Townes Van Zandt

[fox69]

"Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls"

"Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls"


Let me tell you a story 'bout a girl I knew
Fairest skin with eyes of blue
I swear to the lord that I loved her true
It's a year now she's been gone

Well her spirit was as bright as the soft sunshine
Lips the color of strawberry wine
I wish to God she still was mine
But the chance won't come again

After first we lay in love's sweet bed
With one look at her eyes I might have read
All the pain that was flyin' through her head
Through my guilt I could not see

Oh, I turned to her when the mornin' came
Hungry thoughts racin' through my brain
But the knife in her heart screamed herself she'd slain
And a note whispered love too soon

Oh her old man screamed and her mother cried
All I could do was to wonder why
A girl in her youth was forced to die
Is lovin' such a crime?

She died (few in years) with breasts still small
Seeing sixteens summers and fifteen falls
Me and my blindness never realized all
The fear she kept inside

Let me tell you a story 'bout a girl I knew
Fairest skin with eyes of blue
I swear to the lord that I loved her true

 

[fox69]

"Snake Mountain Blues"

"Snake Mountain Blues"


Mr ten dollar man
Let me tell where you're bound
Drink your green liquor, lord
You'll roll to the ground
But you come around here
With your money in your hand
Taste of my woman
Well, you die where you stand

Snake mountain blues
They got me down low
I could die in the morning
But no one would know
When my woman come around
My body she'd find
Go down to dundee
Have her a time

Snake mountain's gonna crumble, lord
And fall from the sky
Before that woman of mine
Stops tellin' her lies
If I'd die, lord, she'd weep
She'd weep and she'd mourn
Soon as I is buried
Forget I'd been born

Love a blackskin woman
She won't do you no wrong
Slow to start moaning
She don't moan for long
Oh yellow headed woman
Brings nothing but pain
Takes all you give her
Well she leaves only shame

Oh my daddy, lord, he rides
On a long holy train
First winds of winter
I'll see him again
And it's farewell to this
Yellow headed misery I've known
Snake mountain's calling
Calling me home

Well the Snake mountain blues
Got me down low
I could die in the morning
Ain't no one would know
Aw my woman come around
My body she'd find
Go down to dundee
Have her a time

 

[fox69]

"Snake Song"

"Snake Song"


You can't hold me
I'm too slippery
I do no sleepin'
I get lonely
You can touch me
If you want to
I got poison
I just might bite you

Lie in circles
On the sunlight
Shine like diamonds
On a dark night
Ain't no mercy
In my smilin'
Only fangs and
Sweet beguiling

Future, he don't
Try to find me
Skin I been through
Dies behind me
Solid hollow
Wrapped in hatred
Not a drop of
Venom wasted

You can slip in
Try to find me
Hold your breath and
Flat deny me
It makes no difference
To my thinkin'
I'll be here when
You start sinkin'

 

[fox69]

"Snow Don't Fall"

"Snow Don't Fall"


Snow don't fall
On summers time
Wind don't blow
Below the sea
My loves lies
'neath frozen skies
And waits in sweet
Repose for me
Her eyes did laugh
Her lips did sing
Her legs did roll
My soul to bring
Her hair did curl
And her thoughts unfurled
Like birds upon
The wings of spring
My love I need not see
To know she cast her glance at me
Snow don't fall
On summers time
Wind don't blow
Below the sea
My loves lies
'neath frozen skies
And waits in sweet
Repose for me

 

[fox69]

"Snowin' On Raton"

"Snowin' On Raton"


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

 

[fox69]

"Song For"

"Song For"


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

 

[fox69]

"Squash"

"Squash"


Headin' from El Paso
Ridin' down the highway
Look out my window
What do I see
Some armadillo done gone crazy
Flew in front of semi
Man, looks like squash to me

Thinkin' 'bout my my baby
Livin' down in Houston
Wonder if that squashes armadillo too
Guess I'll stop in Greenland
And have me some ol' veggies
This highway will do that to you

I'm thinkin' Squash
On the highway
Coyote and Armadillo, Possum too
I'm talkin' Squash
Out on the highway
Vitamin D and A and B Complex too
I'm talkin' Squash

Domestic Animals
SQUASH!
Occasional Cat
SQUASH!
In the Winter it's frozen food
SQUASH!
I'm talkin' Squash
Winter kill
Out on the highway
Summer too
I'm talkin' Squash
Vitamin A and B1 too
I'm talkin' Squash
SQUASH!
Out on the highway
If you promise to do your part
I'll do mine too

 

[fox69]

"St. John The Gambler"

"St. John The Gambler"


When she had twenty years, well she turned to her mother
Saying mother, I know that you'll grieve
But I've given my soul to st john the gambler
Tomorrow comes time to leave
For the hills cannot hold back my sorrow forever
And dead men lie deep 'round the door
The only salvation that's mine for the asking
So mother, think on me no more

And winter held high round the mountains' breast
And the cold of a thousand snows
Lay heaped upon the forest's leaf
But she dressed in calico
For a gambler likes his women fancy
Fancy she would be
And the fire of her longing would keep way the cold
And her dress was a sight to see

But the road was long beneath the feet
She followed her frozen breath
In search of a certain st john the gambler
Stumbling to her death
She heard his laughter right down from the mountains
And danced with her mother's tears
To a funeral drawn of calico
'neath the cross of twenty years

To a funeral drawn of calico
'neath the cross of twenty years

 

[fox69]

"Standin'"

"Standin'"


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

 

[fox69]

"Still Lookin' For You"

"Still Lookin' For You"


Ain't much I ain't tried
Fast livin' slow suicide
Then a-runnin' in a place to hide
Just looking for you

My friends they all agree
Ain't many a fool like me
I just tell them wait and see
Go looking for you

Looking low and looking high
Looking far and looking wide
Try to tell myself that I'm fine
But it just ain't true
It just ain't true
I'm still looking for you
Still looking for you

From the shadow of the darkest pine
To the edge of the sweet sunshine
I keep looking till they make you mine
Looking for you

When the curtain tumbles down
I'll be somewhere hanging round
With my heart laid on the ground
Just looking for you

Looking low and looking high
Looking far and looking wide
Try to tell myself that I tried
But it just ain't true
It just won't do
I'm still looking for you
Still looking for you