My husband passed away yesterday morning after a short battle with Lewy Body dementia. He was only 67 years Young. He loved Townes Van Zandt. I thought I knew a lot about music and musicians, being in the music business myself. My husband introduced me to so many wonderful singer-songwriters, some of whom were obscure. He introduced me to Townes. This song was one of his favorites, and became one of ours. I played it over and over to him in hospice. Before hospice, when he was first admitted to the hospital, he could mouth the lyrics. Every single word. Rest easy now, my love. If I needed you, you would come to me. 💔🙏😪
I know it’s not the same thing, but I used to play the song for my dog JJ when he was dying to calm him down. There’s something about the song that has a very soothing effect and just makes you OK with everything. I’m crying right now talking into my phone. It’s been over a year I still miss that dog so much. Maybe you could tell your husband to take care of him for me.
@@resistthesystem6145 ahh yes, i am familiar with the scene.😉 Throw a little Benjamin Tod in there too. Hungry For You Blues... Busted Love or Using Again Peace and love🤗😘
Use to be a bottle...time healing me ...Townes just Great as tears still touch deep Thank you for sharing your feelings with me....its a big help knowing it's been 4yrs since your post hoping all is well for you...Goodness, Grace and Happiness...ol man way down in TX....jd
Yeah, it's hard seeing him here, looking so young and healthy, and knowing that he's already gripped by the drug and alcohol addiction that will ultimately ruin his life. Forever grateful for the beautiful music he created!
I saw him in a club in Houston in the mid-80s. Hardly anybody was there to see this incredible musician. I am so glad that I was able to experience the man singing his songs. His legacy lives on through his songs.❤️
Just listened to a Townes interview from 1993 where he said that he wrote this song in his sleep. He was staying at guy Clark’s house and they all had the flu so they were drinking a lot of Codeine cough syrup. He said he had the most vivid dreams and woke up one night after dreaming the song. He wrote down the lyrics and already knew the chords without grabbing his guitar. The next morning he played it for guy and never changed the song.
Townes was ( and remains ) one of the great songwriters and performers. I discovered Townes in the early 1970's and became a lifelong fan. Townes had his demons but he was a unique talent. I was lucky enough to meet him 3 times, the last time just a couple of months before he passed away. He was always gracious, willing to talk and very funny - he always had stories to tell ! My life has been enriched by his songs.
Rob, I too, was lucky enough to meet Townes at a venue in Houston. He was very kind and gracious, We spoke for a few minutes and I had him autograph an album cover for me....to this day it is one of my most prized possessions.
@Electric Spyboy This music is sincere and beautiful. So what if its not avante-garde? Neither is Sinatra; he's still better than the Velvet Underground.
@Electric Spyboy after your first post here, I thought you were a little off, I didn't really think much about it, but I didn't think you were an idiot. After reading several more of your posts, you have forced me to change my mind. You have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt, to everyone that gives a damn, that you are indeed a complete idiot.
Townes Van Zandt would have been 71 today. The greatest songwriter who ever walked the earth, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.
Eli Redeker he was one of the greatest and there where only a very few greatest!71!!!! yeah!!!! jesus he could still sing like that and keep us at ease
***** …ummm, you are wrong….Dylan tried more than once, to no avail to write with Townes, who didn't care for Dylan's fame…. Dylan would have LOVED to have had this Van Zandt stand on his coffee table…;;
He is not only an underrated song writer, but he is one of the most underrated guitar players. His finger picking and flat picking skills are second to none.
He's a great guitar player, but not the most technically advanced. His great great talent is to make it sound super clean and to put a torrent of emotion in it, with unparalleled intensity. I didn't manage to figure out how he does it yet. Still amazes me everytime I hear his songs.
A beautiful yet tragic artist. How many must we lose before we collectively realize that illicit drugs and alcohol are not recreational, they are killers.
Francis OReilly Townes suffered from mental illness. He self medicated. It is the lack of support and understanding for the mentally ill that needs to be addressed. Demonising drugs and drug use will do nothing to achieve this, on the contrary it will hinder society's understanding of issues of mental illness and the symptoms people may display.
He struggled with heroin addiction, he sadly lost his battle. My bestfriend used to sing his songs to me, I didn't know at the time how hard she was trying to tell me about how her addiction felt. I lost her 1 year ago yesterday.
I am an 88' model. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Mr. Townes Van Zandt's music at a fairly early age. I have a hard time with thinking anyone musician/person is better or the best, but I will show my love for the man! TOWNES VAN ZANDT IS THE GREATEST SONGWRITER THAT EVER LIVED!! LONG LIVE HIS MUSIC AND BY GOD, LONG LIVE HIS LEGACY!
Me too... I remember Emmylou Harris’s version of Pancho and Lefty 40 years ago and wondering if the writer was Dutch or German.. CZcams sorted me out about 5/6 years ago and Towens is now my favorite singer songwriter
Townes Van Zant & John Prime in my opinion are the greatest American songwriters of all time, the conveyance of feeling from words they've written are unparalleled
agreed by a Scot who's been living for decades in Munich . . . where I saw Townes van Zandt several times in the last century - never quite managed John . . or vice versa . . .!
Simply brilliant. I had never heard of him till watching Episode 4 of Sonic Highways. I heard the first few bars of this song, grabbed my guitar, and knew this artist was going to be a favourite of mine.
The same happened to me. I first learned about him at the end of my 60's. So he and me would be about the same age. What a pitty, that he could not live longer...
Malmon Empi An absolute master of his craft. I discovered Townes a few years back, when I was drinking 2 bottles of whiskey a day in isolation. Seemed his songs were wrote for me. Sober now some time, he is without doubt my favorite artist. Listening to him relaxs me and it feels like it's just us together. Truly a wizard of words and guitar, shame he wasn't more appreciated while still alive. I'm just so glad I found him.
I listened to a live concert with Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt not too long ago. Townes began playing this one song... I can't remember if it was If I Needed You, since I haven't been able to find it listed on the album. Once I figure it out, I could update it for you and give you the title! Anyway, long story short, turns out that Loop and Lil are, or were, two of Townes' Canaries! (So the story goes, hahaha)
He was about 5 yrs older than me. I did a little playing myself in the Village in NY in the 60s, but never heard of him. I guess he was playing in Texas at the time. I was introduced to him through other artists singing his songs much later, perhaps in the 80s. I most remember Pancho and Lefty covered by Emmy Lou, Willie and Merle. Like so many of that era, he was a troubled person addicted to the demons of the times and he died too young. He wrote some powerful lyrics that have stood up well over the years. I am grateful that CZcams has let me view his performances. Thanks for posting this. We live in a marvelous age.
I was just watching Ken Burns's "Country Music" series, and I caught him singing this song, for not even a full minute, and it struck a cord so deep in my heart. He makes me feel. Music can be so amazingly beautiful, and should speak to our humanity. (The good and bad, we all have it)
Five song writers can break my heart in a single line. They are, in no particular order, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, Harry Chapin, Randy Newman, and , of course Townes Van Zandt. They all write from experienced pain, that is common to all of us.
+bensdadfrank Mine are Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, and Conor Oberst, But a Harry Chapin line has really stuck with me the last few days "I am the midnight watchman, at Miller's Tool and Die, and I watch the metal rusting, and I watch the time go by." to me this speaks volumes on the average man's life. I just hopped on the Townes ferry, am I in for quite the tour?
If I Needed You -- Lyrics Well, 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 would swim the seas For to ease your pain Well, in the night forlorn Oh, the morning's born And the morning shines With the lights of love And you will miss sunrise If you close your eyes And 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 A treasure for The poor to find Well, 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 would swim the seas For to ease your pain
I was about 17 when I first heard this song, it was on a Doc Watson LP, one of the many of my great late brother's amazing collection of country, jazz, folk, classical, flamenco etc etc. I learned If I Needed You and sang it to a woman a few times. Eventually she preferred to rip my heart out instead, but that's another story. ;-) I had no idea it was written by Townes Van Zandt until recently, well maybe I read his name on the credits, it was a long time ago, I don't remember. To my annoyance and puzzlement, I still haven't thought out why I hadnt', what's the words, wasn't opened to more of this man's talent sooner. Anyway, I'm gonna stay home one weekend soon, one of those a 72 hour weekends, (write it!), turn off the phone first, fill my small bar with my favourite, find as many songs by Townes as I can, and do a 72 hours non stop until I hear every one of them, (including repeats) and hope I'll be an even better man on the other side. I love this man's honesty and realism, it jumps out very soon after you hear and see him. He gives it out from the depths of himself. Roll on next weekend, all 72 hours of it!
I discovered Townes in 1980. 10 years later in 1990 I finally got to hear him sing live in Cafe Tom Tom in Heythuysen. If I needed you he played there. That same year I got divorced... and this song has given me great comfort. And it still has that effect on me when I'm sad. A time that I have never understood why it had to be this way.
Damn Brother , you are one lucky person . I don't think that anyone wore there Heart on their sleeve like Townes did !!! I have to listen to Townes at least once a week just to feed my Soul !!! God Bless You Both 💖💖💖
My beloved father died almost a year ago. One of the funeral directors was asking us about suggestions for a looped song list for the memorial service and I mentioned Townes and he really liked that. Said something like an unrecognized hero of American music. I just said, well I like him and dad would have liked him. So we had For the Sake of the Song in there. It was nice.
Ich sah Townes vanZandt in Schorndorf in der Manufaktur. Es war mein schlimmstes und traurigste Konzert. Er war in so einem schlechten Zustand, verspielte sich, vergaß seinen Text, brach ab und kam wieder und beendete sein Konzert. 2-3 Wochen später ist er gestorben. Es war so traurig.
This song means so much to me. Townes is my all time favorite and I love all his music, but this simple song always spoke to me like no other. I haven't figured out why yet.
I know exactly what you mean. It's like it touches you so deeply, but you can't put into words why. I think the way he presented his songs was at that same level, it that makes sense.
"Well in the night forlorn, and the mornings born, and the morning shines with the lights of love. You will miss sunrise, If you close your eyes, and that would break my heart in two."
Flower that is so sad because accidentally I found this marvelous singer and I was wonder in what time was playing his songs, however his style playing reminds me to Mark Knopfler
This Masterpiece is one man's pain , accompanied by a guitar . Absolutely Heartbreaking if you know anything about his life and what these words truly mean .
Heartbreaking....simply heartbreaking. One of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. Townes was truly a songwriter from the "heart". Thanks for posting this amazing performance.
Townes has literally been the soundtrack of my PhD for several years. No other artist has captured my thoughts/feelings to the level that he has. I visited his grave in Fort Worth last summer with a buddy. We sat down there and played to lives to fly which is written out on the stone. What a great experience. Cheers
Wow! That's beautiful! I was born in the 80s but I've caught up with a lot of the pop culture of the 70s and I tell you what, you were born in an awesome time!
I watched Be Here To Love Me (TVZ doc) during the pinnacle of my alcohol abuse. I listens to TVZ tunes every night, tumbler in bourbon in hand and tears. I saw his pain and found it similar to mine. I rarely watch TVZ videos, hurts me to see him...to see me....so-to-speak. RIP Townes.
30 years ago a friend named Jerry lent me his car for a month or so and he’d grown up in Texas. Found this on a cassette,nearly wore it out. This Canadian is a huge fan of Townes,Jerry Jeff and Prine because of that missionary’s son who I had the great opportunity to work with and call a friend. God bless Texas!!!
I heard this on Crazy Heart last night. I'm going to learn it and play it for my wife when she gets back to Australia from Ireland, after this pandemic lockdown. Beautiful song.
Nearing 74, many visits to USA since 1980, just returned from first visit to Texas. Austin and San Antonio. A close friend introduced me to Townes around 1987. Have listened to him ever since. I love every version of this song. The version with violin accompanist is very moving. Beautiful guitar. Beautiful song. Beautiful man. R.I.P..
I was walking home one night in Portland, ME. It was a few years back now. I found out about TVZ after asking a decrepit drunk sprawled beneath an underpass, who was humming a garbled melody, what the tune was. The man was impossibly depressed and sodden. He asked for a cigarette and I said yes, if only he would tell me what song he was humming. All I caught was Townes name. It being followed by the obligatory yelling, cussing and basic nonsensical dribblings of a man whose mind was soured by booze. However, I did learn the name of a fantastic musician in the exchange, one that I cherish now more than ever, and so , I hope your not still there weary traveler, but thank you. True story.
Who else is listening to this beautiful song in January 2024?
Me
Me too ❤
february too
Yep, once more and again february 2024: timeless treasure!
Me!
My husband passed away yesterday morning after a short battle with Lewy Body dementia. He was only 67 years Young. He loved Townes Van Zandt. I thought I knew a lot about music and musicians, being in the music business myself. My husband introduced me to so many wonderful singer-songwriters, some of whom were obscure. He introduced me to Townes. This song was one of his favorites, and became one of ours. I played it over and over to him in hospice. Before hospice, when he was first admitted to the hospital, he could mouth the lyrics. Every single word. Rest easy now, my love. If I needed you, you would come to me. 💔🙏😪
Thoughts are with you Terry, a beautiful song to remember him by. He had great music taste
🙏💌🌱🐾👣🌿🕊️🌎
God bless you Terry. Your husband clearly knew a lot about life, and music. Keep him with you always.
So sorry,for your loss I pray,you will remember all the wonderful memories and he will come in your memories and dreams to ease your pain.
I know it’s not the same thing, but I used to play the song for my dog JJ when he was dying to calm him down. There’s something about the song that has a very soothing effect and just makes you OK with everything. I’m crying right now talking into my phone. It’s been over a year I still miss that dog so much. Maybe you could tell your husband to take care of him for me.
Ah, how many nights have I stayed up drinking, crying, listening to Townes Van Zandt? Either too many or not enough.
Mathew Grigsby I’m a bottle in, listening to Sad Cinderella & if I needed you! Townes spirit lives on, especially through the drunken bastards!
@@resistthesystem6145 ahh yes, i am familiar with the scene.😉
Throw a little Benjamin Tod in there too. Hungry For You Blues... Busted Love or Using Again
Peace and love🤗😘
never enough nights with townes!
Mathew Grigsby as we say often along the Mexico border, Andale pues!
Which means essentially, FuckinA man!
Use to be a bottle...time healing me ...Townes just Great as tears still touch deep Thank you for sharing your feelings with me....its a big help knowing it's been 4yrs since your post hoping all is well for you...Goodness, Grace and Happiness...ol man way down in TX....jd
This man lived. He suffered and sang and rejoiced and helped others. Gentle souls. Appreciate them.
Yeah, it's hard seeing him here, looking so young and healthy, and knowing that he's already gripped by the drug and alcohol addiction that will ultimately ruin his life. Forever grateful for the beautiful music he created!
I thought Marty's songs touch my soul, but Townes also has that effect.
I saw him in a club in Houston in the mid-80s. Hardly anybody was there to see this incredible musician. I am so glad that I was able to experience the man singing his songs. His legacy lives on through his songs.❤️
Here it is 2023, and I had never heard this before. Now I will fall into the rabbit hole, listening to all I can find!
Veronica, steady girl that’s not a bad rabbit hole to fall into lol.
Have you heard the Don Williams and Emmylou Harris version?
@o2bnob , sure haven't. Going to look now!
Just listened to a Townes interview from 1993 where he said that he wrote this song in his sleep. He was staying at guy Clark’s house and they all had the flu so they were drinking a lot of Codeine cough syrup. He said he had the most vivid dreams and woke up one night after dreaming the song. He wrote down the lyrics and already knew the chords without grabbing his guitar. The next morning he played it for guy and never changed the song.
Sounds like a fancy way of saying he was high as fuck on codeine when he wrote it
@@jacobmuhlenkamp4257 holy shit that's a dumb comment
Dennis Dale Untethered Livestreams oh my god shut the fuck up.
@Dennis Dale Untethered Livestreams fuck off lmao
That's absolute genius if it's true.
I sang this song at my mothers funeral 2021.
"You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes and that would break my heart in two." - Townes Van Zandt
Prettiest lyric ever written...
Yes.
There are a lot of people in this cruel world that have not listened to enough townes and it shows
I agree
one of the simplest, most beautiful songs ever.
This was Townes Van Zandt at the peak of his life, and it's beautiful.
Isn't it just. Here for another pass after watching the Guy Clark doc 'Without Getting Killed Or Caught'.
Townes could have been a giant. ♥
@Shady Wilbury nice! Watching it tomorrow. Couldn’t be more excited
Townes was ( and remains ) one of the great songwriters and performers. I discovered Townes in the early 1970's and became a lifelong fan. Townes had his demons but he was a unique talent. I was lucky enough to meet him 3 times, the last time just a couple of months before he passed away. He was always gracious, willing to talk and very funny - he always had stories to tell ! My life has been enriched by his songs.
Rob, I too, was lucky enough to meet Townes at a venue in Houston. He was very kind and gracious, We spoke for a few minutes and I had him autograph an album cover for me....to this day it is one of my most prized possessions.
@Electric Spyboy
"all Van Zandts songs pretty much sound the same"
"I haven't listened extensively."
proves you don't know what you're talking about.
@Electric Spyboy This music is sincere and beautiful. So what if its not avante-garde? Neither is Sinatra; he's still better than the Velvet Underground.
@Electric Spyboy after your first post here, I thought you were a little off, I didn't really think much about it, but I didn't think you were an idiot. After reading several more of your posts, you have forced me to change my mind. You have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt, to everyone that gives a damn, that you are indeed a complete idiot.
Bob who ? Bob Dylan ? Meh , compared to Townes .
I'm convinced those 3 million views are just me re watching this over and over and over again
One of the most beautiful songs ever written
amen
Townes Van Zandt would have been 71 today. The greatest songwriter who ever walked the earth, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.
Eli Redeker he was one of the greatest and there where only a very few greatest!71!!!! yeah!!!! jesus he could still sing like that and keep us at ease
Eli Redeker No doubt!!
***** …ummm, you are wrong….Dylan tried more than once, to no avail to write with Townes, who didn't care for Dylan's fame…. Dylan would have LOVED to have had this Van Zandt stand on his coffee table…;;
Eli Redeker Damn Skippy!
Eli Redeker Surely there's room for John Prine on that same coffee table.
Damn , here it is freaking 2022 & this’ll still bring a tear
Killer tune
It’s definitely one way to tell the mark of a great musician. He stand the test of time.
Thank you for making this beautiful song accessible to the apartment that I’m confined to
Yes a treasure. I have to be ready to hear him, he can bring tears to my eyes, like John Prine and others. We're so fortunate 💫💝
Listening with my kiddo 13 June 2024 !!
He is not only an underrated song writer, but he is one of the most underrated guitar players. His finger picking and flat picking skills are second to none.
He's a great guitar player, but not the most technically advanced. His great great talent is to make it sound super clean and to put a torrent of emotion in it, with unparalleled intensity. I didn't manage to figure out how he does it yet. Still amazes me everytime I hear his songs.
it's called manic depression [or, if you prefer, bipolar disorder]. that's how he does it. the intensity, i mean. i promise.
He makes several mistakes in this. Tommy Emmanuel for THE best fingerpicking/flatpicking. Townes is a great writer though.
Jason Lee yep
proserpine I'm bipolar. I can't carry a tune.
He has touched my soul more than any other musician. thank you for all the smiles through my darkest days, Townes.
Preston Bristow your point?
i wanna play for you! i write similar acoustic songs.
Preston Bristow
moron
A beautiful yet tragic artist. How many must we lose before we collectively realize that illicit drugs and alcohol are not recreational, they are killers.
Francis OReilly Townes suffered from mental illness. He self medicated. It is the lack of support and understanding for the mentally ill that needs to be addressed. Demonising drugs and drug use will do nothing to achieve this, on the contrary it will hinder society's understanding of issues of mental illness and the symptoms people may display.
He struggled with heroin addiction, he sadly lost his battle. My bestfriend used to sing his songs to me, I didn't know at the time how hard she was trying to tell me about how her addiction felt. I lost her 1 year ago yesterday.
I am an 88' model. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Mr. Townes Van Zandt's music at a fairly early age. I have a hard time with thinking anyone musician/person is better or the best, but I will show my love for the man! TOWNES VAN ZANDT IS THE GREATEST SONGWRITER THAT EVER LIVED!! LONG LIVE HIS MUSIC AND BY GOD, LONG LIVE HIS LEGACY!
I can't believe I just stumbled upon Townes van Zandt 20 years after his death. Thank God for CZcams.
OO Luta never too late to discover his work!
I'm in the same boat. Better late than never
Me too... I remember Emmylou Harris’s version of Pancho and Lefty 40 years ago and wondering if the writer was Dutch or German.. CZcams sorted me out about 5/6 years ago and Towens is now my favorite singer songwriter
@Long duk dong yup. she is the master of all songs
I have just found him. He makes me soar and cry
One of the most beautiful song in the world. 🙏🏼🌟
Yessss!!!❤️🇨🇭
Townes Van Zant & John Prime in my opinion are the greatest American songwriters of all time, the conveyance of feeling from words they've written are unparalleled
agreed by a Scot who's been living for decades in Munich . . . where I saw Townes van Zandt several times in the last century - never quite managed John . . or vice versa . . .!
Bob dylan must be there as well
Hank would have to be considered
Blaze foley too
Steve Goodman,, Steve Earle.
Still listening daily in December 2019.
Simply brilliant. I had never heard of him till watching Episode 4 of Sonic Highways. I heard the first few bars of this song, grabbed my guitar, and knew this artist was going to be a favourite of mine.
such a shame! one of the most underrated great artist on his time
You're so right! I just discovered Townes a few years ago in my early 60's...better late than never I guess!
Malmon Empi a
The same happened to me. I first learned about him at the end of my 60's. So he and me would be
about the same age. What a pitty, that he could not live longer...
Malmon Empi ***of all time
Malmon Empi
An absolute master of his craft. I discovered Townes a few years back, when I was drinking 2 bottles of whiskey a day in isolation. Seemed his songs were wrote for me. Sober now some time, he is without doubt my favorite artist. Listening to him relaxs me and it feels like it's just us together. Truly a wizard of words and guitar, shame he wasn't more appreciated while still alive. I'm just so glad I found him.
Texas song writers are another level. Townes, willie, Robert earl, lyle, and so many others wrote the soundtrack of the American spirit.
+ Nancy Griffith, Guy Clark, Norah Jones, and um, Beyonce!!! :)
Rodney Crowell, Kris Kristofferson, Hayes carll, billy joe shaver
Billy Joe Shaver! WTF how can you leave him out! Oh, the shame!
@@becky0474 I been to Georgia in a fast train honey.
I agree with your list, but you left out Sam Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, Albert Collins, Freddie King, and T-Bone Walker.
This whole concert really needs to be available, even if behind a paywall.
you can buy it from youtube, not expensive
Heartworn Highways
If you don't see how wonderful this is there's something really wrong with you.
Most lovely guitar I have ever heard, so easy on his fingers
You are the judge?
It's just so pure and lovely.
His pants?
Yes, George
Great song and I miss you Townes.
.
One of the most beatiful songs (+performance!) for me.
Townes just needed his voice and his guitar to fill up every room he ever played in. Such an aura
How did I spend so many years without discovering this awesome talent..absolutely brilliant
The purity of him and his guitar singing this is heavenly.
So many supremely talented and unappreciated, so many who perceived the ultimate futility of it all.
"Loop and Lil agree she's a sight to see" (loop and lil were townes' parakeets) For years I wondered who they were
I listened to a live concert with Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt not too long ago. Townes began playing this one song... I can't remember if it was If I Needed You, since I haven't been able to find it listed on the album. Once I figure it out, I could update it for you and give you the title!
Anyway, long story short, turns out that Loop and Lil are, or were, two of Townes' Canaries! (So the story goes, hahaha)
@@bentfunch1588 thanks I love TVZ stories and his friends.
He was about 5 yrs older than me. I did a little playing myself in the Village in NY in the 60s, but never heard of him. I guess he was playing in Texas at the time. I was introduced to him through other artists singing his songs much later, perhaps in the 80s. I most remember Pancho and Lefty covered by Emmy Lou, Willie and Merle.
Like so many of that era, he was a troubled person addicted to the demons of the times and he died too young. He wrote some powerful lyrics that have stood up well over the years. I am grateful that CZcams has let me view his performances. Thanks for posting this. We live in a marvelous age.
Straight up musician. Nothing but heart and selfless giving.
What music was always supposed to be.
One of the most perfect songs ever written!!
Spellbinding ! This was Townes at the peak of his powers.
I was just watching Ken Burns's "Country Music" series, and I caught him singing this song, for not even a full minute, and it struck a cord so deep in my heart. He makes me feel. Music can be so amazingly beautiful, and should speak to our humanity. (The good and bad, we all have it)
Loop and Lill - townes’ parakeets...I love that.
Ooh I never caught that lol
Thank ya 😁
Oh I love this song so much it was a favorite of my husband and me, sadly I lost him in 2008 after 49 years together. That guitar is the best.
Five song writers can break my heart in a single line. They are, in no particular order, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, Harry Chapin, Randy Newman, and , of course Townes Van Zandt. They all write from experienced pain, that is common to all of us.
+bensdadfrank All greats. My list would include John Prine.
+Mia Hopkins Your name calls to mind another association with Townes: Lightnin' Hopkins. (I'm sure you've heard that before.)
+bensdadfrank Yeahhhh, Tom Waits and Randy Newman are up there with me as well. Both are highly underrated in the music scene.
discowhistle Lightnin' Hopkins is great.
+bensdadfrank Mine are Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, and Conor Oberst, But a Harry Chapin line has really stuck with me the last few days "I am the midnight watchman, at Miller's Tool and Die, and I watch the metal rusting, and I watch the time go by." to me this speaks volumes on the average man's life. I just hopped on the Townes ferry, am I in for quite the tour?
How can anyone dislike this? Unreal. THIS is talent, a true musician and a great tune. Close your eyes and take it all in.
He was one of the best at playing and writing ,He still touches my soul,This man had style, Sadly missed.
If I Needed You -- Lyrics
Well, 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 would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
Well, in the night forlorn
Oh, the morning's born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
And you will miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
And 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
A treasure for
The poor to find
Well, 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 would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
Happy Birthday Townes.... so thankful that you graced us with your words, wisdom, and melodies 💖
This is probably my favorite love song of all time! Full of pain and pathos, drawn from a life that had more than its share of both.
This song of his absolutely melts my ❤️!
RIP Townes 🙏🏼🕯️🙏🏼
Wow, 63 and never heard of TVZ. This is my fifth song and I am thoroughly impressed.
Well welcome to a little piece of Heaven on Earth Sunshine !!!!
omg...an unknown legend, i love this guy....soooooo frickin awesome
I was about 17 when I first heard this song, it was on a Doc Watson LP, one of the many of my great late brother's amazing collection of country, jazz, folk, classical, flamenco etc etc. I learned If I Needed You and sang it to a woman a few times. Eventually she preferred to rip my heart out instead, but that's another story. ;-) I had no idea it was written by Townes Van Zandt until recently, well maybe I read his name on the credits, it was a long time ago, I don't remember. To my annoyance and puzzlement, I still haven't thought out why I hadnt', what's the words, wasn't opened to more of this man's talent sooner. Anyway, I'm gonna stay home one weekend soon, one of those a 72 hour weekends, (write it!), turn off the phone first, fill my small bar with my favourite, find as many songs by Townes as I can, and do a 72 hours non stop until I hear every one of them, (including repeats) and hope I'll be an even better man on the other side. I love this man's honesty and realism, it jumps out very soon after you hear and see him. He gives it out from the depths of himself. Roll on next weekend, all 72 hours of it!
Oh, Doc Watson was a fine man. Beautiful music.
I discovered Townes in 1980.
10 years later in 1990 I finally got to hear him sing live in Cafe Tom Tom in Heythuysen. If I needed you he played there. That same year I got divorced... and this song has given me great comfort. And it still has that effect on me when I'm sad. A time that I have never understood why it had to be this way.
Townes and I were buddies. We hung out in NYC bars and apartments, passed the guitar and swapped songs. I miss that sombitch like a brother.
Damn Brother , you are one lucky person . I don't think that anyone wore there Heart on their sleeve like Townes did !!! I have to listen to Townes at least once a week just to feed my Soul !!! God Bless You Both 💖💖💖
Question , did Townes really write Dead Flowers ??? I will go to my grave believing he did !!!
I may have said this before. What a handsome man. Such an incredible voice,and the lyrics were heart breaking. Such an early loss xxx
i love ya jaz, you are my friend and my lover and you are a lifeline when i am drowning, this song says more than i could find words to say. xoxm
Dude!!
Masterpiece!!
Touches My Soul!!
What a poet ,a master wordsmith ,his gifts were unworldly...
My beloved father died almost a year ago. One of the funeral directors was asking us about suggestions for a looped song list for the memorial service and I mentioned Townes and he really liked that. Said something like an unrecognized hero of American music. I just said, well I like him and dad would have liked him. So we had For the Sake of the Song in there. It was nice.
He is one of the best country song writers ever. Thank goodness he let others sing them for him too. They are true treasures.
Ich sah Townes vanZandt in Schorndorf in der Manufaktur. Es war mein schlimmstes und traurigste Konzert. Er war in so einem schlechten Zustand, verspielte sich, vergaß seinen Text, brach ab und kam wieder und beendete sein Konzert. 2-3 Wochen später ist er gestorben. Es war so traurig.
This song means so much to me. Townes is my all time favorite and I love all his music, but this simple song always spoke to me like no other. I haven't figured out why yet.
I know exactly what you mean. It's like it touches you so deeply, but you can't put into words why. I think the way he presented his songs was at that same level, it that makes sense.
@@user-mq3lx3mj2p Yes totally, and with so much humility
Named my first boy Townes. After this legend.
"You will miss (the) sunrise if you close your eyes and that would break my heart into" (Townes Van Zandt) Rest in Peace, 1944-1997
+Gaia Moonflower how about break my heart in two, moonflower?
Elisabeth Guinsbourg Thank you, be blessed my dear friend.
"Well in the night forlorn, and the mornings born, and the morning shines with the lights of love.
You will miss sunrise, If you close your eyes, and that would break my heart in two."
Flower that is so sad because accidentally I found this marvelous singer and I was wonder in what time was playing his songs, however his style playing reminds me to Mark Knopfler
I love his face, his sweet smile, his beautiful voice. It's so sad, but so perfect.
One of my very favourite songs, from my favourite songwriter. This is the first time I’ve seen him perform it live. Thank you.
I love this song i just found out he wrote it
Did not know of this great artist until I started following AZB vlogs. Wow.!!!
I love this ❤soo beautiful song/lyrics ❤
Beautiful guy with a beautiful voice and beautiful soul.
This Masterpiece is one man's pain , accompanied by a guitar . Absolutely Heartbreaking if you know anything about his life and what these words truly mean .
Heartbreaking....simply heartbreaking. One of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. Townes was truly a songwriter from the "heart". Thanks for posting this amazing performance.
Man he looks really with it during this show. Nice to see
It was 1975...
He will always be with us, he's to good to be left behind.
Oh my goodness. that is great. I agree with "Loop and Lil"
They were parakeets
Best version right here
See Joey+Rory and prepare to weep.
💜Rest in Peace Towes Van Zandt and Thank you for the beautiful Music!💜🙏
Townes has literally been the soundtrack of my PhD for several years. No other artist has captured my thoughts/feelings to the level that he has. I visited his grave in Fort Worth last summer with a buddy. We sat down there and played to lives to fly which is written out on the stone. What a great experience. Cheers
Wow! That's beautiful! I was born in the 80s but I've caught up with a lot of the pop culture of the 70s and I tell you what, you were born in an awesome time!
this is one of the best songs ever written
Still listening 4 ever & ever
The honest music of a thoughtful songwriter, his voice and acoustic guitar, we always return here.
Townes' songs have certainly added depth & perspective to my life
Austin City Limits. 1st season. Me and my buddy were there. RIP TVZ
I watched Be Here To Love Me (TVZ doc) during the pinnacle of my alcohol abuse. I listens to TVZ tunes every night, tumbler in bourbon in hand and tears. I saw his pain and found it similar to mine. I rarely watch TVZ videos, hurts me to see him...to see me....so-to-speak. RIP Townes.
Simply from the heart. RIP Mr. Van Zandt.
Townes was a hell of a song writer and fantastic picker and singer
I'm so sorry to hear that my love. The man was incredible xxxx
30 years ago a friend named Jerry lent me his car for a month or so and he’d grown up in Texas. Found this on a cassette,nearly wore it out. This Canadian is a huge fan of Townes,Jerry Jeff and Prine because of that missionary’s son who I had the great opportunity to work with and call a friend. God bless Texas!!!
My God, what a songwriter! I love the simplicity and economy of the lyrics. So Good!
I heard this on Crazy Heart last night. I'm going to learn it and play it for my wife when she gets back to Australia from Ireland, after this pandemic lockdown. Beautiful song.
Did it happen?
@@nikolaijelinek3869 no. I just showed my wife the comment. I forgot all about it. Will have to learn to it now.
One of Townes’ many beautiful songs. Love it. ❤❤❤❤❤
Nearing 74, many visits to USA since 1980, just returned from first visit to Texas. Austin and San Antonio.
A close friend introduced me to Townes around 1987. Have listened to him ever since. I love every version of this song. The version with violin accompanist is very moving.
Beautiful guitar. Beautiful song. Beautiful man. R.I.P..
Simply beautiful , music from the heart for the soul.
His most sublime composition.
He is authentic and doesn't write to sell. It's from his heart. I forgot about and recently rediscovered this fantastic artist.
I was walking home one night in Portland, ME. It was a few years back now. I found out about TVZ after asking a decrepit drunk sprawled beneath an underpass, who was humming a garbled melody, what the tune was. The man was impossibly depressed and sodden. He asked for a cigarette and I said yes, if only he would tell me what song he was humming. All I caught was Townes name. It being followed by the obligatory yelling, cussing and basic nonsensical dribblings of a man whose mind was soured by booze. However, I did learn the name of a fantastic musician in the exchange, one that I cherish now more than ever, and so , I hope your not still there weary traveler, but thank you. True story.
Great story. Meant to be...