Townes (1986)

Words and Music ©1986, 2013 by Dallas Denny

Source: Denny, Dallas. (1986). Townes. Unpublished recording.

 

 

 

 

 

The late Townes Van Zandt was a terrific storyteller, and like most everyone else who met him or even heard of him, I admired him to no end. In the 1980s I saw him perform many times, often with fellow singer-songwriter Guy Clark. More often than not, Townes would be so messed up he couldn’t remember the words to his songs. He would tell long rambling tales, start to play, stop, and then talk some more. He thought all the audience was his friend, and indeed it was. No one was ever rude. Except me, perhaps, for writing this song.

 

Me, 6 December, 2013 (160 MBPS MP3)

 

Townes

By Dallas Denny

 

 

Townes is trying to sing again

He thinks all the audience is his friend

He will pause for half a minute or more

And then play a single guitar chord

And his Mama told him “Townes, sing— don’t talk”

But it’s hard to sing when you can hardly walk

He thinks all the audience is his friend

Townes is trying to sing again

 

Townes is doing gigs again

Yeah, they set him up like a bowling pin

To face temptations of the road

And try and keep his self-control

Now the guitar’s heavy and the tuning’s wrong

And he forgets the words to all his songs

He thinks all the audience is his friend

Townes is trying to sing again

 

Townes is on the road with Guy

Coming back from Fourth of July

And Guy writes the L.A. Freeway song

And Townes is glad he came along

So Townes writes a song in self—defense

He’s been apologizing for it ever since

He thinks all the audience is his friend

Townes is trying to sing again

 

Townes is trying to sing again

He thinks all the audience is his friend

He will pause for half a minute or more

And then play a single guitar chord

And his Mama told him “Townes, sing— don’t talk”

But it’s hard to sing when you can hardly walk

He thinks all the audience is his friend

Townes is trying to sing again