Townes Van Zandt Album

(feat. Doug Sahm)

Well, the clouds didn't look like cotton
They didn't even look like clouds
I was underneath the weather
My friends looked a crowd
The swimmin' hole was full of rum
I tried to find out why
All I learned was this my friend
You got to swim before you fly

I got two girls
One's in heaven and one's below
Oh, one I love with all my heart
And one I do not know.

Two lonesome dudes on an ugly horse
Passed by not long ago
They asked me where the action was
I said I did not know
As they disappeared into the brush
I heard the driver say
He's a little slow between the ears
He's always been that way.

Jolly jane just lays around
And listens with her mouth
She's had about a dozen husbands
But the last one pulled out
Now, who's gonna bring her dinner
Through the weary years ahead
All she'll get from me is sympathy
Got no time to see she's fed.

It's cold down on the bayou
They say it's in your mind
But the moccasins are treadin' ice
And leavin strange designs
Cajuns say the last time
That this happend they weren't here
All beaumont's full of penguins
And I'm a-playin' it by ear

By townes van zandt

If I had a dollar bill
Yes, I believe I surely will
Go to town and drink my fill
Early in the morning

Little darling, she's a redhaired thing
Man, she makes my legs to sing
Gonna buy her a diamond ring
Early in the morning

Mother was a golden girl
I slit her throat just to get her pearls
Cast myself into a whirl
Before a bunch of swine

It's a long way down the harlan road


Busted back and a heavy load
Won't get through to save my soul
Early in the morning

I've always been a gambling man
I've roled them bones with either hand
Seven is the promised land
Early in the morning

Whiskey'd be my dying bed
Tell me where to lay my head
Not with me is all she said
Early in the morning

If I had a dollar bill
Yes, I believe I surely will
Go to town and drink my fill
Early in the morning

If I needed you would you come to me,
Would you come to me, and ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I'd swim the seas for to ease your pain

In the night forlorn the morning's born
And the morning shines with the lights of love
You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes
That would break my heart in two

The lady's with me now since I showed her how
To lay her lily hand in mine
Loop and Lil agree she's a sight to see
And a treasure for the poor to find

[No lyrics]

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

[No lyrics]

The old woman finally caught me
Sneakin' 'round her cave
Her hair looked just like barbwire, boys
And her smile just like the grave
She asked me could I stay awhile
I said I'd better go
She slid her arm around my neck
And sweetly whispered no

It's cold and dark and lonely here
As soon enough you'll see
I'm oh so glad you stumbled in
I've been cravin' company
I cannot stay too long you know
I left some friends at home
Don't you fret about your friends
Down here we're all alone

What about my mother
I can't just leave her there to mourn
You don't have to think about her
Just forget you were ever born
I'll disappoint my father
You know he worked so hard for me
If you have to pay your father back
Just send him some misery

I'll miss, I said, a girl I know
I can't just leave her there to pine
She's still got plenty of men to go
I'm sure she'll do just fine
What about my little boy
She said, he's just like you
Let a few short years roll by
He'll end up down here too

Then her pale green eyes began to glow
She placed her hand on mine
She smiled and said don't worry
You'll get used to me in time
As her cold tongue flickered toward my throat
I spun myself around
Made a dive for the passageway

But the walls come crashing down
Now her eyes were the only light
My fevered brain could see
But I tore myself away from them
And fell down to my knees
I've come too far, I can't get back
I beseeched the gods of men
Fame and fortune just laughed at me
Then silence once again

I whisper deep within
Embrace the God of love
I lifted my face and through the tears
I saw light fall from above

I hurled myself into the wall
I ripped and clawed my way
Through the stinkin', clingin' loam
Back to the light of day
I crawled out into the wind again
The sky upon my face
I heard the earth sigh patiently
As it slid back into place

Now I'm back among the ones I love
I'm loved by them in turn
And it's only on the darkest night
That green eyed memory burns
So walk my friends, in the light of day
Don't go sneakin' 'round no holes
There just might be something down there
Wants to gobble up your soul

[No lyrics]

I saw three shrimp in the water, two were old and gray
I swam a little bit closer and .. I heard the third one say

Goodbye mama shrimp, papa shake my hand
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'

He showed his mama and papa, the shrimp newspaper he read
An invitation to all the shrimp and this is what it said
Free ride, New Orleans, stay in grand hotel
Big Creole gal who help you come out of your shell
Big Creole gal who help you come out of your shell

If I should live to be ninety, I will never forget
The little shrimp and the song he sang as he jumped into the net

Goodbye mama shrimp, papa shake my hand
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'

Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'
Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'

Living on the road my friend
Was gonna keep you free and clean
Now you wear your skin like iron
Your breath's as hard as kerosene
You weren't your mama's only boy
But her favorite one it seems
She began to cry when you said goodbye
And sank into your dreams

Pancho was a bandit boys
His horse was fast as polished steel
Wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel
Pancho met his match you know
On the deserts down in Mexico
Nobody heard his dying words
That's the way it goes

All the federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him hang around
Out of kindness I suppose

Lefty he can't sing the blues
All night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low
Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go
There ain't nobody knows

All the federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness I suppose

The poets tell how Pancho fell
Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold
So the story ends we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
But save a few for Lefty too
He just did what he had to do
Now he's growing old

A few gray federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him go so wrong
Out of kindness I suppose

Ira Hayes,
Ira Hayes

CHORUS:
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Gather round me people there's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian you should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indian, a proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land

Down the ditches for a thousand years
The water grew Ira's peoples' crops
'Till the white man stole the water rights
And the sparklin' water stopped

Now Ira's folks were hungry
And their land grew crops of weeds
When war came, Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man's greed

CHORUS:
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill,
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived
to walk back down again

And when the fight was over
And when Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high
Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

CHORUS:
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Ira returned a hero
Celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored
Everybody shook his hand

But he was just a Pima Indian
No water, no crops, no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira'd done
And when did the Indians dance

CHORUS:
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Then Ira started drinkin' hard
Jail was often his home
They'd let him raise the flag and lower it
like you'd throw a dog a bone

He died drunk one mornin'
Alone in the land he fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

CHORUS:
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is just as dry
And his ghost is lyin' thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died

(feat. Willie Nelson)

I stood in line and left my name
Took about six hours or so
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
Said they'd let me know
I put in my time till the pocono line
Shut down two years ago
I was staying at the mission till I met marie
Now I can't stay there no more

Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man
To move some old cars around
Maybe me and marie could find a burned-out
Van and do a little settlin' down
Aw, but I'm just dreamin', I ain't got no ride
And the junkyard's a pretty good ways
That job's about a half week old besides
It'd be gone now anyway

Unemployment said I got no more checks
And they showed me to the hall
My brother died in georgia some time ago
I got no one left to call
Summer wasn't bad below the bridge
A little short on food that's all
Now I gotta get marie some kind of coat
We're headed down into fall

I used to play the mouth harp pretty good
Hustled up a little dough
But I got drunk and I woke up rolled
A couple of months ago
They got my harp and they got my dollar

Them low life so and so's
Harps cost money and I ain't got it
It's my own fault I suppose

The pocono's down but the chesapeak's runnin'
Two freights everyday
If it was just me I'd be headed south
But marie can't catch no train
She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby,
Says we gotta wait and see
In my heart I know it's a little boy
Hope he don't end up like me

Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file
I gotta stand in line again
I want to kill him but I just say no
I had enough of that line my friend
I head back to the bridge, it's getting kinda cold
I'm feelin' too low down to lie
I guess I'll just tell marie the truth
Hope she don't break down and cry

Marie she didn't wake up this morning
She didn't even try
She just rolled over and went to heaven
My little boy safe inside
I laid them in the sun where somebody'd find them
Caught a chesapeak on the fly
Marie will know I'm headed south
So's to meet me by and by

Marie will know I'm headed south
So to meet me by and by

[No lyrics]

By townes van zandt

Among the strangest things I ever heard
Was when a friend of mine said "man, let's get some thunderbird"
I said "what's that? " he just started to grin
Slobbered on his shirt, his eyes got dim
He said "you got fifty-nine cents? "

I said "yeah, I got a dollar, but don't be a smart-aleck
I ain't gonna spend it on no indian relic"
And he said "thunderbird's not an old indian trinket,
It's a wine, man, you take it home and drink it."
I said "it sure don't sound like wine to me"
And he said he'd bet me the change from my dollar

We hustled on down to the nearest u-tate-um
The guy wanted my id, I whipped her out and showed him
He got a green bottle from the freezing vault
My friend started doing backward somersaults
Through the cottage cheese


Took it back to his house, started drinkin'
Pretty soon I set in to thinkin'
"man, this thunderbird tastes yummy, yummy, yummy
And I know it's doing good things to my tummy, tum..., t..."
It's so you reason when your on that crap

Got a few more bottles, chugged them down
I pulled myself up off the ground
Decided I go see my dearest sweet wife
Who met me at the door with a carving knife
Said "get them damn grape peel from between your teeth."

I could see we're gonna have a little misunderstanding
I said "dear, I better get in touch with you later"
She said "forget it, man, you're never touchin' me again!"

Now I've seen the light and heard the word
And I'm staying away from that ol' dirty thunderbird
A message come from heaven radiant, and fine,
All I drink now is communion wine
Six days a week

If I had no place to fall
And I needed to
Could I count on you
To lay me down?

I'd never tell you no lies
I don't believe it's wise
You got pretty eyes
Won't you spin me 'round

I ain't much of a lover it's true
I'm here then I'm gone
And I'm forever blue
But I'm sure wanting you

Skies full of silver and gold
Try to hide the sun
But it can't be done
Least not for long

And if we help each other grow
While the light of day
Smiles down our way
Then we can't go wrong

Time, she's a fast old train
She's here then she's gone
And she won't come again
Won't you take my hand

If I had no place to fall
And I needed to
Could I count on you
To lay me down?

[No lyrics]

My starter won't start this mornin'
And I'm about to lose my mind
My starter won't start this mornin'
And I'm about to lose my mind
I wanna go and see my little baby
But my machine is all outa time

I got water in my gas tank
and my battery's all run down
I got water in my gas tank
and my battery's all run down
If I don't see my little baby
I'm gonn' leave this lonesome town

Well blow your harmonica son...
(Lazy Lester's solo)

My starter won't start this mornin'
And my car won't do a thing
My starter won't start this mornin'
No my car won't do a thing
I must begot some kind of bad disconnection
Somewhere in my piston ring

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

By townes van zandt

I heard her sing in tongues of silver
I heard her cry on a summer storm
I loved her, but she did not know it
So I don't think about her anymore
Now she's gone, and I can't believe it
So I don't think about her anymore

If three and four was seven only
Where would that leave one and two?
If love can be and still be lonely
Where does that leave me and you?
Time there was, and time there will be
Where does that leave me and you?

If I had a buckskin stallion
I'd tame him down and ride away.


If I had a flyin' schooner
I'd sail into the light of day
If I had your love forever
Sail into the light of day

Pretty songs and pretty places
Places that I've never seen
Pretty songs and pretty faces
Tell me what their laughter means
Some look like they'll cry forever
Tell me what their laughter means.

If I had a buckskin stallion
I'd tame him down and ride away.
If I had a golden galleon
I'd sail into the light of day
If I had your love forever
Sail into the light of day

[No lyrics]

The name she gave was caroline
Daughter of a miner
Her ways were free
It seemed to me
That sunshine walked beside her

She came from spencer
Across the hill
She said her pa had sent her
'cause the coal was low
And soon the snow
Would turn the skies to winter

She said she'd come
To look for work
She was not seeking favors
And for a dime a day
And a place to stay
She'd turn those hands to labor

But the times were hard, lord,
The jobs were few
All through tecumseh valley
But she asked around
And a job she found
Tending bar at gypsy sally's

She saved enough to get back home
When spring replaced the winter
But her dreams were denied
Her pa had died
The word come down from spencer

So she turned to whorin' out on the streets
With all the lust inside her
And it was many a man
Returned again
To lay himself beside her

They found her down beneath the stairs
That led to gypsy sally's
In her hand when she died
Was a note that cried
Fare thee well... tecumseh valley

The name she gave was caroline
Daughter of a miner
Her ways were free
It seemed to me
That sunshine walked beside her

[No lyrics]

I gotta guitar all my own
I gotta quarter for the telephone
I ain't headed down this highway all alone
One two three and maybe four
Honey they're knockin' on my door
I know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone

Got no daddy but I got a ma
Think she lives in Arkansas
Maybe I'll go see her some old day
It ain't like she'd really care
It ain't like she'd pay no fare
But I might just blow on through there anyway

Headed down to Alabam
Cause some trouble if I can
Aw buddy would you like to come along
It's a place I never been
And you know I could use a friend
They say they'll give us twenty bucks a song

I gotta guitar all my own
I gotta quarter for the telephone
I ain't headed down this highway all alone
One two three and maybe four
Honey they're knockin' on my door
I know I'm gonna miss you when I'm gone

[No lyrics]

By townes van zandt
Ride the blue wind high and freeShe'll lead you down through miseryLeave you low, come time to goAlone and low as low can be
If I had a nickel I'd find a gameIf I won a dollar I'd make it rainIf it rained an ocean I'd drink it dryAnd lay me down dissatisfied
Legs to walk and thoughts to flyEyes to laugh and lips to cryA restless tongue to classifyAll born to grow and grown to die

So tell my baby I said so longTell my mother I did no wrongTell my brother to watch his ownAnd tell my friends to mourn me none
I'm chained upon the face of timeFeelin' full of foolish rhymeThere ain't no dark till something shinesI'm bound to leave this dark behind
Ride the blue wind high and freeShe'll lead you down through miseryLeave you low, come time to goAlone and low as low can be

[No lyrics]

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

When the wind don't blow in amarillo
And the moon along the gunnison don't rise
Shall I cast my dreams upon your love, babe
And lie beneath the laughter of your eyes

It's snowin' on raton
Come morning I'll be through them hills and gone

Mother thinks the road is long and lonely
Little brother thinks the road is straight and fine


Little darling thinks the road is soft and lovely
I'm thankful that old road is a friend of mine

Bid the years good-bye you cannot still them
You cannot turn the circles of the sun
You cannot count the miles until you feel them
And you cannot hold a lover that is gone

Tomorrow the mountains will be sleeping
Silently the blanket green and blue
All that I shall hear the silence they are keeping
I'll bring all their promises to you

It's plain to see, the sun won't shine today
But I ain't in the mood for sunshine anyway
Maybe I'll go insane
I got to stop the pain
Or maybe I'll go down to see Kathleen.

A swallow comes and tells me of her dreams
She says she'd like to know just what they mean
I feel like I could die
As I watch her flying by
Ride the north wind down to see Kathleen.

Stars hang high above, the oceans roar
The moon is come to lead me to her door
There's crystal across the sand
And the waves, they take my hand.
Soon I'm gonna see my sweet Kathleen.

Soon I'm gonna see my sweet Kathleen

[No lyrics]

Loretta she's my barroom girl
Wheres them seven's on her sleeve
Dances like a diamond shines,
Tells me lies I love to believe
Her age is always twenty two
Her laughing eyes a hazel hue
Spends my money like a water falls
Loves me like I want her too.

Loretta won't you say to me
Darlin' put your guitar on
Have a little shot of booze
Play a blue and wailin' song
My guitar rings a melody
My guitar sings Loretta fine
Long and lazy wild and free
And I can have her any time

Sweetest at the break of day
Prettiest in the setting sun
She don't cry when I can't stay
Atleast not 'till she's all alone
Loretta I won't be gone long
Keep your dancing slippers on
Keep me on your mind a while
I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home

[No lyrics]

By townes van zandt

Down at the bottom of that dirty ol' river
Down where the reeds and the catfish play
There lies a dream as soft as the water
There lies a bluebird that's flown away

Well, to meet is like springtime
And to love's like the summer
Her brown eyes shone for nobody but me
Then autumn forever, the fool come a fallin'
And the rain turned to freezin' inside of me.

I'll kindle my fires with the words
I can't send you
And the roads I can't follow
And the songs I can't sing

Well, all you young ladies
Who dream of tomorrow
While you're a listenin'
These words will I say


Cling to today with it's joy
And it's sorrow
You'll need all your memories
When youth melts away.

Well, the angel of springtime
He rides down the southwind
The angel of summer
He does just the same
The angel of autumn
She's blue and she's golden
And the angel of winter
Won't remember your name

Down at the bottom of that dirty ol' river
Down where the reeds and the catfish play
There lies a dream as soft as the water
There lies a bluebird that's flown away

There lies a bluebird
That's flown away

[No lyrics]

Ribbons of love
Please keep me true sane
Until I reach home on the morrow
Never never to wander again
I'm weak and I'm weary of sorrow
London to Dublin
Australia to Perth
I gazed at your sky
I tasted your earth
Sung out my heart
For what it was worth
Never again shall I ramble

There's nowhere left
In this world where to go
My arms, my legs they're a-tremblin'
Thoughts both clouded and blue as the sky
Not even worth the rememberin'
Now as I stumble
And reel to my bed
All that I've done
All that I've said
Means nothin' to me
I'd soon as be dead
All of this world be forgotten

No words of comfort
No words of advice
Nothin' to offer a stranger
Gone the love, gone the spite
It just doesn't matter no longer
My sky's getting far
The ground's gettin' close
My self goin' crazy
The way that it does
I'll lie on my pillow
And sleep if I must
Too late to wish I'd been stronger
Too late to wish I'd been stronger