This is easily the best version of this song... Sung with so much emotion you can almost feel the air standing still.. Love it

His face right at the very end where he can barely hold it together as he finishes the song. That's the face of a guy who means every word of what he's singing. What a great video.

I come to view this video from time to time. It's vivid in my memory when I was watching it with my girlfirend the night it first aired on T.V. I was thinking at the time this is epic, when I turned over to my girlfriend she was crying. I knew she was going to be my wife right there and then. It will be 8 years in June. I love you Jennifer!

One of the best singer/songwriter performances of all time.....

Nanci's tears were for all of us.

Seeing Nanci cry always make me cry.

Is this the greatest delivery of a song ever???

Thank god there is artist like Steve Earle out there

I can't keep my eyes dry when I listen to it

Songs like this are timeless. RIP Townes

God, I love this song, the words, the guitar, the sentiment. It always brings me to tears and I never even knew Townes sadly, but I feel him in this song 🎵 so deeply. Thanks Steve. So beautiful 💙

Steve when playing just on his own with guitar and vocals is his best, you really get the essence of his writing.

There´s only two guys who can put some tears in my eyes, Mr.Townes Van Zandt and Mr. Steve Earle, specially with this song.

yet another awesome song.....Steve has never gotten the credit he deserves but will always be the best in my book!

I was really impressed by all of the music on this tribute. TVZ was such an incredible song writer that it gave these great musicians a lot of great material, but this was way more than that. At one time or another there was open grieving by one or another of them. I saw Willie wipe away a tear, and while Steve was doing Ft. Worth Blues, Nanci's tears were literally running off her face------that's when I lost it! I have never seen that many people staring at the floor for so long! You could just feel the love, respect and sadness they and Suzanna felt for Townes that night. My gratitude to Austin City Limits for giving us this jewel of fantastic musicians in a snapshot of time, and so precious to us fans of TVZ! I've watched this video many times and it's always just made me love the music and the musicians more each time! Love and Godspeed to Townes, Guy, Suzanna and Cowboy Jack.......Heaven must be having some incredible music sessions with them and John Prine!

Saddest song i've ever heard and a great tribute to a great man

Ahhh... Steve Earle hit this one out of the park. Townes was his buddy, and I guess he was sending him along his journey with a song. Beautiful. Thanks for posting it.

I remember seeing this when it aired. I still watch it regularly as if it just aired. The whole show is just a glimpse into Townes in the sweetest way. It has really stuck with me.

What a troubador... Steve, you are THE SHIT!!! Thank you for so many years of good tunes...

An alcove-crawling 3am ballad to his dear friend and mentor. Misty and meandering. Beautiful.

We all have the "Fort Worth Blues".......to me "Fort Worth" is my home and all my travels have only made me remember all the things that make home "home", and this song hits it right on the head.....Well done Steve-0

..."Every place I travel through I find, some kind of sign, that you've been through"... traveling south on route 17 in NY, I look on the wall and I see "PANCHO AND LEFTY".

Thank you, Steve Earle, for saying and singing what I want/need to hear. Always.

I've listened to Steve earle for 30 years All the way down the bottom of the world in New Zealand Two of his songs always bring tears to the eyeballs "Close your eyes " And "fort worth blues" Please come back to new Zealand and so another concert , from a true fan in nz Aaron

This is Something Else. Beautiful

Nanci Griffiths cries so beautifully.

One of my ABSOLUTE ALL TIME FAVORITE KZfaq vids! The best performance of an amazing song. All deeply felt and expressed under the somber circumstances of Townes' death. One great songwriter and friend paying heart-felt tribute to another GREAT songwriter and friend is just soooooooooo freakin' moving.

Foo fighters: sonic highways!! Brought me here.. true artist at his finest

Steve Earle always naturally from the heart

I recorded this show on vhs the night it aired on ACL, converted to dvd a couple of years ago.. truly a treasure..

Truly a moving and lovely tune. I think Nancy's tears speak to that.

My favorite Steve Earle song! Really hits ya hard

this man never fails me, ever. God Bless you.

I faved this song years back. Late at night when all are bedded down, I listen and weep at the sheer grace that i hear........I guess i have the fort worth blue.....I know I do.......

Born and Raised in Fort Worth Texas ! Townes is a legend here

The building blocks of a song are imperfect complex pieces. Many folks posing as songwriters, throw a handful of these blocks together and proclaim a masterpiece for something that is little more than a cobbeled up Lego structure. Steve Earle is one of very few people who patiently fits the blocks together to create a true masterpiece every time. Bravo!!

Best song Steve Earle ever wrote.

If you've got a dry eye after that, then you aint right in the head man.

Pure chills, every single time. This is one of my favorite songs ever.

This is deeply moving.

Anyone would be proud to have a best friend write a song like this in tribute. Absolutely brilliant.

may be my fav of all time

one of my favourite Steve Earle songs for sure

Wow this is brilliant. Townes Van Zandt was some songwriter but Steve Earle really pays him justice here.

Tears everytime

This particular performance would lend itself beautifully to vinyl. I can almost hear the soothing pops and cracks. My thanks to Steve and the countless other musicians that raised me.

Wat is dit mooi. Wow

The most heartfelt, beautiful song I've ever listened to. It makes me tear up everytime i hear it, and the emotions in his heart directly go to his voice. One of the best songwriters and performers of our time is Steve Earle. ❤

Goosebumps throughout the whole song. Reminds me of my father especially since he move back to the south. Brings him back every time.

Steve Earle sings and plays this with amazing heart. Thanks for posting this.

I F---kin love this song.. !! el corazon !!

I have become hooked on all of these artist since this aired.

Same here, I've known about Steve Earle for years, liked the song Copperhead Road when it came out, but otherwise didn't know much about the guy 'til his appearance in the Nashville and Austin episodes of Sonic Highways, playing this song, and I swear, it's become one of my favorite songs and a clue that I have to dig deeper into his catalog of work. Thanks for posting the full version, really great!

Beautiful, so moving. A big thank you for uploading

That angel seated next to Steve, stage right. Sang, played guitar, and the songs she did write.

The best tribute - from the heart.

Hands down, my favorite sad sack song. It doesn't get any more beautiful than this.

When they talk about a pretty song, this is what they mean. I like this version of the ones I've seen elsewhere on KZfaq - it's just him, his guitar... and his memories.

Saw Steve in Derby last nite,played for around 2 hours every song a gem and sung from the heart. He's up there with the best!!

such a phenomenal song - it moves me every time I hear it

first time hearing this.. just recently learned about Townes watching a movie about him on hulu. Gave this song extra meaning. Thanks for posting.

Reading the article in Variety about Nanci Griffith’s life, her world travels, what took her from the road and the reason she cried takes on a new meaning to me,

Bugger. This freaking some always makes me well up. Magical songwriting.

I could hear this song g everyday of my life.

Thanks so much for this gem. It was down for awhile. So glad to see it back!

Beautiful, so moving thanks for uploading

OMG ! theres another living superfan of this man. He wrote the words and tunes to our nation. Cold Dog singing out....

I simplycan not cry when I hear this masterpiece about the master, by a master........

In Ft. Worth all the neon's burnin' bright Pretty lights, red and blue But they'd shut down all the honky tonks tonight Say a prayer or two If they only knew You used to say the highway was your home But we both know, that ain't true It's just the only place a man can go When he don't know, where he's travelin' to But Colorado's always clean and healin' And Tennessee in spring is green and cool It never really was your kind of town But you went around, with the Ft. Worth blues Somewhere up beyond the great divide Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few A man can see his way clear to the light Just hold on tight That's all you gotta do And they say Texas weather's always changin' And one thing change'll bring is somethin' new And Houston really ain't that bad a town So you hang around with the Ft. Worth blues There's a full moon over Galway Bay tonight Silver light, over green and blue And every place I travel through I find Some kinda sign, that you've been through But Amsterdam was always good for grieving And London never fails to leave me blue And Paris never was my kinda town So I walked around with the Ft. Worth blues

I met him back when he looked like this. He worked with the producers who also produced my songs... and he was working in the same studio, then they came in for lunch where I worked as a bartender. He looked like "Billy the Kid". I never forget the look he gave me. It wasn't a "nice to meet you" - look.

The worst part is that I can only like this song one time, no matter the depth of feeling. Vale Townes, and Steve, you got it just perfectly right.

Fantastic...a gem..nancy crying...

@toterola451 - how wonderfully you put this- sending Townes along his journey with a song. What a tender expression. Two works of art! Can't help but cry with this one - thanks for the post.

another great songwriter. one of his best song.

God this is such a good song. This one speaks to me.

Stunning every time

I just love this, thank you for the post!!

Yes it's on the dvd a tribute to Townes Van Zandt ,you can find it on tapecity

Great, beautiful song!

thanks for posting this video, last year I was driving through Texas on my way to my father's funeral. This song really opened a flood gate of memories I had of my father and though we had not been very close I really had to pull over and just get a good cry out of my system before I could finish the drive. Beautiful song from a truly great song writer and singer.

Holy Mackerel, that was a strong song. Townes was right there and those people were hurting but still feeling him. Powerful for sure.

wow. talk about a song that never gets old.

Well said. Steve is a master, who was a very able apprentice and a willing journeyman before attaining his current lofty perch. God rest Townes' sodden bones.

Yeah I went looking for it myself on here and noticed it was gone, so I found it, downloaded it and put it back up straight away. :]

Steve and Townes are legends. Simple.

always hard to say goodbye to a best friend..

I feel this song right in my heart!

what a beautiful tune....

seeing him live in 2 days ! would be a show stopper if he plays this !

amazing tune means so much!!

I had to run this title down. Heard it for the 1st time just now by Guy Clark on Pandora (Bless 'em!) Thought for sure it was a Guy Clark song. Wonderful to see that it is Steve Earle's. So touching and great. If you have not seen "Treme," do yourself a favor. Best music-related series I have ever seen and Steve Earle stars in it and wrote some of the music. Stunned at how great it is. Thanks for posting this. I live in the jungle in Costa Rica and I can't live without KZfaq and Pandora.

Stunning

cheers for putting this on.from the uk x

Thanks for putting it back up.

Canadian Brad sent me here. "RIGHT ON!" #TMP

Good on you Steve, singin' a tribute to a friend. Bless You...

How in God's name do 56 people not like this performance or this song? That's some cold hearted shit right there. "Fort Worth Blues" is a bona fide songwriting masterpiece. Period.

Beautiful I love his and accent. amazing talent

London never fails to leave me blue

My favourite one from Earle. Especially when you know to whom is dedicated.