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.
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
@@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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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?
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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...
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.
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.
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.............
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!
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
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.
![Townes Van Zandt - Pancho & Lefty (Live in Austin, 1975) [RESTORED FOOTAGE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m9trdd3kFwc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Townes Van Zandt - Pancho & Lefty (Live in Austin, 1975) [RESTORED FOOTAGE]](/img/tr.png)
America’s GREATEST songwriter on display, here. What a Guitarist. What a voice. We love you, Townes!
He's my favorite along with Marty Robbins.
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.
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
Amen.... God Rest His Soul. The best always are taken away before their time. I Love His Song writing and voice!!
I met TVZ at "Madigans Brunswick Melbourne" which is on ytube..Six months after we met he was gone😢
Agree. I like John Denver's later performances as well. More emotion.
@@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.
One of the true jewels of American songwriting
Best live version of Pancho and Lefty in my opinion. His fingerpicking sounds amazing..!!
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.
Z Baseball013 when he sang it it was real because he rote it
I was thinking the same thing. He was a clean picker
Yeah he was a master finger picker. That's called Travis picking, blaze Foley and John Prine used that technique. Townes was the man.
You said it brother ......badass
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
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.
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.
One of my top 10 favorite songs of all time. Oh, Townes. Miss you. 🥰
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
Thanks fred.
@@dariusdribbles.3981 It soon became a favorite of mine to play at the occasional open mic that I've done at folk clubs.
Fred
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.
A song to scream into the darkness, my old friend.
@@retriever19golden55 For me, I think that list would be this song, and _The Trumpet Vine_ by the late Kate Wolf.
I’m proud to be from Texas ….
Home to the greatest song writer of all time …:
TOWNS VAN ZANDT 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼!!!!!!!
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
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.
@@jackwalker1822 well said. This song is the epitome of storytelling songs, imo also.
Hands down, one of the greatest writers of all time.
Finally heard this famous song. It is beautiful.
“The dust that poncho bit down south
ended up in lefty’s mouth” Best lyric ever written.
I completely agree, but I don't really understand it fully, it just works.
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.
Ich liebe diese Stimme und hätte ihn gern live erlebt
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.
Saw him play in Austin. 1973. best there is.
chitina Kennicott You are so lucky!
I bet that was really something to witness. Bless Mr Van Zandt.
Townes forever... Forever Townes
Another shooting star who crossed the firmament of American music too quickly, to soon.
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.
Eyes closed almost the entire time. There but not there.
Gifting us the music of angels.
He shall be one of the most singers in America, so sad people didn't appreciate him enough
I can`t hear this song without tears. I don`t know why.
I would never give up my Townes CD'S and vinyl. Period!
What a great guitar player he was
This will always be my favorite country song.
One of the most elegantly crafted songs I have ever heard.
Wow, this is the best version I have heard so far, Townes, was, one, of, the, greats.
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.
Real music...a poet....a weaver....and a friend....I have never met him.
The best right here - Townes Van Zandt.
Unfathomly brilliant.
Hits the soul, great
Brilliant!!!
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.
That would be the "Heartworn Highways" documentary.
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.
@@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
@@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.
The greatest Country Storytelling song ever, I love Townes Van Zant❤❤❤❤❤
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?
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.
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.
when and how did he die?
Not forgotten.
At least he had people around him when he died.
@@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.
To Live's To Fly is a terrific biography of this amazing man.
Hard to beat "He wore a gun outside his pants for all the honest world to feel". That lines kills me every single time.
Townes had more good lines than all of Colombia.
My favourite line is “ the dust that Pancho bit down South ended up in Lefty’s mouth.”
TVZ was one clever son of a bitch. I mean, really.
@@perrymason4707 same here
@@perrymason4707 agreed. Both these lines are untouchable.
townes played like compete boss this night R.I.P
He was the best. Thanks for sharing.
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.
Truly magical
Great sound.....what a song....
So beautiful :)
wonderful. thank you
thank you TWZ.lovw from istanbul turkey
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.
great rendition, great soul, great vid, amigo!
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.
Singing your soul. It's a level of bravery that sets apart the very best.
love this song to in guitar like it townes van zandt thanks
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...
I couldn't do it sober, so I always admire Townes being able to do it with so much "gas in the tank"
@@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...
Video on UTUBE of him playing this at home ...it is worth finding
I hope your still playing.
Towns said “the song came to me one day: I didn’t write it.”
As great as Merle and Willie were with this, there's nothing like the original from the originator!
He was a drunk, a singer, a songwriter. TVZ Always
Thank you for sharing.
Love Townes. Thank you very much. Helen
wonderful song voice
thanks Steven...
Best version of this song
perfection
Excellent 😊
The best Poncho and Lefty is by Townes and his guitar
i can only say, wow!
Thank you for posting this, swinneas.
Poncho needs your prayers its true, but save a few for Lefty too....He just did what he had to do....
Some fine 🎸picking..🙏RIP TVZ
Wow. Country music.
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.
Willy and Haggard recorded this WASTED ...Haggard tells storey on Uribe !
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.
A so famous balade... From France
So good!
Townes wrote great songs..
Amo vocês da América.
I am a Jewell, and the one voice i harmonize with still...
Well said.I couldnt agree more!
The Best !!
Brilliant lyrics, I'm working on bringing real Texas red dirt back.. man oh man Townes was a different animal.
He looks in good shape here it must have been in the 1980s .
ca 1990 says the description
What guitar was Townes playing....does anyone know??
evan morrow Gibson J-200
Thank you Ben
@@Jammer98825 Yes, he liked it
La plus belle balade country ??... Possible... From France
Oui, certainement.
That maple guitar seems to be one he likes.
You should watch the city of Galway doing Steve's song Galway girl
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.............
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.
Tell the story my frirnd who doesn't like it so be it but the story must be told.
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!
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
only kindness I suppose - to answer some questions
the same as me, the booze had him at this
point.
He was death reincarnated as music.
Bob Dylan sometimes calls himself Lefty.
I made a whole movie based on this song
Probably one song Bob Dylan wished he had of written.
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.
m' buddy "J" keeps telling me this' the one ℹ should listen to 🌵 ... 'spose he's right
Looking a little Hank like. Got that booze skeleton you can't hide. 😢Thank you though 🙌
The TX flag is hung backwards... white should be to the left...
Townes est mort beaucoup, beaucoup trop jeune !!
..
2:13-2:27