Townes van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty

Рет қаралды 158,744

Steven Swinnea

14 жыл бұрын

From Texas Connection circa 1990

Пікірлер: 166

@traildoggy 10 жыл бұрын

One of the true jewels of American songwriting

@retriever19golden55 3 жыл бұрын

What a beautiful man. So sad I never got to see him play live. I like these later performances better; his voice has matured and there's more nuances of emotion in it. Just an awesome performance of one of the best songs ever written in America.

@cassandrapleasent9915 2 жыл бұрын

I do too. There is a sweet spot where he hasn’t lost his picking skills and his voice has become almost painfully beautiful and that’s right here. Wonderful

@sauloftarsus9527 Жыл бұрын

Amen.... God Rest His Soul. The best always are taken away before their time. I Love His Song writing and voice!!

@tommihail2178 Жыл бұрын

I met TVZ at "Madigans Brunswick Melbourne" which is on ytube..Six months after we met he was gone😢

@walliegirl2 Жыл бұрын

Agree. I like John Denver's later performances as well. More emotion.

@retriever19golden55 Жыл бұрын

@@walliegirl2 Ohhhh...John Denver! One of the first records I bought as a teen was Rocky Mountain High, what a beautiful song. He wore his heart on his sleeve. Calypso was a big favorite with my girlfriends and I, still gives me chills.

@lazygringo9701 Жыл бұрын

Take a moment and thank God we are fortunate enough to witness the song writing greatness and the mastery of conveying emotion that made Townes music so special. There will never be another.

@mtpockets7352 3 жыл бұрын

One of the best singer songwriters .what an amazing contribution to music and few people know...God rest his troubled soul.we miss you Townes

@mazrio128 2 жыл бұрын

America’s GREATEST songwriter on display, here. What a Guitarist. What a voice. We love you, Townes!

@walliegirl2 Жыл бұрын

He's my favorite along with Marty Robbins.

@CowpokeCannoneer 4 жыл бұрын

Hands down, one of the greatest writers of all time.

@BushtralianJim Жыл бұрын

Finally heard this famous song. It is beautiful.

@zbaseball0132 7 жыл бұрын

Best live version of Pancho and Lefty in my opinion. His fingerpicking sounds amazing..!!

@elwray3506 5 жыл бұрын

In case you haven´t come across the version on Rear Mirror View yet, give it a shot. The violin there is just heartbreakingly beautiful.

@jgatkinson744 4 жыл бұрын

Z Baseball013 when he sang it it was real because he rote it

@timothydobelbower5487 4 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. He was a clean picker

@SteveTaylor68 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah he was a master finger picker. That's called Travis picking, blaze Foley and John Prine used that technique. Townes was the man.

@theprofessor7286 3 жыл бұрын

You said it brother ......badass

@BluesHonkey 7 жыл бұрын

Another shooting star who crossed the firmament of American music too quickly, to soon.

@ffggddss 4 жыл бұрын

I first heard this on the radio in my car, from the local alternative station (WHFS 102.3 FM in Bethesda) in the early 70's. I pulled over & stopped to listen to it. It hit me that hard. Fred

@dariusdribbles.3981 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks fred.

@ffggddss 3 жыл бұрын

@@dariusdribbles.3981 It soon became a favorite of mine to play at the occasional open mic that I've done at folk clubs. Fred

@retriever19golden55 3 жыл бұрын

Only three songs have ever done that to me: Wild Horses done by The Sundays, Gogol Bordello's Wonderlust King, and this one sung by Townes. Totally different music on the three, but all done with heart.

@victorrodea7163 23 күн бұрын

A song to scream into the darkness, my old friend.

@ffggddss 23 күн бұрын

@@retriever19golden55 For me, I think that list would be this song, and _The Trumpet Vine_ by the late Kate Wolf.

@ziemo1965 7 жыл бұрын

Townes forever... Forever Townes

@mikeglasgow9618 3 жыл бұрын

Just think...... Van Gogh wasn't a famous painter even with his demons. Now....remembered greatly. Townes is the same. What an artist even with his demons.

@chitinakennicott7045 9 жыл бұрын

Saw him play in Austin. 1973. best there is.

@potatozhang 9 жыл бұрын

chitina Kennicott You are so lucky!

@GPsgurl80 5 жыл бұрын

I bet that was really something to witness. Bless Mr Van Zandt.

@irluckey 2 жыл бұрын

I’m proud to be from Texas …. Home to the greatest song writer of all time …: TOWNS VAN ZANDT 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼!!!!!!!

@billd2635 3 жыл бұрын

Someone once asked Townes why he didnt write any happy songs. He dryly replied: "Those WERE the happy songs". Mr Van Zandt, I wish I had known about you all those years ago. We missed each other by a generation. Still love your songs tho.

@GPsgurl80 5 жыл бұрын

Hard to beat "He wore a gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel". That lines kills me every single time.

@eclecticmusica 5 жыл бұрын

Townes had more good lines than all of Colombia.

@perrymason4707 3 жыл бұрын

My favourite line is “ the dust that Pancho bit down South ended up in Lefty’s mouth.”

@GPsgurl80 3 жыл бұрын

TVZ was one clever son of a bitch. I mean, really.

@AlmostHomeSounds 2 жыл бұрын

@@perrymason4707 same here

@mazrio128 2 жыл бұрын

@@perrymason4707 agreed. Both these lines are untouchable.

@dansneyd4646 8 жыл бұрын

townes played like compete boss this night R.I.P

@rkoorse 11 жыл бұрын

yeah this aint no contest folks, it aint american idol, this is feelings laid out in musical notes you dig it or you don't. Would you watch someone enjoy a meal and tell 'em their food sucks?

@michaelwilson2340 4 жыл бұрын

I would never give up my Townes CD'S and vinyl. Period!

@scottmurphy6727 Жыл бұрын

“The dust that poncho bit down south ended up in lefty’s mouth” Best lyric ever written.

@phspalace1021 6 жыл бұрын

The best right here - Townes Van Zandt.

@petramanderla1928 Жыл бұрын

Ich liebe diese Stimme und hätte ihn gern live erlebt

@martinamairitsch2467 Жыл бұрын

Ich auch - und obwohl alt genug dass ich ihn hätte live sehen können war keines seiner Konzerte nahe genug um so einfach hinfahren zu können - leider.

@roellassche1403 9 жыл бұрын

Hits the soul, great

@mistascott007 2 жыл бұрын

One of the most elegantly crafted songs I have ever heard.

@Kamyarexplores 2 жыл бұрын

He shall be one of the most singers in America, so sad people didn't appreciate him enough

@cyclonnb Жыл бұрын

I can`t hear this song without tears. I don`t know why.

@tomgreeves9248 6 жыл бұрын

Unfathomly brilliant.

@jameschivers6869 5 жыл бұрын

Wow, this is the best version I have heard so far, Townes, was, one, of, the, greats.

@russellmakar579 6 жыл бұрын

I like the video where he's playing Pancho and Lefty with his friends, he's playing a red guitar and wearing a hat. Great song writer, singer, guitarist.

@GPsgurl80 5 жыл бұрын

That would be the "Heartworn Highways" documentary.

@DavidSmith-ss1cg 3 жыл бұрын

That's the definitive version, for me; it's from the "Heartworn Highways" documentary. He introduces the song as, "Now, I'm gonna do a medley of my hit." Townes was brilliant, and he considered himself to be an antenna, and that he received the songs from somewhere else. He was bipolar and severely abused drink and drugs; and I think that he'd had electric shock treatments. He didn't write a great many songs, but an extraordinary percentage of them were as exquisite as this one. If you want to check him out, buy the double live album, "Live at the Old Quarter," in which he does most of his good songs, on a good night. Fortune passes everywhere.

@ianmorton1799 Жыл бұрын

@@DavidSmith-ss1cg I don't disagree with much you said except this, he wrote *many* songs. Several albums worth. One of the best songwriters too

@SusanS46 Жыл бұрын

@@DavidSmith-ss1cg For me, the definitive version was from an album called "The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt" (from 1972, when he was of course very much alive); the version on "Live at the Old Quarter," from the following year, is similar. It's always seemed to me that in these albums from the early 70's we have the definitive 20th-century ballad--but this could just be because these versions were the ones I heard first and committed to memory.

@carloscesena776 Жыл бұрын

As great as Merle and Willie were with this, there's nothing like the original from the originator!

@cheesenoodles8316 5 жыл бұрын

Real music...a poet....a weaver....and a friend....I have never met him.

@larrymartell5411 4 жыл бұрын

Townes was that rare gifted artist that not enough people knew what a rare jewel he was. After he is gone so many find what a rare gift his music is. Just like Van Gogh , there will never be another Townes Van Zant

@jackwalker1822 2 жыл бұрын

A great songwriter will paint a vivid picture in your mind from the lyrics and also the music itself. Pancho and Lefty to me is the gold standard of story songs.

@mazrio128 2 жыл бұрын

@@jackwalker1822 well said. This song is the epitome of storytelling songs, imo also.

@waymoreblues 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant!!!

@williamcanfield2889 Жыл бұрын

Townes and Guy Clark were best pals and two of America’s great song writers…both taken far too young…posterity will remember them with reverence.

@brendabeustsmith9056 2 жыл бұрын

The music world has lost a lot of treasures, but imagine the incredible lyrics & music we'd have today had he lived even just a little bit longer.

@roderickmatheson2770 4 ай бұрын

What a great guitar player he was

@johngault5214 6 жыл бұрын

Truly magical

@jochumsmink6062 6 жыл бұрын

It is amazing this troubled man could produce such a beautiful song. He was a very talented man, he had so much to go for, so sad he passed away too early and very sad he died lonely. and forgotten.

@TangTuyetMinh1 6 жыл бұрын

when and how did he die?

@jocarson9390 5 жыл бұрын

Not forgotten.

@dalekelly7639 4 жыл бұрын

At least he had people around him when he died.

@larrymartell5411 4 жыл бұрын

@@TangTuyetMinh1 he died of a heart attack. He was drunk and fell down stairs. He broke his hip but refused to go to a hospital because he was going to record some of his music. He finally agreed. The doctors performed several surgeries and wanted to detox him in the hospital for fear that he would die detoxing at home. His wife checked out of the hospital probably with his approval. She gave him alcohol and said he was doing better before he had a fatal heart attack.

@retriever19golden55 3 жыл бұрын

To Live's To Fly is a terrific biography of this amazing man.

@peterszutu555 Жыл бұрын

I did see him often at the Old Quarters in Houston back in 1967-70. Guy Clark and Don Sanders we’re also frequent “featured”. I put that in quotes because they just came in to try out there songs. Dale and Rex were great hosts singing “Fried chickens finger linking …” when no one wanted the mike.

@penttikiviluoma7740 8 жыл бұрын

So beautiful :)

@jimrebr Жыл бұрын

The greatest Country Storytelling song ever, I love Townes Van Zant❤❤❤❤❤

@walterhoenig6569 9 ай бұрын

Wow. Country music.

@scottnorton4256 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful song, lyrics that powerful need to resonate even if it's a "folk" song. Willie is the greatest song writer alive I'm sure he knew it instantly, that's why people today think his more popular version is the original.

@bobjolly7795 3 жыл бұрын

Great sound.....what a song....

@maldoror2007 5 жыл бұрын

wonderful. thank you

@JamesMiles619 Жыл бұрын

He was a drunk, a singer, a songwriter. TVZ Always

@999therocker 7 жыл бұрын

He was the best. Thanks for sharing.

@retsdon 6 жыл бұрын

Singing your soul. It's a level of bravery that sets apart the very best.

@cwood1946 5 жыл бұрын

Poncho needs your prayers its true, but save a few for Lefty too....He just did what he had to do....

@johnsantacruz7417 8 жыл бұрын

thanks Steven...

@vicvic964 11 жыл бұрын

love this song to in guitar like it townes van zandt thanks

@fubar50cat 13 жыл бұрын

i can only say, wow!

@georgea.567 Жыл бұрын

Best version of this song

@thomasfrederic7831 5 жыл бұрын

A so famous balade... From France

@oldnrone 12 жыл бұрын

So good!

@MAGAMANPATRIOT 2 жыл бұрын

Townes wrote great songs..

@brendonleary 5 жыл бұрын

Townes has indulged in quite a few backstage drinks, and has rushed the song a little, with the timing of some of his finger picking licks and singing getting slightly out of whack a few times, especially in the fiorst half of the song, BUT, what an incredible performance he is still able to give. It just makes me wonder how bloody awesome he must have been when just at home playing with friends, and/or not drinking so much. Townes blows me away with every performance i see and every song i listen too. I am trying to learn many of his songs the way he played them, but am finding that while the basic structure rarely changes, the feel and picking patterns/licks sometimes alter on different performances...... sometimes because of alcohol and other times because songs do change over time the more an artist plays them. Some songs change from night to night, because that is the nature of an artform like music, that benefits from spontaneous creativity and can be a perfect conduit for emotional expression. Other times songs slowly morph throughout their lifetime. Townes did play a lot of his songs for 30 years, which is both an indication how adored they were by the audience, but also testament to how perfect they were as songs. Forgive me for my rambling... I have only just got started...lol.. I can talk about Townes and his material for a very long time...

@mrspare4460 3 жыл бұрын

I couldn't do it sober, so I always admire Townes being able to do it with so much "gas in the tank"

@brendonleary 3 жыл бұрын

@@mrspare4460 Yeah. Exactly.. In the 12 months since writing this comment, I have learnt more of his material, and my opinion of his skills have only grown stronger. My renditions have definitely improved over that time, but I doubt I will ever be as good as Townes on my best day than he was on his worst...

@ivadeenmonsrud3685 3 жыл бұрын

Video on UTUBE of him playing this at home ...it is worth finding

@michaelgarrow3239 11 ай бұрын

I hope your still playing. Towns said “the song came to me one day: I didn’t write it.”

@sftimecap 4 жыл бұрын

great rendition, great soul, great vid, amigo!

@H3len50 12 жыл бұрын

Love Townes. Thank you very much. Helen

@bikerwilli9130 2 жыл бұрын

wonderful song voice

@Caperhere 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing.

@lavonnacasey5724 3 жыл бұрын

The best Poncho and Lefty is by Townes and his guitar

@Bigchurchmusic 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent 😊

@valeriejewell2015 7 жыл бұрын

I am a Jewell, and the one voice i harmonize with still...

@writersblock26 12 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting this, swinneas.

@metogun 2 жыл бұрын

thank you TWZ.lovw from istanbul turkey

@Pawlzee 12 жыл бұрын

Well said.I couldnt agree more!

@mmalbone 12 жыл бұрын

Emmy Lou is a treasure, and so is Townes. Its silly to compare better or worse. How do you compare better or worse music of either of their caliber. Music is the high language of the human spirit and angels.

@danielmesery2904 Жыл бұрын

Some fine 🎸picking..🙏RIP TVZ

@emanuelsoares9331 Жыл бұрын

Amo vocês da América.

@RoelDragt 13 жыл бұрын

The Best !!

@SusanS46 Жыл бұрын

Steve Swinnea--this is amazing! (Unless you're not who I think you are, in which case you have my most sincere apology. I was once married to Michael Schmerling.) There must be a less public way to communicate. (I'm on Facebook ...) Thanks so much for uploading this; it's one of my all-time favorite songs.

@darrellwalker5203 2 жыл бұрын

He looks in good shape here it must have been in the 1980s .

@martinamairitsch2467 Жыл бұрын

ca 1990 says the description

@TheTRoseist 12 жыл бұрын

Emmy Lou never missed a note in her life but I bet she never crawled across the desert with a desert-dry throat and a bottle of whisky in her hand just so she could sing this song. Townes, this is true love.

@ivadeenmonsrud3685 3 жыл бұрын

Willy and Haggard recorded this WASTED ...Haggard tells storey on Uribe !

@DavidSmith-ss1cg 3 жыл бұрын

Ah, but Emmylou heard this song and recognized it's quality right away, and just as she was looking for good songs to have her fabulous "Hot Band" get their talented hands on. Her exquisite and almost reverent version got EVERYONE'S attention in the world of Country Music, including two of the best Country songwriters ever. Willie and Merle's version, and the video(with Townes in it) made it an international sensation.

@jamespriest9658 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant lyrics, I'm working on bringing real Texas red dirt back.. man oh man Townes was a different animal.

@thomasfrederic7831 5 жыл бұрын

La plus belle balade country ??... Possible... From France

@hubertmarin5661 2 жыл бұрын

Oui, certainement.

@chadstewart6896 Жыл бұрын

the same as me, the booze had him at this point.

@shadun9857 10 жыл бұрын

only kindness I suppose - to answer some questions

@jasmith1867 4 жыл бұрын

The writer of this song only gets 701 likes including mine. The others who released the song get thousands of likes. But that's the way it goes.............

@evanmorrow3333 7 жыл бұрын

What guitar was Townes playing....does anyone know??

@Jammer98825 7 жыл бұрын

evan morrow Gibson J-200

@evanmorrow3333 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you Ben

@Giaour 5 жыл бұрын

@@Jammer98825 Yes, he liked it

@rajendraramoutar9999 3 жыл бұрын

Tell the story my frirnd who doesn't like it so be it but the story must be told.

@slade7354 3 жыл бұрын

He was death reincarnated as music.

@mmalbone 12 жыл бұрын

But if you must compare like that, well look at it this way, this is Townes' genius song and his is some whip ass guitar pickin'. wooo! and his is such an original style! I spose you could try comparin that with apples or oragnes too. But I don't care if your the best technical player in the world... Just try to play like that. I dare you. It would be like tryin' to sing like Willie!

@gymrat22able 12 жыл бұрын

In all this discussion of "better and "worse",that stuff doesn't apply here.Boy-bands,sure.Pop,yeah.This music...Townes,Hunter,Dylan,was written to be performed live.It wasn't meant to be kept in a studio.As Dylan himself said,"nobody does me like Jerrry Garcia"if townes were here I'm kind of afraid he would disagree with all of you.His songs are interepted to a tee by The Junkies.Margo's voice just has the ansgt that he put into everything he wrote.We miss you Townes,Jerry,Pig,Jannis,so many

@oso-goodcinema848 4 жыл бұрын

I made a whole movie based on this song

@darrellwalker5203 2 жыл бұрын

IV seen written the scar on his face was caused by a 357 mabey was the caliber he put up to his pulled the trigger the all iv seen that.

@tsbrenner 12 жыл бұрын

2:13-2:27

@lazyrrr2411 3 жыл бұрын

m' buddy "J" keeps telling me this' the one ℹ should listen to 🌵 ... 'spose he's right

@francoismarcot9758 6 ай бұрын

Townes est mort beaucoup, beaucoup trop jeune !!

@teotia012667 2 жыл бұрын

Such a shame his study albums were so terribly 'over-produced'. The producers didn't seem to understand him. Some of these amazing live recordings should be cleaned up and released.

@johnjacobs3502 3 жыл бұрын

@Luke-pk9fe 3 жыл бұрын

Looking a little Hank like. Got that booze skeleton you can't hide. 😢Thank you though 🙌

@danielking1850 3 жыл бұрын

The TX flag is hung backwards... white should be to the left...

@woodbutcher121 11 жыл бұрын

I like Willies version.

@TangTuyetMinh1 6 жыл бұрын

I do too.

@jerryjohnson8905 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah it is a version but as always the real thing is always the real thing

@ardalla535 10 ай бұрын

Saw him play as the last act in a Houston park. He'd been sitting around drinking for hours and he was drunk on his ass. Still sounded good though. I think P&L SHOULD be sung drunk. The drunker you are the better the song sounds. The song should not be sung fast and bouncy; it loses something if you do it that way.

@fubar50cat 13 жыл бұрын

wow, Pancho and Lefty, best, really, thanz, texas, we need you, just get rid of Bush, lol

@1888gp 12 жыл бұрын

i love townes but i think emmylou harris 's version is better,just my opinion !

@1888gp 12 жыл бұрын

@ithurtsmean ive heard tons of townes and as i stated if u had a brain u would have noticed . ....in MY OPINION emmylou's version is better.....

@robertcudlipp3426 6 жыл бұрын

I agree....but how many singer's have -in 1977 when she recorded this song, a voice that could match the pure quality and sheer evocative version Emmylou cut?

@daylesuess552 3 жыл бұрын

I almost always prefer the writers original version unless the writer wrote it for someone else.