Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Townes Van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty

I gotta applaud this guy’s no-electricity shack-in-the-woods lifestyle, but not his lifelong addictions. Sure had talent tho, and did right to the best of his ability for his kids.

He was an interesting cat, that’s for sure. I think that video came from a documentary called “Heartworn Highways.”
I’ve seen parts of it and it had a bunch of the outlaw characters from the 70’s such as Van Zandt, David Allen Coe and a very young Steve Earle.

That's a great, kind of haunting song I've always liked. It's too bad many of those talented folks are so unbalanced and self destructive.

Kentucky boys do ballads better.



https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10366632/1

The first version I heard was Emmylou's, then the Willy and Merle one (Gack!). Now all I listen to is a live version by Townes.

Like Dylan, not the best singer, but what songs!

Not bashing the artists but, always thought that was a really stupid song. Right up there with 7 Spanish Angels.

Check this gal out, doing a Townes song. Quite the picker.

My favorite Prine tune. That and The speed of the sound of loneliness.

Someone who knows how needs to post this video of Roseanne Cash covering Pancho and Lefty. Best version ever, IMHO.

https://www.google.com/search?q=you...886j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Here ya go Doc!

Great song written by a very talented but troubled young man. Emmylou Harris was the conduit through which that song was passed from Townes to Willie and Merle according to the Ken Burns documentary.

Van Zandt's best buddy had to become an old, grey man before he wrote the best song of his life. This is a *real* song, too.

,...ain't nuthin' made up about it,...it's a piece of an old man's life put to music.

Guy wrote plenty of best songs before he became old and "grey".

Glad you have a favorite. He was a poet...

I don't think he ever wrote anything that can compete with an ode to his deceased spouse.

Guy Clark,...young,..fugged up, pickin' and singin'

It's a good 'un.

So are Dublin Blues, Desperadoes, Texas 1947, etc. etc.

Didn't mean to downplay your favorite, Bristoe. It is a great song.

This is own my favorite Guy Clark tune, the ode to his grandpa (well, actually his grandma’s boyfriend). Here as sung by Jimmy Buffet.

This is the way I first heard it in 1982, a Peace Corps buddy was from Texas and played it, this tune stuck with me ever since. Didn’t know it was a Guy Clark tune until just now.

I’d never heard Van Zandt’s original of the song. I’ve heard of him but don’t recall ever hearing his music. I LIKE that version. Everything about his makes the story better. Gonna have to listen to more of his stuff.