{"id":403,"date":"2021-11-02T21:03:02","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T01:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/?p=403"},"modified":"2021-12-25T17:13:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-25T21:13:41","slug":"townes-van-zandt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/2021\/11\/02\/townes-van-zandt\/","title":{"rendered":"Townes Van Zandt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"892\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/TVZ.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/TVZ.jpeg 892w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/TVZ-261x300.jpeg 261w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/TVZ-768x882.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>John Townes Van Zandt was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944, to one of the founding families of his home city and into great fortune. His parents had hopes of him attending law school and joining the family\u2019s oil business, but after a stint in higher education, it became clear it wasn\u2019t the path for Van Zandt. His parents brought him home from the University of Colorado after it became apparent he had been struggling with drinking. At home he was diagnosed with bipolar and manic depression which was then treated with insulin shock therapy &#8211; which destroyed part of his memory and remains one of his greatest regrets in life. Substance abuse and mental illness would prove to be a continuous thread throughout his life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Influenced by legends such as Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and Woody Guthrie, Van Zandt developed a style of songwriting that would solidify his own place amongst his heroes. He was never known for being a particularly gifted singer; it\u2019s his words where he truly shone. His lyricism is deeply personal and poetic in a way that would come to influence even Bob Dylan. He told the stories of those who had been hurt and those who had struggled, narrating his own troubles with alcoholism, depression, and a life of constant traveling, and he told them in a way that drew listeners in and kept them captivated. His performances were quiet and understated, just him and his guitar, yet still he stood with the ranks of louder, full bands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Townes Van Zandt - Snowin&#039; On Raton + If I Needed You + Pancho and Lefty  Texas Connection 1990\" width=\"1345\" height=\"757\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SkQKzzC9MRk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Though Van Zandt isn\u2019t a household name in the way that Bob Dylan is, his songwriting and style of guitar playing made waves and became hugely influential to future artists. In an advertisement for one of his performances, the Harper Herald newspaper refers to him as an \u201cunderground hero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"563\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-02-at-9.00.49-PM-563x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-02-at-9.00.49-PM-563x1024.png 563w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-02-at-9.00.49-PM-165x300.png 165w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/files\/2021\/11\/Screen-Shot-2021-11-02-at-9.00.49-PM.png 646w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of Van Zandt\u2019s mentees, Steve Earle, may not be the best known of the artists influenced by his music, but is to this day one of his greatest champions, often proclaiming him \u201cthe best songwriter in the world.\u201d Earle has told many stories of Van Zandt\u2019s brilliant yet deeply troubled mind, and how he ultimately was his own worst enemy. At a gathering, Van Zandt once picked up a pistol, threw a few bullets into it, and fired at his own head; the chamber was empty, but it\u2019s a fitting metaphor for the way he treated life and himself. He was known as a \u201cdoomed romantic\u201d and for his reckless behavior due to substance abuse that often got him kicked out of clubs and bars or carried off stage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWhen somebody\u2019s as good as Townes Van Zandt was and more people don\u2019t know about it, it\u2019s Townes\u2019s fault. For whatever reasons, he shot himself in the foot every damn chance he got&#8230;Part of him didn\u2019t consider himself worthy of anything. \u201d<\/p><cite>Steve Earle<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Zandt&#8217;s music is noted for his exceptional lyricism, and his immense talent when it comes to storytelling. One of his best known songs, &#8220;Poncho &amp; Lefty,&#8221; tells the tale of a Mexican bandit. It&#8217;s been covered by numerous other artists over the years; perhaps the best known version is by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Townes Van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty.  Heartworn Highways\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zprRZ2wFQD4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson - Pancho and Lefty (Video)\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UoKvUYbGu7A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The brutal, sometimes nearly unbearable honestly of Van Zandt&#8217;t writing is another quality that drew listeners in. His song &#8220;Waiting Around to Die&#8221; is, as one might guess, one of the more grueling of his catalog. The song tells the tale of someone who has experienced great loss and pain, simply looking for a way to keep going and pass the time &#8211; ultimately, the answer ends up being drugs, Codeine in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Townes Van Zandt - Waiting Around to Die\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hVuiCfIFKT0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Sometimes I don&#8217;t know where<\/p><p>This dirty road is taking me<\/p><p>Sometimes I can&#8217;t even see the reason why<\/p><p>I guess I keep a-gamblin&#8217;<\/p><p>Lots of booze and lots of ramblin&#8217;<\/p><p>It&#8217;s easier than just waitin&#8217; around to die<\/p><p>&#8230;.<\/p><p>Now I&#8217;m out of prison<\/p><p>I got me a friend at last<\/p><p>He don&#8217;t drink or steal or cheat or lie<\/p><p>His name&#8217;s Codine<\/p><p>He&#8217;s the nicest thing I&#8217;ve seen<\/p><p>Together we&#8217;re gonna wait around and die<\/p><cite>Townes Van Zandt, &#8220;Waiting Around to Die&#8221;<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other side of the coin, &#8220;To Live is to Fly&#8221; is one of Van Zandt&#8217;s more hopeful songs, and a display of his deeply poetic style of songwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Townes Van Zandt - To Live Is To Fly\" width=\"1345\" height=\"757\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6eSggloAtBo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The choice is yours to make,<\/p><p>Time is yours to take<\/p><p>Some sail upondive into the sea,<\/p><p>Some toil upon the stone.<\/p><p>To live is to fly<\/p><p>Low and high,<\/p><p>So shake the dust off of your wings<\/p><p>And the sleep out of your eyes<\/p><p>Shake the dust off of your wings<\/p><p>And the tears out of your eyes.<\/p><cite>Townes Van Zandt, &#8220;To Live is to Fly&#8221;<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, the years of addiction and mental illness took their toll on Van Zandt\u2019s body, and he passed away in 1977 after suffering a heart attack while recovering from hip surgery; he was only 52 years old, and it\u2019s believed his lifestyle contributed greatly to his early demise. Even with a lifespan cut short, his legacy is enormous. Multiple documentaries and books have been created about his life, has won numerous posthumous awards, and his songs have been covered by artists such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Counting Crows, Jason Isbell, Frank Turner, Emmylou Harris, and many more. The list of artists who have cited Van Zandt as an influence is a mile long and includes the likes of Neil Young, the Avett Brothers, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, John Prine, Garth Brooks, Conor Oberst, Kings of Leon, Shakey Graves, and countless more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Works Cited:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>clevelandlivemusic. \u201cTownes Van Zandt &#8211; Snowin&#8217; on Raton + If I Needed You + Pancho and Lefty Texas Connection 1990.\u201d <em>YouTube<\/em>, YouTube, 20 June 2020, www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SkQKzzC9MRk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCountry Singer-Songwriter Townes Van Zandt Dies at 52.\u201d <em>The Washington Post<\/em>, WP Company, 4 Jan. 1997, www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/local\/1997\/01\/04\/country-singer-songwriter-townes-van-zandt-dies-at-52\/93f93e2b-05eb-4d3f-a997-a152bedb72de\/.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decurtis, Anthony. \u201cFreeing a Mentor from His Mythology.\u201d <em>The New York Times<\/em>, The New York Times, 8 May 2009, www.nytimes.com\/2009\/05\/10\/arts\/music\/10decurtis.html.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dietel, Norman J. The Harper Herald (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, May 27, 1977, newspaper, May 27, 1977; Harper, Texas. (https:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metapth1034933\/m1\/1\/?q=%22townes%20van%20zandt%22: accessed November 1, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Harper Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McVey, John, and Laurie E Jasinski. \u201cVan Zandt, John Townes (1944\u20131997).\u201d <em>TSHA<\/em>, 7 Dec. 2006, www.tshaonline.org\/handbook\/entries\/van-zandt-john-townes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Steven Fromholz and Townes Van Zandt, video, May 4, 1990; (https:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc1830943\/m1\/?q=townes%20van%20zandt: accessed November 1, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Zandt, Jeanne, and Will Van Zandt. <em>Townes Van Zandt<\/em>, townesvanzandt.com\/.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Zandt, T. (1993, December). Townes Van Zandt Interview. other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Townes Van Zandt was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944, to one of the founding families of his home city and into great fortune. His parents had hopes of him attending law school and joining the family\u2019s oil &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":250,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[30,259,139,163,161],"class_list":["post-403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artifacts-of-texas-music","tag-dallas","tag-fort-worth","tag-guitar","tag-singer-songwriters","tag-townes-van-zandt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/250"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":740,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions\/740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}