Townes Van Zandt

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"Talkin' Karate Blues"

"Talkin' Karate Blues"


Well, I ain't very big for twenty-one
And it seems like I never could have any good clean fun
Cause every time I'd go outside some great big ol' bully'd come along
He'd hit me in the face and he'd knock me to the ground
And he'd start kickin' me all around
And that ain't exactly fair, friends, that's wrong.

So I got me a paper the other night
And I crawled up on the sofa and I turned on the light
And flipped through the pages till I found the classified ads.
Said, "take karate from Lee Hung Chow;
Man, make your first appointment now
This course is guaranteed to make you bad."

Well, the next day I drove to the address
And by the Japanese design I was really impressed
It looked like a regular house of the rising sun
I walked inside, I was all alone
I had a nervous feeling down in my bones
I was kind of sorry I'd ever even come

Then a giant Jap came through the door
He must have been at least about seven foot four
And he looked like he's prone to easy aggrevation.
He said, "Lee Hung Chow, ah kee dung"
That's japanese for fee fie foo fum
I tried to explain my entire situation.

He said, "number one course, Yankee, self defence,
Two hundred dollars and twenty five cents";
I said "what's the twenty five cents for? " and he said, "repairs."
I said, "repairs to what? ", and he said "to you"
And I thought to myself "man, that won't do"
Felt about a half inch tall underneath that ol' slanted stare

Ah, you think he was yella...

I said, "I believe I better go check another place"
He said hostile, "Yankee don't like my race"
I said, "now, there's a mistake, man, and that's true;
I've been for you you Japanese all along
You Japanese just can't do no wrong
And I thought you got a mighty dirty deal in World War II"

Well, he grabbed me by the hand and he gave a heave
I figured there's a pretty good time to leave
Before he had a chance to do me any definite harm.
But my plan worked out in the end, you see,
Now no bully is gonna pick on me
Who's gonna hit a fellow with just one arm?
 
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"Talking KKK Blues"

"Talking KKK Blues"


Well I was born in Mississippi
On a fine Spring day
I quit second day,
Joined the KKK,
The recruiter said,
"Sorry man, there ain't no way.
You got too damned much education"
I said,
"Please sir, please,
You gotta take me
'Cuz I believe in the bible and democracy
I believe all real Americans oughta be free
I believe in Jesus and the great salvation."
He said,
"I don't know kid."
Said,
"I make a pretty good molotov cocktail, too"
And he said,
"You're in."
Well it's not all the blacks we gotta worry about
It's the poor white trash
Jaqueline Kennedy and John Lindsey
Well he gave me a hood
That looked real neat
Gave me a big ol' long white sheet
It hit the floor and tucked under my feet
He said,
"That's so it won't leave no toe prints."
I said,
"Man, I never did realize that anything could be so secretized."
He said,
"Yes sir, so our breath won't be recognize at the meetings we burn incense."
Said,
"Crap man, that's kinda extreme."
He just grinned and thanked me.
Well I had a bad day when I first started off
I had a miserable failure on my first molotov
Didn't explode and all the fellas scoffed
Through it in a church and it just fizzed
Out comes this boy and he hits me with a right
Then he gives me a left with all of his might
I said,
"Hang on a minute man, you're not supposed to fight."
And my eyes turned as black as his
Damn bully's what he was
And a barbarian
Well now don't ask me how I got to where I am
Working in the office of the head Klan man
Mr. Sheldon 'bout got killed in Birmingham
But he's invincible, pretty near
How I got so important is kinda hard to say
I guess my award kinda paved the way
It's an award you just don't get everyday
They made me Bigot of the Year
'Course, I don't like to brag about it none
It's all in a day's prejudice.
 
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"Talking Thunderbird Wine Blues"

"Talking Thunderbird Wine Blues"


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
 
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"Tecumseh Valley"

"Tecumseh Valley"


The name she gave was Caroline
The daughter of a miner
Well her ways were free
And it seemed to me
Sunshine walked beside her
She said she'd come to look for work
She was not seekin' favors
For a dime a day
And a place to stay
She'd turn those hands to labor
But the times were hard, Lord, and the jobs were few
All through Tecumseh valley
But she asked around
And a job she found
Tendin' bar for Gypsy Sally
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
She turned to walkin' down the road
From all the hate inside her
And it was many a man
Returned again
To walk that road 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
 
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"Texas River Song"

"Texas River Song"


We crossed the wild Pecos
We forded the Nueces
We swum the Guadalupe
And we followed the Brazos
Red River runs rusty
The Wichita clear
But down by the Brazos
I courted my dear
Singing li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
Li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
Li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
There's many a river
That waters the land
Now the fair Angelina
Runs glossy and gliding
the crooked Colorado
Runs weaving and winding
The slow San Antonio
Courses and plains
But I never will walk
By the Brazos again
She kissed me and she hugged me
And she called me her dandy
The Trinity's muddy
But the Brazos quick sandy
She kissed me and she hugged me
And she called me her own
But down by the Brazos
She left me alone
Now the girls of Little River
They're plump and they're pretty
The Sabine and the Sulphur
Hold beauties a'many
The banks of the Neches
There are girls by the score
But down by the Brazos
I'll wander no more
 
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"The Catfish Song"

"The Catfish Song"


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
 
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"The Hole"

"The Hole"


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
 
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"The Silver Ships Of Andilar"

"The Silver Ships Of Andilar"


Of those that sailed the silver ships
From Andilar I am the last
The deeds that rang our youthful dreams
It seems shall go undone
North for the shores of Valinor
Our bows and crimson sails were made
Our captains were strong, our lances long
And our liege the holy king
The hills did turn from green to blue
And vanish as on the decks we watched
But every thought in that noble company
Was forward bound
To the lifeless plains of Valinor
Where reigns the dark and frozen one
And with tongues afire and glorious eyes
We pledged our mission be
The clime from mild to bitter ran
The wind from fair to fierce did blow
Oath and prayer did turn to thoughts
Of homes left far behind
Longed every man for some glimpse of land
And the host that did await us there
But each new day brought only a sea
And sky of ice and gray
Thanks give no word can drag you through
Those endless weeks our ships did roll
Thanks give you cannot see those sails
And faces bleach and draw
Ice we drank and leather did chew
For the oceans are unwholesome there
The dead that slid into the seas
Did freeze before our eyes
Then a wind did fling the ships apart
Each one to go her separate way
The sky did howl, the hull did groan
For how long I do not know
And what men were left when the winds had ceased
Grew dull and low of countenance
For soldiers denied their battle plain
On comrades soon must turn
So one by one we died alone
Some by hunger, some by steel
Bodies froze where they did fall
Their souls unsanctified
Until only another and I were left
Then just before his flame did fail
We shone ourselves brothers-in-arms
To serve the holy king
Perhaps this shall reach Andilar
Although I know not how it can
For once again he's hurled his wind
Upon the silver prow
But if it should my words are these
Arise young men fine ships to build
And set them north for Valinor
'neath standards proud as fire
 
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"The Spider Song"

"The Spider Song"


There is a spider in my dreams
Long and silent is his name
Cold as lightning is his smile
Final is his sting

His curse is deep as seven skies
Boys, I wouldn't tell you lies
The legends say he never sleeps
He's never hungry long

He's got us, boys, I believe it's true
But I'm fighting till he lays me down
Run his foul black body through
Cleave him all asunder

Think your women, won't you boys,
Think your mother growing old
Think about your darling son
Spittin' the spider's eye

Up (at ease) against him ride
We'll not take him by surprise
Give a scream down in your dreams
Let him know we're comin'

There is a spider in my dreams
Long and silent is his name
Cold as lightning is his smile
Final is his sting
 
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"The Velvet Voices"

"The Velvet Voices"


I'll play upon my violin
Until the mountains ring
Of lonely laughter blindly thrown
Across an endless arc of strings
And the skies are sad
They're dancin' to a silent symphony
And the velvet voices all shall join
The singing
The hall is filled to every corner
By a tinkling hint of chimes
A melody careens and crumbles
Leaving just a trace behind
A rhythm [?] faintly fails
The silver on it's wings
And the velvet voices all shall join
The singing
The cymbals flash, the drums they crash
The trumpets rise to song
The brass baton plucks bits diamonds
From a glittering wall of almost dawn
The crystal chords they slash the wind
In humble majesty
And the velvet voices all shall join
The singing
 
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