Townes Van Zandt

[fox69]

"Little Sundance #2"

"Little Sundance #2"


When I'm with you, babe,
I just can't be lonely
When I'm away, babe,
I think of you only
What can I do, babe,
To get back to you, babe,
I do anything that you say
The night she is a sapphire
Full of blue desire
Follow her love fire
Higher and higher
What can I do, babe,
To stay her with you babe
At least till the east turn to grey
Just you and me, girl,
The stars and the real whirl
Spinning the minutes away
The darkness is passing
She's never long lasting
But my love ain't leaving
Through hurtin' or pleasin'
I am tellin' you true, babe,
Ask me to do, babe,
I'll trade all my treasures for you
The daylight are flashing
Our hearts could be laughing
If only you wanted them to
For just you and me, girl,
The sun shine and turmoil
Will spill from a basket of blue

 

[fox69]

"Loretta"

"Loretta"


Oh Loretta she's a barroom girl
Wears them sevens on her sleeve
Dances like a diamond shines
Tell me lies I love to believe
Her age is always 22
Her laughing eyes a hazel hue
Spends my money like water falls
Loves me like I want her to
Oh, Loretta, won't you say to me
Darling, put your guitar on
Have a little shot of booze
Play a blue a and wailing song
My guitar rings a melody
My guitar sings, Loretta's fine
Long and lazy, blonde 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
'least 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'll be back, babe, to make you smile

 

[fox69]

"Lost Highway"
(originally by Leon Payne)

"Lost Highway"
(originally by Leon Payne)



I'm a rollin' stone all alone and lost
For a life of sin I have paid the cost
When I pass by all the people say
Just another guy on the lost highway
Just a deck of cards and a jug of wine
And a womans lies makes a life like mine
Oh the day we met, I went astray
I started rolling down that lost highway
I was just a lad, nearly 22
Neither good nor bad, just a kid like you
And now I'm lost, too late to pray
Lord I take a cost, oh the lost highway
Now boys don't start to ramblin' round
On this road of sin are you sorrow bound
Take my advice or you'll curse the day
You started rollin' down that lost highway

 

[fox69]

"Lover's Lullaby"

"Lover's Lullaby"


Dreams that have flown down the hall
Tears that were sown on despair
Summer's turned Fall
It don't matter at all
When I wake and find you lying there
Sweet silence and soft auburn hair
Blues gonna dance through the sky
Time's gonna roll soft as rain
Sigh after sigh is gonna pass by and by
When I gaze into your brown eyes again
Ah love is gonna fly on the wind
All the things I've seen
And the places that I've been
Don't mean a thing since I found you
All that matters now
Since I've won your love somehow
Are these plans that I keep makin'
Not to lose you
Sleep Babe 'till the moon slips away
I'm hopin' all you're dreamin' comes true
When you rise with the day
I might not have too much to say
But you know that doesn't mean
That I don't love you
Ah you know that doesn't mean
That I don't love you
All the things I've seen
And the places that I've been
Don't mean a thing since I found you
All that matters now
Since I've won your love somehow
Are these plans that I keep makin'
Not to lose you
Dreams that have flown down the hall
Screams that were sown on despair
Summer's turned Fall
It don't matter at all
When I wake and find you lying there
Sweet silence and soft auburn hair
Sweet silence and soft auburn hair

 

[fox69]

"Lungs"

"Lungs"


Well, won't you lend your lungs to me?
Mine are collapsing
Plant my feet and bitterly breathe
Up the time that's passing.
Breath I'll take and breath I'll give
Pray the day ain't poison
Stand among the ones that live
In lonely indecision.

Fingers walk the darkness down
Mind is on the midnight
Gather up the gold you've found
You fool, it's only moonlight.
If you try to take it home
Your hands will turn to butter
You better leave this dream alone
Try to find another.

Salvation sat and crossed herself
Called the devil partner
Wisdom burned upon a shelf
Who'll kill the raging cancer
Seal the river at it's mouth
Take the water prisoner
Fill the sky with screams and cries
Bathe in fiery answers

Jesus was an only son
And love his only concept
Strangers cry in foreign tongues
And dirty up the doorstep
And I for one, and you for two
Ain't got the time for outside
Just keep your injured looks to you
We'll tell the world we tried

 

[fox69]

"Many A Fine Lady"

"Many A Fine Lady"


Well it's many a fine lady that's walked along beside me
With their flesh made of velvet and their eyes made of rain
Well some tried to hold me to hurt me to hide me
And some turned away not to look back again

One stood among them I remember most clearly
Well her sorrows were heavy and her laughter was slow
Well I courted her gently and I loved her most dearly
And I came her majestic reflection to know

Her words like a mountain stood lonely and lofty
With her face like a daydream and her hair like the shawl
Worn by a mourner as he steals away softly
From those that would have him mourn nothing at all

Endlessly sorrow rode high on the north wind
Slashing and slicing to take him his toll
And endlessly creatures of darkness were cuttin'
Their paths through the walls that shelter the soul

But no longer gypsy lie sadness unending
Well her eyes they lay hollow and her face petrified
Well, the sun will go laughin' and others condemn him
But who there among you could have told her good-bye

 

[fox69]

"Marie"

"Marie"


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 says 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
Ah the Pocono's down but the Chesapeake's runnin'
Two freights everyday
If it was 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 Chesapeake on the fly
Marie will know I'm headed South
So's to meet me by and by
Ah Marie will know I'm headed south
So to meet me by and by

 

[fox69]

"Maryetta's Song"

"Maryetta's Song"


Well, she stands all alone with her sorrow
Like a bird that's afraid to sing
She lives for the pain tomorrow will bring
Will she call if she starts to fall or will she silent go?
Well, her scarlet jasmine is tucked away
'Neath her vest of purest gold
And her eyes can't hardly help but say I'm cold
Will she call if she starts to fall or will she silent go?
Well, the winds that howl behind her face
Through the falsehoods in her mind
Ain't strong enough to leave her lace behind
Well, her shelter starts to tremble
As it holds her mind away
From the golden flashin' cymbals that say
Will she call if she starts to fall or will she silent go?
When a virgin mistress again she comes
Now no longer is she free
To play upon her gypsy drums for me
Will she call if she starts to fall or will she silent go?
Will she call when she starts to fall or will she silent go?

 

[fox69]

"Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold"

"Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold"


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 Mudd
Club filled Gold with greedy vapors
'til his long, green eyes did glow
Mudd 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 Mudd's 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 Mudd's 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 Mudd he checked and Gold bet all
And Mudd he raised and Gold did call
And the smile just melted off his face
When Mudd 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

 

[fox69]

"My Proud Mountains"

"My Proud Mountains"


My home is Colorado
With her proud mountains tall
Where the rivers, like gypsys
Down her black canyons fall
But I'm a long, long way from Denver
With a long way to go
So lend an ear to my singing
Cause I'll be back no more
Well I left as a young man
Not full seventeen
With nothin' for company
But the wind and a dream
'bout all the fast ladies
And livin' I'd find
When I left my proud mountains
And rivers behind
So I rolled and a-rambled
Like a leaf in the wind
Well, I found my fast ladies
And some hard livin' men
Well, I sometimes went hungry
With my pockets all bare
Lord, I sometimes had good luck
With money to spare
Well I made me some friends, lord,
That I won't soon forget
Well some are down under
And some are rambling yet
But as for me
Well I'm headed for home
Back to high Colorado
Never more for to roam
So friends, when my time comes
As surely it will
You just carry my body
Out to some lonesome hill
And lay me down easy
Where the cool rivers run
With only my mountains
'tween me and the sun
Yeah my home is Colorado