If I had 1,000 years I couldn't write a song this clean, and even if I did, it would take me 1,000 more to play it that clean.

Steve Earle said Townes hated that Epiphone guitar so much he finally shot it full of holes.

if I had a time machine I'd go back and listen this with my grandpa

Let's give some praise to Ms. Bullet for entrapping Townes and making him work as a tool for The Giant Pencil From the Sky.

''That song came to me in a flash.. all at once.. It wasn't me that was writing it.. It was a giant pencil from the sky''

First time I saw him sing this in a little grungy outdoor bar in Austin long time ago and was blown away then and I still am.

This is, hands down, the best performance there will ever be of this song.

His lyrical prowess is sublime. Along with this, Townes has a palpable musicality to his voice; it's truly heaven sent.Townes, your talent was annointed by God, and for this we are eternally grateful.

I've never heard a bad Townes Van Zandt song... as he said "everything has to be perfect, every song has to be perfect"

Townes is a wonder. I can't get enough of him.

Insane. The vocals like the drums. The precise picking volume of those root strokes. Amazing lyrics.

Will never live a complete life seeing I wont be able to experience Townes Live. Born a year after his passing.

Well the wicked king of clubs awoke And it was to his queen turned His lips were laughing as they spoke His eyes like bullets burned The sun's upon a gambling day His queen smiled low and blissfully Let's make some wretched fool to play Plain it was she did agree He send his deuce down into diamond His four to hart, and his trey to spade Three kings with their legions come Preparations soon where made They voted club the days commander Gave him an army face and number All but the outlaw jack of diamonds And the aces in the sky Well, he gave his sevens first instructions Spirit me a game of stud Stakes unscarred by limitation Between a man named Gold and man named Mud Club filled Gold with greedy vapors Till his long, green eyes did glow And Mud was left with the sighs and trembles Watching his hard earned money go Flushes fell on Gold like water Tens they paired and paired again But the aces only flew through heaven And the diamond jack called no man friend Now, the Diamond Queen saw Muds ordeal Began to think of her long lost son Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy And prayed to the angels every one Now, the Diamond Queen, she prayed and prayed And the Diamond Angel filled Muds hole The wicked King of Clubs himself Fell in face down in front of Gold Now, three kings come to Clubs command But the angels from the sky did ride Three kings up on the streets of Gold Three fireballs on the muddy side The club queen heard her husband's call But Lord, that Queen of Diamond's joy When the outlaw in the heavenly hall Turned out to be a wandering boy Now, Mud he checked and Gold bet all And Mud he raised and Gold did call And the smile just melted on his face When Mud turned over that diamond ace Now, here's what this story's told If you feel like Mud you'll end up Gold If you feel like lost, you'll end up found So amigo, lay them raises down

The guy who introduced me to Townes' music back in 1973 used to play this song. Thank you, Fred.

The lyrics in this are next fucking level.

Amazing. even after 1,284 times of listening to the song

Devine poetry and guitar play !

This is a GEM!

Came to me in a flash all at once. That's epic!

The crying shame is that we had this and goddamn Kenny Rodgers gambler got the damn radio play. I guess the Same people who voted McDonald's hamburger the best in the world voted for Kenny. Damn shame.

damn i am loving him and his music since the first second i listened to it. This music is pure dope

Awesome to see this legend play ! Townes was a prodigy and a songwriter genius.

Shakespeare himself could not have written a more extraordinary set of words. What an amazing song with layer upon layer of meaning in it. No-one can match Townes's songs.

I can’t imagine being in Austin in his day watching this drunk play this masterpiece

Townes Van Zant is by far the best songwriter to ever live,in my opinion.No one else is even close,His words are poetry for the common man.

45 years ago I was getting bent and drifting along to mr tambourine man, Spanish boots et all. now 67 getting bent still to van Zandt, a peer of Dylan and liam Clancy god bless them all

Townes is a genius

This is like Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry and Geometry. This shit is gold. Genius.

brilliant!! pencil in the sky..

Super human is what it is. Simple song? A card game... I saw TVZ play the opry house, and saw him Sunday morning playing 6th street for dollars. I lived through those golden years watching this being shattered through light. I miss Austin, I miss TVZ and the duct taped messiah too. Jah bless TVZ! And this is like the most difficult song to do ever! There are sooooo many damn words lol!!

No other song quite like this one .., a demonstration of songwriting prowess ... Sad there isn't a movie about these characters along with Pancho and Lefty. 😀

The dice are rolling, good things are gonna happen, I can feel it.

He had the guts to say her name. Good song too

I knew an old man that claimed he had to memorize the whole of "Song of Hiawatha" when he was a kid. I thought of that when I heard this song. It would be a double-barreled bitch to memorize.

It doesn't get any better. If in all your life writing songs and playing if you don't have at least one song that makes people feel like you're supernatural then you ain't shit. That's why this man's the real deal.

Just...wow!

Thanks for sharing! Such a talented guy.

This is an otherworldly level of good

amazing, townes is great

Amazing song

Like Steve Earle said Townes an Zandt is the best damn songwriter ever & I will climb up into Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my Cowboy Boots & tell him 🤠🤠 Mr Van Zandt u r & will always be the king 👑 Love ya Man & I will see Guy, John P & you sir soon RIP Bramafear

the first notes played are so pretty

Extraordinary

The bar, permanently placed So many pretenders, equally erased

Mind blowing lyrics.

Guitar singing and playing to perfection. Wow!

gripping, well-worked tale of playing cards conspiring to bring a gambler down - until the queen of diamonds is reminded of her lost son and starts to pray.

Giant Pencil from the Sky

One of his best songs. I love Kathleen, waiting around to die, and Pancho and Lefty. But Mr Mudd and Mr Gold is my personal favourite.

i think capital letters are generally obtuse, but, BEST GAMBLING SONG EVER!

Thank You Giant Pencil.

Amazing the aces in the sky

Extraordinary song

Wish I had a giant pencil in the sky. Lol

Damn... that's a mouthful.

just amazing!

Legend

If a person follows Townes’s breath with his line of poetry and don’t have their soul singing along. I believe that persons heart and brain must not be connected. That’s just my observation.😏

this is the first time i ever heard this. started crying. have no idea why.

I fully understand writing a song that way. Townes had to sing what came out. Nice.

a poet.

Made me cry too.

Only the best

You are a wonderful artist and very underappreciated by the larger CW audience

Incredible song. I'm going to be on the look out for this DVD.

Pure soul gem!

🙏

Townes at his very best

Wow! Just Wow!

Great song!

Truely before his time

Good job !! Podoba mi się.

Nothing is nothing once you hear Townes.

This was amazing thanks Josh

Dang❤

I thought magic wasn't real, than I found this song.

Damn, I wish I came across TvZ earlier. However, his songs remain also for those late to the party.

PLAY THE WABASH CANNONBALL!!!!

im all in...

BAD. ASS

The best one

Yeah, and that is why he’s king.

Probably the most complicated song ever wrote

Leonard Cohen of reckless outlaws

I'm a songwriter. I have won 12 contests (1st place) and a dozen or so 2nd and 3rd. I have sold publish rights to 17 songs. Still, when I hear a great song, I think, "Damn, I wish I would have wrote this!" But when I hear a Townes song, all I can think is, "Damn, I couldn't have ever wrote this!" That's how great he was. I hope people understand.

giant pencil from the sky in f'in deed!

3 fireballs on the muddy side....

genius

gaddamn.

This is a lot like Dylan's Lily, Rose and The Jack of Hearts, but I love it! Townes' and Guy were awesome. I wish they were still around. I'm happy Bob is!❤️💗❤️💔

Towns may we meet some day

Some storytellers in that family tree.

Love Steve Earle's story about this song on the documentary.

"A Giant Pencil From The Sky" A giant pencil from the sky Fell on me todayTook me from my sordid solace Put my soul upon displayFor you I guess or maybe meBut I digress it could be threeOr many more in days to comeCould be the last best chance for someone Deep in life's unholy mireWaiting for all to expireVainly reaching higher and higher till he sinks down to the truthWhat is the truth now no one knowsExcept what you feel down in your toesUp through your heart and out your nose and into the ethers bosom A giant pencil from the sky don't say when she's stopping byJust takes over like good drugs doAnd writes the words that carry you You can't believe what's on the pageSurely you ain't no drunken sageSurely there ain't no one to hear your rhapsody in time Till one day you get a callYour toil is done your mountain tallYou can climb it now with just your songsNo longer will you not belongWhen you die they'll cry your name And hear your voice through all their painsAnd never know or recognise A giant pencil from the sky

AMIGO LAY THEM RACES DOWN

ALRIGHT

My favorite TVZ song. If anyone has worked this out on guitar I'd love to seen a tutorial.

Uhhhhh... Holy shit!

pete bernhard (devil makes three) has an awesome cover of this song

Pure perfection. Anyone know where and when this was recorded? Looks to be late 70s