Any one still here in 2024 ?

My uncle made this film in 1975. Glad you all enjoy it!

Townes is one of several that I was privileged to see shortly prior to his demise, along with Gregg Allman and John Prine. In the summer of 1996, a friend and I saw Townes at a venue in small town South Carolina. He was in delirium tremens and did not seem well at all. One or two songs into his third set he said “F*** it” and left the stage. I felt sorry for him. On the way to the car afterwards, we saw him out at his travel trailer. We went over to speak to him. By this time he had had a few drinks and was in better spirits. He invited us into the trailer and offered us a beer. His J-200 was there and I asked if I might play it. His answer was “sure”. I started playing one of his songs and at a point he began singing “Flyin’ Shoes”. He was extremely nice to us. Fond memory!

Willie Nelson has described this song as the best song ever crafted. That's one Hell of a compliment.

Gold. There is more grit and honesty in that room than in 95% of country music today.

Clips like this is what makes the internet great.

If Townes Van Zandt can't break your heart, you ain't got one

I'm a 24 year old asian-american and not what most people would expect a country music lover to be. That said, I was born in Texas and grew up my entire life exposed to Southern culture and music. I've come to love old country and grew up listening to Hank Williams Sr., Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, Merle Haggard and etc with my father. When I first heard Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of the song it quickly became my favorite. Then I learned that the original song was by this gentleman right here and it has become my new favorite. I was heartbroken to hear about his struggles with drugs; but he's at peace now and left an amazing legacy. I really wish I could have watched him perform this live.

Townes was the best of America, in the old sense---poetic, rustic, funny as hell, a little drunk, sad, and a stranger. Those days are long gone.

I find it hard to understand why Townes Van Zandt has not been inducted in the Nashville song writers hall of fame. He is one of the greatest ever

"The dust Pancho bit down South ended up in up in Lefty's mouth" is quite possibly the greatest lyrics in all of American songwriting.

'You weren't your mother's only son, but her favorite one, it seems. She began to cry when you said goodbye, and sank into your dreams.' The man was a poet. Pure genius.

This song is a great example of why country music fans should be angry about the bastardization of the genre.

How the hell have I gone 31 years without knowing who this guy is? He's great.

“Pick it and it won’t ever heal” got to love Townes sense of humor.

My 4 yr old little boy burst into tears when he heard this song and couldn't stop crying.

Someone ask him why he didn't write any Happy Song. He replied that these were the Happy Songs. Another star that was too bright for this existence.

This video has an ambiance thats hard to describe its musical but it feels silent and still , like a picture come to life

"The dust that Pancho bit down South, ended up in Lefty's mouth" I only wish Townes truly understood how great he was before he passed.

What impresses me so much is how vast townes influence spreads. From traditional country to doom metal. To me he's like the Bob Dylan for us in Appalachia

It boggles my mind that Townes doesn’t even realize he’s playing to 4.5 million people through that camera he’s looking at

This song makes me cry. A good friend of mine who passed in July used to always play parts of it when we'd be hanging out way too drunk. He was so shy of his voice so ended up singing everything in this really subdued and haunting way. I don't have any recordings of him but it's fresh enough I can still hear him singing this and I fucking miss it.

There will never be another Townes. There was never one before him. He wasn't america. He was loved and adored, always alone, forever an outcast.

1:20 That older fella just watching and listening with a stone wall face. Suddenly one lyric brings up a memory and a huge smile grows on his face. That's why music like this is so great.

That's the kind of thing that makes you miss something you never had.

We tend to focus on his songwriting, but "a medley of my hit" is a hell of a quip. :)

The simplicity is the complexity.

When country music was really country.

I'm 70 and 'Pancho and Lefty' is my all time favourite song to play and sing on my Guitar.

I never wanted to step into a video before. I strangely want to be there.

With all due respect to Mr.Prine, Townes Van Zandt is the greatest American songwriter ever. Across all genres, across all eras, Townes is the best to ever do it.

I’m 27, my name is Gabriel and I wish more people around me appreciated this as much as I do.

His breath's as hard as kerosene and horse as fast as polished steel. Who else can make similes like these? No one. Thanks for this masterpiece, TVZ!

uncle seymour is too cool .. just chilling in the back taking in the song - the whole atmosphere seems so peaceful and quaint - pure Americana right here

I'd love to hear the music that the older gentleman behind townes has heard in his day

Wrote this for 2 bandits i saw on tv after i wrote this song lol

He wrote it , he sang it , nobody can improve on that. That's the way it should be sung.

I watched an interview with Steve Earle about Townes, the interviewer asked him, "Virtually everyone agrees that Townes was an exceptionally talented songwriter and performer, why wasn't he more successful?" Earle replied, "Townes kept shooting himself in the foot, he was a good shot, and his foot was right there."

Cheers to all the folks listening to this song that travel the road, living out of a suitcase like me.

The scene is set sooo perfectly- uncle seymour, the girl, townes van zandt. It just reminds you of a past that didnt exist. Something.

Townes has been my life support during the covid pandemic. Endless hours listening to him in the lockdown, i wish i could have said thank you, i miss him like that Love from Nepal

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman's Odyssey

The older I get the more I appreciate Towne's poetry/music. I just turned 66 and first heard his stuff back in the 1970's.

Unappreciated genius... One of rhe best songwriters of any era. Left us way too soon - but his music, and his legacy, endures.

A genius ! Read his bio and he was a straight A student in school. He chose to be a drifting troubador sleeping on couches and writing excellent songs and performing in small venues which some people call dives but I call just call them more modest surroundings where great music also comes into the world

“pick it, and it won’t ever heal”

Another accolade on this unforgettable video. The cameraman panning slightly to Uncle Seymour’s hands at 3:23 creates a memorable picture of both their hands. Whoever filmed this did an amazing job.

That's Uncle Seymour Washington in the back. Born 1896, died 1977 (the year after this was filmed)

When Townes was sick and getting sicker. He hit the road with Guy Clark and the new young guy, Robert Earl Keen, dark black hair, in his twenties. I got a call from a friend that they were playing in Pipersville, PA at a restaurant there. My other friend lived down the street from Guy Clark in Austin Texas in the 70s, We show up, Guy is at the pool table with a tall glass of vodka, pretty hammered at that. We shot a couple of games a pool and talked about the old days. Major amazing storyteller, whether in music or just a chat. Townes was quiet until they started playing. Not the best of singers, but one hell of a singing storyteller as The Ballad Of Poncho and Lefty is. They played for two hours solid, They were tired. We weren't. Helped them load up their stuff. Townes passed away a few months later. Now we lost Guy a few months back. Two of the best fingerpicking songwriters that ever lived. RIP guys.

I saw him in Ireland, Cork, ... and again in Galway. Genuine Genius 🎶

One of the best-crafted country songs ever written! So sad that Townes struggled so tremendously with substance abuse. Died far too soon.

This is a perfect American thing. There ain't a lot of perfect things.

When im drinking alone i always listen to his music. The pain in his voice and the way he expresses emotion through poetry is incredible. I only dicovered him about 6 months ago but he is my favourite now

I love the way he picks that guitar. If there is a better version of this song, I don't care.

This is so plain and beautiful that I can’t listen to the Willie & Merle version now without thinking how over produced it sounds.

Townes was a real talent who could not handle general life. There are many who cannot. Rest in peace cowboy!

The grandpa in the background looks like the sweetest ole man.

It´s so harrowing that nobody could help this man. What a tortured soul he was. And what an amazing poet.

Both the lyrics and the arrangement of this song are incredibly haunting. The film slayed me.

i am hispanic and i listen to this at 4am in Austin Tx . Rip this spiritual mentor and i hope he out grows his wrongs in the afterlife

"Best song writer in the world and I'll say that standing on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots." I think I heard Steve Earl say that in an interview

He was so cool. He died at 52, still had a lot to live. Rest in peace Townes

Wow, I never knew this was the original until today. I always loved the Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard version but this has a really different feel to it. Glad I finally got to hear the original.

I was fortunate enough to meet this talented man. He came to Hays, Montana in the mid 90s with a few other semi famous musicians. I played in the local band. He was very supportive and said that we were a surprise. I remember his hand shake was soft and he had on some Roy Orbison looking sun glasses. I didn’t realize or know how famous he was until years later. One our local musicians told me that he was the best in the business. He must’ve had a rough life. Of course I didn’t believe any of this. I didn’t even know he passed away a couple years later. I just saw an article on social media that he died 28 years ago on New Year’s Day. That’s the same day our mother died 53 years ago. I googled his name and found out that he really was a great song writer/singer and he did have a rough life. Thank you for taking the time to come to our small poverty stricken Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. I’m thankful and grateful for the opportunity to meet you and shake your hand!Rest in peace sir. You truly are a great man!!!

My grandma passed the other day. I was able to be with her during her early days of hospice. I listened to this a bunch while I was visiting, Dandridge Tennessee. A beautiful place to be during a hard time. Beauty in life in death and in pain. Thank you Townes Van Zandt. RIP my Geema, Kathy.

back in the day, I learned this song from another girl, jammin' on the porch. I was singing on the Drag in Austin, when a scuzzy bum wandered up and tried to sing along (messing up my song awful), he tossed $10 in my guitar case and said "Love the way you sing my song." and wandered off up the street. Everyone came running up saying "Wow, that was Townes Van Zandt!" "Who?" says me, "never heard of him." Still one of my fave songs, ever.

That man sitting in the back just watching speaks volumes.

My grandfather filmed this, hope you enjoyed it!

who comes up with the lyric "horse as fast as polished steel" then sets it up with those lonesome minor chord string pickens?? Amazes me.... The songs full of chills, you feel it. Amazing job, needs inducted for sure.

I think Willie and Merle's version is very carefully arranged. It's great. But I always liked stripped down, raw versions better. This video right here is so beautiful. Just Townes, a guitar, and the people behind him, completely haunted by that song. Amazing.

Uncle Seymour Washington looks like a bit of a legend . He looks like he got some stories to tell.

"Pick it.!, and it won't ever heal." Love it.

Every rebel knows this story. Legends come and legends go but the story goes on forever.....

the guys who write the songs never get nothing. Townes was a great guy and a lot of fun to be around. wish I could have got to know him better. Didn't matter if you owned the joint or swept the floors he treated you the same. May the earth rest light on his grave.

Thank you Willie and Merle for making me curious enough to look up Van Zandt and discover this gem of an artist in 2022.

im 19 been playing bluegrass since i was 7, this stuff keeps me going man

God bless this song and everyone who listens to it. “Pick it! and it won’t ever heal...” ugh hits so hard❤️❤️

Ha, 'a medley of my hit', what a dark wit he had alongwith everything else. I love you TVZ.

Something about Townes' music makes change... loss... endings... aging... death... a little easier to make peace with. We're all just trying our damned best to make it through life in as little misery as possible. I'm glad he was able to leave behind a legacy that helps bruised hearts and minds navigate life a little more surefooted. Thank you man, for all you left us.

The old black gentleman knew that was a legend in the making...his face expressions says it all

I love at up until 1:20 the guy in the back was still but nodded and smiled at 'she began to cry when you said goodbye' like he'd lived it or something, ahh I love music

Always make my eyes water. His honesty, his purity, almost too much to handle. He was a genius. I will forever be grateful for Townes.

For all those aspiring young songwriters out there, this is a magnum opus in pure poetic perfection. Each line crafted of the finest rhythmic silks, the lyrics flowing like the swiftest currents on a back bending river bank. Both Homeric and Proustian, the illusory language is the archetypal Western ballad at its absolute finest, transmigratory and truthful. Townes reaches deep into his understanding of the human condition and runs right through the trappings of Western cliches into a world with far more depth, utterly and painfully realistic. He taps into that place in our souls we dare not explore. Death, and selling one’s system of values for the trappings of a quick dollar, force a reckoning with those decisions. The shame of that traitorous choice proves to eat you from the inside out. What must be remembered is that Townes felt the human condition, and human suffering so personally, so deeply. He saw in himself and in the world a heart-wrenching melancholy that pervaded his every breath. Living on the road my friend, was gonna keep you free and clean. And now you wear your skin like iron, and your breath’s as hard as kerosene. It is so painfully rare that a song grabs your very breath one stanza in. It’s as close to perfection as the human mind can hope to strive for. As if he’s peering out from behind the page and grabbing you by the neck, suffocating you with your own thought dreams. The world aches for minds as strikingly brilliant as that of Townes Van Zandt. He is dearly, sorely missed.

Uncle Seymour cried some grown ass man tears to this, that shows the power in these lyrics.

I'm so glad we have this. God bless Townes Van Zandt.

he was as cool as fuck !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought willie wrote this for the longest time... when I discovered Townes, bc I searched the song, I think I've played him every day since, for the last two months.. He has, and is still, having a profound affect on my life... for the first time in five years, I bought new strings for one of my three dusty guitars, and now, want to try playing again.

This here is the reason I picked up a guitar 6 years ago and haven’t stopped picking ever since. Damn shame I couldn’t have met this man. Cheers Townes.

Had lunch with Townes Van Zandt at the Edmonton Folk Fest a few years before he died. One of the sweetest men I have ever met. Pancho and Lefty is one of my favorite songs to play. "The most missed man the world never knew, TVZ"

He not only wrote this wonderfull song he worked out the amazing fingerpicking here.

Wow I haven’t smoked a cigarette in years but that girl is making it really tough.

I remember Steve Earl telling a crown in Austin that He would stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in his boots and tell him “Townes is the greatest American song writer ever. “ I agree.

I fantasize that I am the off-screen person in this room. Feels like I'm really there.

I don't know what it is about this video but I can seldom watch it without streaming some tears.

I was only 1 when this was recorded. It took me 45 yeays to stumble across it. Its the little things ya know.....gotta love it!

"Pick it! And it won't ever heal." Love Townes

According to Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt said there are two kinds of music. There's blues and there's Zippity doo dah.

"Pick it! ...and it won't ever heal" Townes... hope he knows there are some of us who struggle with the same ailments he did. Thanking him for the brief relief of song and real songs at that. From Australia

Depsues de los alleluia, cuando muera. Esta sera mi melodia que mis hijos, y mi esposa. Tocaran si señor. This will be my funeral songs, after the alleluia. Love this song. Thank you Jesus for this guys talent.

I wish I had known about Townes before he left us as he really was such an awesome Singer and Song writer ..