Townes Van Zandt - 06 A Song For (Solo Sessions)

06 A Song For
The Solo Sessions
Austin Music Network
17 January 1995

[@colonelhart5721]

Townes wrote some of the darkest music that has ever been written. It's sad, devastating, that all that despair is based on truth - truth too frightening for most people to think about because they are small-minded and weak. But the solution, insofar as there is one (which is not far), Townes also expressed - to value the positive experiences and conscious awareness one does have. That surely includes Townes' music, which has changed my life.

[@campaigner1016]

Colonel Hart I don't know if this falls true for most people, though I suspect I am largely correct in what I've found to be true. I am referring to when I feel down or depressed, it is always artists like Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave that I pull out for what I call "harsh reality therapy." 98% of the time, I pull myself out of a mental funk within mere hours...at the most. It is always this very dark and depressing music that somehow cheers me up. I'm definitely not talking about Norwegian death metal or hardcore punk rock when I talk about the artists/bands that take me out of a dark mental place. It's the three artists I mentioned, and others like TomWaits, Radiohead, and Lou Reed in all his incarnations to name a few. Though, it could be different artists for different people. I've tried to evaluate why this is true for me, and also for many others. I think it is hearing music about others who are in the same head space/physical space , or usually worse that lets me know that I'm not alone in my suffering. As I eluded to, my troubles are usually diminutive compared to what the characters in these songs are facing; or the singer has gone through these same or worse issues themselves. You know for a fact that Townes, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave have gone through extra pain in their lives tied to poor lifestyle decision making. The cause of one's pain is largely irrelevant, as long as you learn from the mistakes you have made...be it pain from drug or alcohol abuse, etc.. Also, from talking to a wide array of individuals, people who don't listen to emotionally raw music are generally in relatively worse shape than I am when it coms to recovering from bouts of mental pain and/or depression. These are people who aren't exposed to much music outside of what their vehicle offers on Top 40 AM radio. Good music filled with pain and utter misfortune is a true emotionally healing force!

[@colonelhart5721]

Campaigner I think the gist of what you said is very common among fans of music that is often considered emotionally negative even if it is beautiful and astounding in every other way, and indeed I would count myself among those people. Tragedy, mystery, fear; regret; these are the most profound emotions. I also feel like every adult person must sooner or later face life and death, consciousness and values, personally and directly. As you say it does sound kind of creepy, but emotional damage or at least a more real understanding of things, can lead to a better view of the world. And honesty is the only start for anything good...

[@SkitKorek]

+Colonel Hart - Right and intelligent analysis Col. Hart! Very well articulated my friend.

[@bonitastjulienlepauvre6489]

@@campaigner1016 Well said! TVZ, LC and NC are also my go-to's for truly getting 'life.' A few others fit that category to me, too: the Pogues, Tom Waits, Dylan... Peace out.

[@robertphillips2769]

Absolutely brother. Mine too. His spirit hovers in the air when I play his songs, or listen. His legacy is lasting.

[@cdane7]

“I’ll lie on my pillow and sleep if I must. Too late to wish I’d been stronger”. It doesn’t get anymore real than that friends. That’s as deep as you can go.

[@tobynellis6880]

How could anybody dislike this

[@Zeitgeist6]

goddamnit.. this brings tears to my eye. Sad song to begin with but seeing Townes playing like that... It's truly heartbreaking.

[@satanel77]

Heartbraking song, thank you so much, Townes R.I.P.

[@jacksondrew960]

Seems almost like he brushes past this beautiful deep song he’s just like “well, this next songs called ira Hayes”

[@theroadkiller5836]

"It's beautiful.... In a way" Townies Van Zandt

[@DanDDirges]

So much better than the studio version.

[@bonitastjulienlepauvre6489]

Word

[@coldironsbound]

This is quite possibly the greatest song ever

[@endbfududb]

Closest he got to therapy.

[@dtutssel]

You'd need to have a heart of stone not to be moved to tears by this

[@TheTRoseist]

As long as I'm sitting in this, the middle of all major wildfires in Colorado, waiting to be evacuated, of course, I can't stop listening to this song. I can't explain why it's so comforting.

[@13jacksonm]

this is townes most emotional piece in my opinion. unlike other songs he wrote as open ended to where anyone could relate, i feel this one is truly about his life.

[@billj4524]

Perhaps the most powerful and honest song ever written

[@108gamma]

it's a suicide note.

[@Aquaerials]

This is so chilling. Maybe his greatest piece of music, which is saying a ton.

[@satanel77]

... too late to wish I'd been stronger ...

[@4795598]

Chilling, beautiful, stark--pure existential genius. This is the real deal, muchachos.

[@debbyledbetter4434]

TVZ, you made growing up in Houston, Ft. Worth, Austin worth every bit of it, along with a few others!

[@lro0tslashwalker]

Utterly doomed. The death rattle is so compelling.....listening to this is like driving by a horrific car crash and looking intently. I wonder if, in hindsight, if he would have chosen the pain and the music spawned from it.

[@huckleberryfinn-cz3gd]

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

[@streetspiritlive]

This world for what it's worth Will Never Forget You! Love... :)) *****

[@SSOOOOMOE]

Outlaw country

[@randykicks1805]

Such a haunting song....RIP Townes

[@TheTRoseist]

All right, wildfires and everything...I feel fortunate to have heard this song in my lifetime. Made it all right. Everything!

[@Therion202]

This man needs to be recognized and put next to the other Texan greats. Man...

[@ערןכהן-ת8פ]

king townes!!!

[@fsgerm]

I keep on watching, nothing else worth looking at.

[@danieltripp2578]

Damn - I did not know Townes knew of Perth - it's where I LIVE and have lived for most of my 60 years (wasn't born here but)

[@PotterPossum1989]

Does anyone have this concert in its entirety, or know where I can find it? Thanks for posting!

[@cesareo12]

This is the best recorded video concert of TVZ . Excellent sound, you can feel you are already hearing a legend. Thanks for posting

[@tarnish]

I love this guy, hes singing about me

[@Guy1105Fawkes]

He sings about something we all have inside, and sometimes shows as we wander through life. A lot of us are battling it, many ignore it and others, just like Townes, are just at the mercy of it all.

[@thirstymagoo]

Heartbreaking and beautiful. Thank you.

[@borisvanechelpoel8684]

Does anyone know what chords he plays in this version?

[@timowalker24]

Boris, those chords I gave seem to have gotten jumbled along with the text, sorry. Will try again Bm A Bm Em Bm // D A Bm Em G Bm G A Bm Em Bm I hope you can figure it out from this...

[@ThumbBurnerCT]

Thanks for sharing a very haunting song.

[@fsgerm]

This is so good. Thank you very much for posting. The suicide note makes me angry in a way, how can you just let yourself live inside of yourself like that? Townes IS pure genius.

[@666marquis]

The greatest songwriter of all time.