Townes Van Zandt -
A guide to his songs and recordings

Song titles now linked to Chords & Lyrics if available, first letter of song title only linked to lyrics. See Blue Sky lyrics page by Bo and chord page for songs listed under each album; also the Blue Sky discography page for album info

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A GUIDE TO TOWNES VAN ZANDT
            DISCOGRAPHY
1   For The Sake Of The Song (1968)
2   Our Mother The Mountain  (1969)
3   Townes Van Zandt         (1970)
4   Delta Mama Blues         (1971)
5   High, Low & Inbetween    (1972)
6   The Late, Great Townes    
       Van Zandt             (1973)
6x  45 rpm single From 6     (1972)
7   Live At The Old Quarter, 
       Houston               (1977)
7x  LP, cassette and some
    reissue CD versions only 
8   Flyin' Shoes             (1978)
8x  Eur. reissue CD Charly   (1998)
9   Live & Obscure           (1987)
10  At My Window             (1987)
11  Rain On A Conga Drum   
       Live In Berlin        (1991)
12  Road Songs               (1992)
12x  Eur. version            (1992)
13  Rear View Mirror         (1993)
13x  Eur. version            (1996)
14  The Nashville Sessions   (1993)
15  No Deeper Blue           (1994)
16  The Best of Townes Van 
            Zandt (Eur. rel.)(1996)
17  Abnormal      (Eur. rel.)(1996)
17b  Eur. reissue            (1998)
18  The Highway Kind         (1997)
18x  Eur. version            (1997)
19  Last Rights/Documentary  (1997)
20  The Masters   (Eur. rel.)(1997)
21  Anthology 1968-1979 (2 CD)
                  (Eur. rel.)(1998)
22  A Far Cry From Dead      (1999)
23  In Pain       (Eur. rel.)(1999)
24  Drama Falls Like Teardrops
           (2 CD) (Eur. rel.)(2000)
25  Live At McCabe's 
                  (Eur. rel.)(2001)
26  Texas Rain (*)           (2001)
27  A Gentle Evening with TVZ (*)
                             (2002)
28  Absolutely Nothing (*)   (2002)
29  In The Beginning         (2003)
30  Acoustic Blue (*)        (2003)
31  Live at the Jester 1966  (2004)
32  Rear View Mirror v2 (*)  (2004)
33  Live at Union Chapel (*) (2005)
34  A Private Concert (*)    (2005)
(*) Updates to this page pending
     
            COMPILATIONS 
C1  Texas Folk & Outlaw Music(1983)
C2  Kerrville Live 1977      (1977)
C3  Love Is My Only Crime    (1993)
C4  Endless Ave, Direction 
       Nashville             (1993)
C5  Daddies Sing Good Night  (1994)
C6  KGSR 3rd compil CD       (1995)
C7  Where Love Goes          (1995)
C8  Texans Live From Mountain
       Stage                 (1996)
C9  Fathers of Texas KR Wood (1997)
C10 Tribute & Loving Memory, V. 1
    Blaze Foley Tribute      (1997)

OTHER PERFORMERS ALBUMS W/TOWNES ON
               VOCALS
O1  Butch Hancock Tape       (1991)
O2  CJ Berkman - A Texican Tradi-
        tion - cassette only (1994)
O3  Blue Collar Blues - Richard
    Dobson+State of the Heart(1995)
O4  The Glory Down - The Good 
    Sons - CD                (1995)
O4x Riding The Range 45 rpm 
    single w/The Calvins     (1996)
O5  Angelina - Barb Donovan  (1996)
O6  West Texas Heaven - Kimmie
    Rhodes                   (1996)

              SONGBOOK  
*   For The Sake Of The Song (1977)

      MICKEY NEWBURY RELEASES
N1  Harlequin Melodies       (1968)
N2  Sings His Own            (1972)

      COWBOY JUNKIES RELEASE 
J1  Miles From Our Home      (1998)

           PAUL K RELEASE 
K1  Saratoga                 (1999)

       ERIC ANDERSON RELEASE 
A1  You Can't Relive the Past(2000)

              UNRELEASED 
U   Known from unrel. recordings
W   Lyrics only written, unreleased

   THE RECORDED/PERFORMED SONGS
      (w/YEAR 1ST PERFORMED; 
        xx - NOT KNOWN TO 
   HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY TOWNES)
A Song For (92)          15; 17; 25
Ain't Leavin' Your Love (87)
                         10; 11; 22
All Your Young Servants (68)      1
At My Window (74)    8x; 10; 18x; *
Badly Mistreated Blues (66)      31
Be Here To Love Me (69)   2; 21; 24
Big Country Blues (67)           29
Billy Boney And Ma (89)          15
Black Crow Blues (66)        29; 31 
Black Jack Mama (67)             29 
Black Widow Blues (67)           29 
Blaze's Blues (89)
                 11; 15; 17; 18; 19
Blue Guitar (xx)                 J1
Blue March, The (xx)             A1
Blue Ridge Mountains (72)         5
Blue Wind Blew (84)              10
Brand New Companion (70)
               4; 7; 16; 19; 21; 24
Brother Flower (78)           8; 13
Buckskin Stallion Blues (74)
              8x; 10; 11; 23; C8; *
BW Railroad Blues (91)           15
Catfish Song, The (84)   10; 11; 17
Colorado Bound (66)          29; 31
Colorado Girl (69)
              3; 13; 16; 20; 21; 24
Columbine (67)                    3
Come Tomorrow (71)            4; 21
Cowboy Junkies Lament (91)   15; 19
Delta Mama Blues (71) 
                  4; 16; 20; 21; 24
Dollar Bill Blues (78)
          8; 9; 11; 13; 17b; 22; 25
Don't You Take It Too Bad (68)
           3; 7; 13; 16; 20; 21; 24
Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel (70)
                                  3
Flyin' Shoes (78) 
              8; 13; 16; 17; 20; 21
For The Sake Of The Song (68) 
 1; 3; 7; 10; 13; 20; 21; 22; 24; *
Fraternity Blues (68)   7x; 13x; 21
German Mustard (72)               6
blaGoing Down To Memphis (94)       15
Gone, Gone Blues (81)            10
Gone Too Long (93)           15; 23
Greensboro Woman (72)         5; 22
Gypsy Friday (67)                29
Harm's Swift Way (xx)            K1
Heavenly Houseboat Blues (72)
                          6; 16; 21
Hey Willie Boy (92)          15, C5
Highway Kind (72)     5; 18; 23; 24
High, Low And In Between (72)
                     5; 12x; 21; 24
Hole, The (88)       15; 18; 19; 25
Hunger Child Blues (67)          29
If I Needed You (72)
      6; 7; 11; 13; 16; 17; 19; 20;
                  21; 24; C2; C7; *
If I Was Washington (94)         15
I'll Be Here In The Morning (68)
       1; 3; 16; 19; 20; 21; 24; 05
Kathleen (68)  2; 7; 16; 17; 21; 24
Katie Belle Blue (94)15; 23; 25; C6
Like A Summer Thursday (69)       2
Little Sundance #2 (87)          10
Loretta (73)
        7; 8; 9; 14; 16; 20; 21; 23
Louisiana Girl Blues (66)        31
Lovers' Lullaby (89)     15; 18; 23
Lungs (69)  3; 7; 11; 13; 17; 21; *
Many A Fine Lady (68)  1; 9; 22; 24
Marie (88)           15; 17; 19; 25
Maryetta's Song (67)             29
Meadowlark, The (xx)             A1
Mister, Can't You See (xx)       N1
Mr Mudd And Mr Gold (72)
               5; 7; 11; 21; 23; 24
Mustang Blues (66)               31
My Proud Mountains (69)       2; 18
Night Train (xx)                 A1
Niles River Blues (92)           15
No Deal (72)      5; 16; 18; 21; 24
No Lonesome Tune (72) 6; 16; 21; 24
No Place To Fall (73)
7; 8; 11; 13; 14; 16; 20; 21; 24; *
None But The Rain (70)    3; 21; 24
Nothin' (71)              4; 11; 23
Only Him Or Me (70)   4; 7x; 21; 24
Our Mother The Mountain (69)
                      2; 12; 21; 24
Pancho & Lefty (72)
   6; 7; 9; 11; 13; 16; 17; 19; 20;
              21; 22; 24; 25; C1; *
Pueblo Waltz (74)      8; 9; 14; 25
Queen, The (xx)                  N2
Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria (68)
                        1; 3; 20; *
Rake (71)                     4; 18
Rex's Blues (73)
        7; 8; 9; 13; 14; 20; 22; 23
Road, The (xx)                   A1
Ruester's Blues (xx, written 90)  W
Sad Cinderella (68)        1; 6; 24
Sanitarium Blues (96)            22
Second Lover's Song (68)       2; *
She Came And She Touched Me (68)
                       2; 7x; 24; *
Sheriff of Crested Butte, The (72)U
Silver Ships Of Andilar, The (72)
                               6; *
Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls (68)
                                  1
Snake Mountain Blues (69)
               2; 9; 17; 21; 22; 24
Snake Song, The (74)      8; 14; 21
Snow Don't Fall (73)              6
Snowin' On Raton (81)    10; 23; 25
Spider Song, The (74)        8x; 14
Squash (96)                      22
St John The Gambler (68)
               2; 16; 20; 21; 24; *
Standin' (72)             5; 16; 21
Still Lookin' For You (84)   10; 18
Sunshine Boy (72)                6x
Talking Birth Control Blues (66) 31
Talking Karate Blues (66)     1; 31
Talking KKK Blues (70)           27
Talking Thunderbird Blues (66) 
                      7; 9; 13x; 31
Tecumseh Valley (68)    1; 2; 7; 9;
         11; 13; 17; 19; 21; 24; C1
To Live Is To Fly (71)
5; 7; 11; 13; 16; 21; 22; 23; 24; *
Tower Song (67)
            4; 7; 13; 16; 21; 22; *
Turnstyled, Junkpiled (71)
                          4; 21; 24
Two Girls (73)            7; 14; 17
Two Hands (72)            5; 16; 21
Upon My Soul (74)            8x; 14
Untitled Poem (xx, written 96)    W
Velvet Voices, The (68)           1
Waitin' Around To Die (68) 1; 3; 7;
  9; 13; 16; 17; 19; 20; 21; 22; 24
Waitin' For The Day (67)     C3; 29
When He Offers His Hand (72) 5; 12x
When She Don't Need Me (74)
                      8; 14; 20; 21
When Your Dream Lovers Die (67)  29
Where I Lead Me (71)          4; 21
White Freightliner Blues (74) 
       7; 9; 11; 13; 14; 20; 23; 24
Why She's Acting This Way (68)
                      2; 7x; 20; 24
You Are Not Needed Now (72)
                       5; 9; 23; 24
                                   
          OTHER MATERIAL
Alone and Forsaken (H Williams)  23
Automobile Blues (L Hopkins)     12
Banks of the Ohio (Trad)    18x; 25
Cannonball Blues (Carter Family) 31
Chauffeur's Blues (L Hopkins)    7x
Cocaine Blues (Trad)     7x; 12; 24
Coo-Coo (TC Ashley)         12; 17b
Darcy Farrow (S Gillette/
      T E Campbell)              18
Dead Flowers                       
     (Jagger/Richards)   11; 12; 17
Dirty Old Town (E MacColl)      O4x
Don't Let The Sunshine Fool You    
     (G Clark)            6; 21; 24
Dublin Blues (G Clark)           18
FFV (Trad)                    4; 24
Fraulein (L Williams) 
                  6; 11; 12; 21; 24
Hello Central (L Hopkins)    12; 31
Hobo's Lullabye (G Reeves)       C4
Honky Tonkin' (H Williams)
                  6; 16; 20; 21; 24
Jole Blon (Trad)                 32
I'm Gonna Fly (K Rhodes)         O6
I'm So Lonesome (I Could Cry)
       (H Williams)              31
I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
      (H Williams/J Davis)       18
Indian Cowboy (J Ely)            12
Ira Hayes (P LaFarge)        12; 18
Little Willie The Gambler        
     (B Dylan)                   12
Lost Highway (L Payne)           18
Man Gave Names To The Animals      
     (B Dylan)                   12
My Starter Won't Start             
     (L Hopkins)                 12
Nine Pound Hammer (M Travis) 7x; 20
Old Shep (R Foley)               17
Racing In The Streets              
     (B Springsteen)             12
Riding the Range (M W King) 
                       13x; O4; O4x
Sage (E Eggenberger)             C4
San Antone (verse CJ Berkman)    O3
Short-haired Woman Blues           
     (L Hopkins)         11; 12; 25
Shrimp Song (R Bennett & S Tepper) 
                        11; 17b; 25
Springtime in Uganda (B. Foley) C10
Stopping Off Place (C Eckman)    23
T for Texas (J Rogers)           31
Texas River Song (Trad)          12
Trouble In Mind (R Jones)        31
Uncertain Texas (R Dobson/
     R Crowell)                  O3
Wabash Cannonball (AP Carter)12; 25
Who Do You Love (E McDaniel)
                       7; 8; 20; 21
Will You Come To The Bower (trad)
                                 C9
Wouldn't That Be Nice (B Foley) C10
Wreck On the Highway (D Dixon)   18
You Gotta Move (F McDowell)      23
You Win Again (H Williams)      12x
 

Notes:
1. Years after songs are only approximate and are based mostly on either 
the earliest performance from tape archives, or from published copyright 
dates.  A more authoritative listing of dates may result following Jeanene's 
copyright search on all the songs.

2. All songs from Best of Townes Van Zandt are from the early (Poppy & Tomato)
studio albums from the 60's and 70's, and none are the versions from First
Album/For the Sake of the Song or from the Old Quarter live album. All songs
from The Masters also from early albums, particularly 6 were from Townes Van 
Zandt, 5 from Flying Shoes, 4 from Old Quarter, 2 from Our Mother the Mountain,
2 from Late Great, and 1 from Delta Momma Blues. Songs from Townes Van Zandt 
Anthology 1968-1979 and Drama Falls Like Teardrops are also exclusively from 
the early albums, including several from the Old Quarter album, and from 
Nashville Sessions (Anthology only). More reissues include "The Best of Townes
Van Zandt", a "Very Best of Townes Van Zandt", "Singer Songwriter", "Texas 
Troubadour", "Legend", and "Be Here To Love Me" (None included above, see 
discography page for more information on these endless reissues).

3. Mister, Can't You See by Van Zandt and Mickey Newbury, Delta Momma Blues by 
Van Zandt, Studdard and Moore. Heavenly Houseboat Blues by Van Zandt and Susanna 
Clark. German Mustard co-written by Van Zandt and Rocky Hill. Gone Gone Blues 
by Van Zandt and Mickey White.  Blue Guitar by Van Zandt and Michael Timmins.

The Meadowlark, The Road, The Blue March, and Night Train all co-written with Eric 
Andersen in 1986 and released on Andersen's album "You Can't Relive the past" on 
Appleseed Records in 2000.

4. The 1977 songbook, For The Sake Of The Song, is sometimes not available, but
check Jeanene Van Zandt's Webpage Catalog, also for CDs, posters, and T-shirts.



Originally by John Conquest, this version maintained by
Len Coop coopl@bcc.orst.edu since Jan 1996

With corrections from Patrick Hurley, members of the Townes Van Zandt Mail-list 
and others

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Last updated: Jul 22, 2008 (more updates pending)