' back here anymore

I come from a long line
High and low and in between
Same as you
Hills of golden
Hails of poison
Time's thrown me through
And I believe I've come to learn
That turnin' round
Is to become confusion
And the gold's no good for spending
And the poison's hungry waiting

What can you leave behind
When you're flyin' lightning fast
And all alone?
Only a trace, my friend,
Spirit of motion born
And direction grown.
A trace that will not fade
In frozen skies
Your journey will be
And if her shadow doesn't seem much company
Who said it would be?

There is the highway
And the homemade lovin' kind
The highway's mine
And us ramblers are getting the travelling down
You fathers build with stones
That stand and shine
Heaven's where you find it
And you can't
Take too much with you
But daddy, don't you listen
It's just this highway talkin'

All things at our life
Are brothers in the soil
And in the sky
And I believe it
With my blood
If not my eyes
I don't know why we can't
Be brothers here
I know we should be
Answers don't seem easy
And I'm wonderin'
If they could be