Townes Van Zandt (John Townes Van Zandt, born at Fort Worth, Texas, March 7, 1944 and died at Smyrna, Tennessee, January 1, 1997). He was a country and folk singer and poet.  While alive, Van Zandt was labelled as a cult musician.  Though he had a small and devoted fanbase, he never had a successful album or single, and even had difficulty keeping his recordings in print. Many of his songs, including &quot;If I Needed You,&quot; &quot;To Live Is To Fly,&quot; and &quot;No Place to Fall&quot; are considered standards of their genre. AllMusic has called him &quot;one of the greatest country and folk artists of his generation.&quot; 

Townes Van Zandt voit le jour le 7 mars 1944 à Forth Worth au Texas.  Dans sa jeunesse il découvre Lightnin' Hopkins et Bob Dylan. En 1968 parait son premier album &quot;For the Sake of the Song&quot; qu'il a renié par la suite en raison de la production qu'il jugeait emphatique. Cet album est néanmoins devenu un classique souterrain où Van Zandt expose sa virtuosité poétique et mélodique ainsi que la noirceur de son propos, notamment dans le suffocant &quot;Waitin' around to die&quot; où empilant sans cesse les mêmes mots il érige des montagnes de désolation. 

Townes Van Zandt (* 7. März 1944 in Fort Worth, Texas; 

Townes Van Zandt nació en la ciudad de Fort Worth, en el estado de Texas, en el seno de una adinerada familia relacionada con el negocio del petróleo. Era descendiente de Isaac Van Zandt, que tuvo un importante papel político en la época en que Texas fue un estado independiente.  Comenzó su carrera como cantante de folk a mediados de la década de 1960, tocando en clubes como Sand Mountain y Old Quarter, en Houston (Texas).

D                  G                D
I'm goin' out to Denver, see if I can't find
    G                                    D
I'm goin' out to Denver,  see if I can't find
     A7         G            D
That lovin' Colorado girl of mine


Well the promise in her smile shames the mountains tall
Well the promise in her smile shames the mountains tall
She can bring the sun to shinin', tell the rain to fall


Been a long time Mama, since I heard you call my name
Been a long time, long time, since I heard you call my name
Got to see my Colorado girl again


I'll be there tomorrow, Mama, now don't you cry
(I'll) be there tomorrow, Mama, don't you cry
Gonna tell these lonesome Texas blues goodbye

Colorado Girl

|A|-0-----3-------3-0-----3-------3-|-0-----3-------3-0-----3-------3-|
|e|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|
|D|---------4---------------4-------|---------4---------------4-------|
|G|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
                                                                        
|A|-------5-0-----5-------5-0-----5-|-0-----3-------3-0-----3-------2-|
|e|---1-------1-------1-------1-----|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|
|D|-2---------------2---------------|---------4---------------4-------|
|G|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
                                                                        
|A|-2-----2-------2-2-----2-------2-|-0-----3-------3-0-----3-------2-|
|e|---0-----0-0-------0-----3-0-----|---0-------0-------0-------0-----|
|D|---------------------------------|---------4---------------4-------|
|G|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
                                                                        
|A|-------5-0-----5-------5-0-----5-|-0-----3-------3-2-----2-------2-|
|e|---1-------1-------1-------1-----|---0-----0-0-------0-----3-0-----|
|D|-2---------------2---------------|---------------------------------|
|G|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------0-------0---|
                             H         
|A|-0-----3-------3-0-----3-------2-||
|e|---0-------0-------0-------3-0---||
|D|---------4---------------4-------o|
|G|-----2-------2-------2-----------o|

Waiting Around To Die

Townes Van Zandt

# CHORUS:
C           E7 
Cocaine, xxxxxxx
F
xxxxx xx xxxxx, xxxxxx xxxxx xx brain
        C G C
Cocaine, xx xxx xxx xxxxxxx

# (Same structure for the whole song)

Cocaine Blues

Am                                                          Dm
Sometimes I don't even know where this dusty road is taking me
Am                                                  Em
Sometimes I don't even know the reason why
Am
but I figure I'll keep on ramblin'
           Dm
Lots of booze and lots of gamblin'
     Am                Em                   Am
It's easier than just waitin around to die.

Waiting Round To Die

Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas

C     G                                             C
	Your eyes seek conclusion in all this confusion of mine
     	    G                                              C
	But you and I both know it's only the warm glow of wine
            	F
	That's got you to feelin' this way
           	C
	But I don't care I want you to stay
	G                                     F       C
	Hold me and tell me you'll Be Here To Love Me today.

	The children are dancin' the gamblers are chancin' their all
	The window's accusin' the door of abusin' the wall
	But who cares what the night watchmen say
	The stage has been set for the play
	So hold me and tell me you'll Be Here To Love Me today.


	The moon's come and gone but a few stars hang on to the sky
	Where the wind's runnin' free but it ain't up to me to ask why
	But the poets are demandin' their pay
	They've left me with nothin' to say
	'Cept hold me and tell me you'll Be Here To Love Me today.

Be Here To Love Me

C
At my window
              F
watching the sun go
            G
hoping the stars know
F            C
it's time to shine
C
daydreams
         F
aloft on dark wings
            G
soft as the sun streams
F           C
at days decline

G
Living is laughing
F                     C
dying says nothing at all
G
baby and I are laying here
F                     C
watching the evening fall

Time flows
through brave beginnings
and she leaves her endings
beneath our feet
walk lightly
upon their faces
leave gentle traces
upon their sleep

Living is dancing
dying does nothing at all
baby and I are laying here
wathing the evening fall

Three dimes
hard luck and good times
fast lines and low rhymes
ain't much to say
Feel fine
feel low and lazy
feel grey and hazy
feel far away

Living is sighing
dying ain't flying so high
baby and I are lying here
watching the day go by

At My Window

F           C              F              C
Days up and down they come like Rain on a conga drum
C              G               F               C
Forget most, remember some but don't turn none away
F             C            F              C
Everything is not enough & nothin' is too much to bear
C                    G                    F                    C
Where you've been is good and gone all you keep is the gettin' there


CHORUS:
   F          C        F       G
To Live Is To Fly Both low and high
   C                  G
So shake the dust off of your broken wings
        F                C
And the sleep out of you eyes


Good-by to all my friends it's time to go again
Just think about the poetry and the pickin' down the line
I'll miss the system here the bottom's low and the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think too much on the things you leave behind

CHORUS

We all got holes to fill & them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make, time is yours to take
Some sail upon the sea some toil upon the stone

FINAL CHORUS:
To Live Is To Fly Both low and high
So shake the dust off of your broken wings
And the sleep out of you eyes
Shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eyes...

To Live Is To Fly

High, Low And In Between

C                              G7
Livin' on the road my friend is gonna keep you free and clean
F                                      C                
Now you wear your skin like iron, your breath's hard as 
G7
kerosene
F                                 C                  F
You weren't your momma's only boy, but her favorite one it seems
C                      Dm                F             
Began to cry when you said, "good-bye", sank into your 
Am
dreams.

Poncho was a bandit boys, his horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel
Poncho met his match, ya know, on the desert down in Mexico
No one heard his dyin' words, but that's the way it goes. 


F                      C                     F      
All the Federales say, they could'a had him any day
C                 Dm                 F             Am      
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose.


Lefty he can't sing the blues, anymore like he used to 
The dust that Poncho bit down south, ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Poncho low, Lefty split for O-hio
Where he got the bread to go, ain't nobody knows.


The poets tell how Poncho fell, Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold and so the story ends, we're told
Poncho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do but now he's growin' old.

Poncho and Lefty

The Late Great Townes Van Zandt

C   
Jaja, okay okay
                  F
Ya sé qué pasa aquí
   A#                            C
Encuentras la grandeza frente a ti
             C
Y no sabes bien qué sentir
       F            A#                      C
Es adorable, que jamás los humanitos cambiarán
           C       F
Despierta ya, oye bien, 
           A#                   C
este como ves es Maui, de verdad
             C                F
Sé que como yo no encuentras dos
        A#          C
Lo que miras es un semi Dios

[Coro 1]
Am         F           C
  Yo solo sé decir de nada
        E7               Am
Por el mar, el cielo, el sol
                F            C
No hay de que agradecer, de nada
     E7                    C
Soy sólo un ordinario semi yo

[Estrofa 2]
C                                F  
Hey, ¿qué fortachón el cielo elevó?
                        A#
Cuando eras de esta altura, éste
C                  C
  Si la noche enfrió, 
                  F
¿quién fue quien fuego te llevó?
       A#          
¿Qué, alguien me nombró? 
C              C       F
  Oh, yo sólo lazo el sol
          A#                    C
De nada, para estirar tu diversión
          C       F
Brisa yo hago soplar, de nada, 
   A#           C
y así tus velas elevar

[Coro 2]
Am        F            C
  Yo sólo sé decir de nada, 
        E7                  Am
por las islas que traje del mar
              F                  C
No ruegues jamás, nunca más, de nada
         E7                     Am
¡Ha! Genial es mi manera de servir, 
    F
de nada, 
    C
de nada

[Parte Rap]
C
De nada dudes ya
Hey, honestamente te explicaré 
de natural modo cada fenómeno
El mar, el sol, el gas, 
oh, ese es Maui hablando de más
Anguilas que, yo las enterré, 
de la palmera los cocos creé
Un consejo, una lección te doy
No me molestes si en mi descanso estoy
Am
  El tapiz que en mi piel se ve, 
F
  es el mapa de lo que gané
C
  Por donde fui provoqué mil sucesos
E7
  Ve al pequeñín mini Maui nomás zapateando,
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ¡Hey!

[Coro 3]
Am          F              C
  Yo sólo puedo decir, de nada (de nada)
           E7              Am
Por el mundo especial que doy
                 F           C
No hay de que agradecer, de nada (de nada)
    E7                     Am
De nada hablaré, que ya me voy
          F            C
Te toca a ti decir de nada (de nada)
       E7             Am
Pues quiero esa barca ya
             F          C
Muy lejos navegaré, de nada (de nada)
       E7               Am
Pues Maui nada sabe de nadar
              F                 C  F C
(De nada) De nada (De nada) de nada
         C
Y gracias

De Nada

G      Em
I found a love for me
               C                         D
Darling just dive right in, and follow my lead
                G                 Em
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
          C                                  D
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

                                 G
Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
              Em                     C               G  D
Not knowing what it was, I will not give you up this ti-ime
                   G                         Em
But darling just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
             C                  D
And in your eyes you’re holding mine

       Em   C            G          D              Em
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
C                G     D                Em
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
          C                G                 D              Em
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
         C                G        D             
But you heard it, darling you look perfect tonight

               G                    Em
Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
                C                                        D
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I’ll share her home
           G             Em
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets
         C                              D
To carry love, to carry children of our own

                              G                     Em 
We are still kids, but we’re so in love, fighting against all odds
                  C               G  D
I know that we’ll be alright this ti-ime
               G                            Em 
Darling just hold my hand, be my girl, I’ll be your man
          C              D
I see my future in your eyes



       Em   C            G          D              Em
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
C                G     D                Em
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
          C                G                 D               Em
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
         C                G        D             
But you heard it, darling you look perfect tonight

G Em C D 


       Em     C            G          D              Em
Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
C                G     D                Em
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
          C                G                 D               Em
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
         C                G        D             
But you heard it, darling you look perfect tonight


Perfect

BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP


C         G
Baa, baa, black sheep,
F            C
Have you any wool?

F        C
Yes sir, yes sir,
G          C
Three bags full.

C           G
One for the master,
F           C
One for the dame,

F               C
And one for the little boy
G                  C
Who lives down the lane.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Intro (2X):
Am	G	F	C

Verse 1:
                C	               Am		
There's so much craziness surrounding me
                F	 	             G		            
There's so much going on it gets hard to breathe
     Am     F		                          C
When all my faith has gone you bring it back to me
Am	         G	       F   C
You make it real for me

             C	             Am		
When I'm not sure of my priorities
               F	 	             G		
When I've lost sight of where I meant to be
     Am   F		            C
Like holy water washing over me 
Am	         G	       F   C
You make it real for me

Chorus:
    G	    Am	   F	             C
And IIIIIIIII'm running to you baby
G    Am	              F	           C
  Youuuuuuuuu are the only one who saved me
       G     Am	         F	               C
That's    whyyyyyyy I've been missing you lately
      Am	         G	       F   C
Cause you make it real for me 

Verse 2:
          C	                   Am		
When my head is strong but my heart is weak
              F	 	          G		
I'm full of arrogance and uncertainty
     Am      F				                          C
When I can't find the words you teach my heart to speak
Am	         G	       F   C
You make it real for me yeah

Chorus:
    G	    Am	   F	             C
And IIIIIIIII'm running to you baby
G    Am	              F	           C
  Youuuuuuuuu are the only one who saved me
       G     Am	         F	               C
That's    whyyyyyyy I've been missing you lately
      Am	         G	       F   C
Cause you make it real for me 

Bridge:
G                           F                 C
    Everybody’s talking in words I don't understand
G                                    F              C
    You got to be the only one who knows just who I am
Em                                    F	
    You’re shining in the distance I hope I can make it through
           D	                              G                                    
Cause the only place that I want to be is right back home with you 


Verse 3:
                 C	             Am		
I guess there's so much more I have to learn
               F	 	                       G		
But if you're here with me, I know which way to turn
        Am         F		                   C
You always give me somewhere, somewhere I can run
Am	            G	       F   C
   You make it real for me 

Chorus:
    G	    Am	   F	             C
And IIIIIIIII'm running to you baby
G    Am	              F	           C
  Youuuuuuuuu are the only one who saved me
       G     Am	         F	               C
That's    whyyyyyyy I've been missing you lately
      Am	         G	       F   C
Cause you make it real for me 
Am	         G	       F   C
You make it real for me

You Make It Real

G         Em		  
1) Almost heaven,   West Virginia,
2) All my mem'ries, gather round her, 

   D			 C                G
1) Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah       River.
2) miner's lady,         stranger to blue water.

                      Em  
1) Life is old there, older than the trees, 
2) Dark and dusty,    painted on the sky, 

   D
1) younger than the mountains
2) misty taste of moonshine

   C			G
1) growin' like a breeze.
2) teardrop in my eye.

              G              D            Em        C
       Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong.
	      G               D              C            G
     West Virginia, Mountain momma, take me home Country roads


           Em       D            G 
 	I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me,
            C        G              D 
        the radio reminds her of my home far away
            Em               D            C
        and driving down the road I get a feeling 
 	       G                     D          D7    G
        that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.

Country Roads

Intro/Verse
A|--4--1--3--6---------------------------------------------------|
E|--------1--4---------------------------------------------------|
C|--8--5---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Chorus
A|--1--4--4--4--6------------------------------------------------|
E|--------2-----4------------------------------------------------|
C|--5--8-----8---------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Solo
A|--8-8-8-8-8-9-6-6-8-9-I----------8-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------9-9-9-9---4-4-4-------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

A|--8-8-8-8-8-9-6-6-8-9-I------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------9-9-9-9-------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|

School Friends

Am      C              F              C
I had a dream, we were sipping whisky neat
        F              C                 G
Highest floor, the Bowery, and nowhere’s high enough
    Am              C                F             C
Somewhere along the lines, we stopped seeing eye to eye
         F               C           G
You were staying out all night and I had enough


      F           Am             F                    C       
No, I don't wanna know where you been or where you're goin’
      F               Am                 G
But I know I won't be home and you'll be on your own


            F                    C                G
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
            F                 C                 G
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
             F                C               G         E7   Am
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
             F                    C                G
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning, it ain’t me


Am        C              G         F   
Ow-ow, ah-ah the Bowery, ow-ow, ah-ah whiskey neat
Am          C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

F         C              Am        G
Ow-ow, ah-ah the Bowery, ow-ow, ah-ah whiskey neat
F           C       G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

Am     C           G      F   
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
Am          C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

F      C           Am     G
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
F           C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)


Am  C  Am       C              F           C
       I had a dream, we were back to seventeen
       F                   C            G
Summer nights and the Libertines, never growing up
Am             C          F                 C
I'll take with me the polaroids and the memories
        F              C                G
But you know I'm gonna leave behind the worst of us


             F                    C                G
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
             F                 C                 G
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
             F                C               G         E7   Am
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
             F                    C                G               
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning

         F      C     G
It ain’t me, no-o, no-o
         F      C     G
It ain’t me, no-o, no-o
         F      C     G  E7  Am
It ain’t me, no-o, no-o
             F                    C                G                
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning, it ain’t me


Am     C           G      F   
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
Am          C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

F      C           Am     G
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
F           C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

Am     C           G      F   
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
Am          C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

F      C           Am     G
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
F           C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

Am     C           G      F   
Ow-ow, the Bowery, ow-ow, the whiskey neat
Am          C       G         G
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I (it ain’t me)

F            C           Am           G
No no, no no no, Bowery, no no, no no no, whiskey neat
F           C       G                     Am
Where y’go, I’m so, grateful, I, it ain’t me

It Ain't Me

LA RE
Jo et duré a casa si fa mal temps
MI FA#m
Jo t’empararé si un cas tens por
SIm MI
Jo te cuidaré si estàs malalta
RE LA
De tot cor, de tot cor
RE REm LA
De tot cor

MI RE DO#m-SIm-LA

FA#m DO#m
Estic a punt d’anar-me’n
RE LA RE
Mes abans de partir et diré
REm LA
Que et duc dins es pensament

FA#m DO#m
No deix de recordar-te
RE LA RE
I alen els teus alens tot calents
REm SIm MI
De lluny i de prop me tens


Jo et duré...

FA#m DO#m
I a dalt de s’escenari
RE LA RE
Quan estic concentrat cantant
REm MI
Jo sempre te tenc present

FA#m DO#m
Perquè m’ets necessari
RE LA
Com s’aire que respir
RE REm SIm MI
Necessit estar amb tu en tot moment


Jo et duré... ( bis )

De tot cor

E|--------------|---------0----|-3-------0----|--------------|
A|-1---1---1----|-1---1--------|--------------|-1-------1----|
C|-0------------|-0---0--------|--------------|-0------------|
G|--------------|--------------|-2------------|--------------|

E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|-0------------|-0---0---1----|-0------------|--------------|
C|--------------|--------------|-0-------2----|-0------------|
G|-0-------0----|-0---0--------|--------------|--------------|

E|--------------|---------0----|-3-------0----|--------------|
A|-1---1---1----|-1---1--------|--------------|-1-------1----|
C|-0------------|-0---0--------|--------------|-0------------|
G|--------------|--------------|-2------------|--------------|

E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|-0------------|---------0----|-1-------1----|-1------------|
C|--------------|-0---2--------|-0-------0----|-0------------|
G|-0-------0----|--------------|--------------|--------------|

E|--------------|---------0----|-3-------0----|--------------|
A|-1---1---1----|-1---1--------|--------------|-1-------1----|
C|-0------------|-0---0--------|--------------|-0------------|
G|--------------|--------------|-2------------|--------------|

E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|-0------------|-0---0---1----|-0------------|--------------|
C|--------------|--------------|-0-------2----|-0------------|
G|-0-------0----|-0---0--------|--------------|--------------|

E|--------------|---------0----|-3-------0----|--------------|
A|-1---1---1----|-1---1--------|--------------|-1-------1----|
C|-0------------|-0---0--------|--------------|-0------------|
G|--------------|--------------|-2------------|--------------|

E|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
A|-0------------|---------0----|-1-------1----|-1------------|
C|--------------|-0---2--------|-0-------0----|-0------------|
G|-0-------0----|--------------|--------------|--------------|

Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush

S                     S        
A|-------------------------------------| 
E|--6------6-6---3-------------------1-| 
C|-------------5---5-------------------| 
G|-------------------------------------| 
                                                              
A|----------------------------------------------------------| 
E|--1--1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1------------------------------| 
C|-----4-4-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2------------------------------| 
G|----------------------------------------------------------| 

A|-----5--8--10--8--5--|--8-12--------12--|----5-8-10-8-5-------| 
E|--6------------------|------------------|--6------------------| 
C|---------------------|------------------|---------------------| 
G|---------------------|-------5--7-5-----|---------------------| 
     S      S      S      S            
A|----------------7------7-8----8---| 
E|--5-6----5-6------1----5-6----6---| 
C|--4-5------2------2-----------2---| 
G|---------6------6-----------------|

Colorado Girl	No rating	beginner	Chords	Full
Waiting Around To Die	No rating	beginner	Tab	Riff

Townes Van Zandt

Popular tabs

Album songs (2)

No pending tabs

More albums by Townes Van Zandt