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Townes Van Zandt : Misc

  1. Black Crow Blues
  2. Cocaine Blues
  3. Marie
  4. Tower Song
  5. White Freight Liner Blues

Black Crow Blues

Am
G
Am
Oh babe, don't lie lonesome after I'm gone
Am
G
Am
Don't mourn your young life away
Dm
G
Am
Just lower me down with a prayer and a song
G
Am
Just 'fore the breaking of day
G
Am
Just 'fore the breaking of day Well, it's a life worth the living but we all gotta die All your crying can't do me no good Just lower me down with a quick sad goodbye Pour in the black Texas mud Pour in the black Texas mud It's a hard road you're travelin', you can't walk it alone Find a big man to stand beside you Take him down to the river, show him my bones Tell him there lies a friend I once knew There lies a friend I once knew Well, the black crow's a-screaming, the yellow sun's warm And the grass tumbles tall down the hill There's a cold wind building, it's bringin' a storm When the call of the black crow goes still When the call of the black crow goes still

Cocaine Blues

<Trad>
Capo:
IV
C
E7
F
|-----3---3-3-----|---0-------0-----|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1------1--------|-------3-------1-|-----------1-----|-1-3---1---------|
|-----0-------0-h-|-1---------------|--------0h2----2-|-----------2---0-|
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
C
G
C
|-----------3-----|-1-----0---------|---0-------------|---3---1---------|
|---------------0-|-0---------3---1-|-------3---1---0-|-----------0---1-|
|-----0-------0---|-0---------------|-----0-------0---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----------------|-----0-------0---|
|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
C
E7
Cocaine, cocaine
F
Round my heart and runnin' round my brain
C
G
C
Cocaine, aw, you ol' cocaine I woke up this mornin', Lord, I had a hunger pain And all I want for breakfast is my good cocaine Cocaine, aw you ol' cocaine Jump out of bed, Mama, run downtown Take along the money and look all around Find the man, the man that sells cocaine Come here, Mama, come here quick That ol' coke's got me and I'm feelin' sick Cocaine, aw you ol' cocaine Get out of here, Mama, I thought you understood You got no connections then you're no damn good Cocaine Well, coke's for horses, Lord, it ain't for men They say it kills you, but they don't say when C'mon, Mama, let's rent us a boat We'll sail down that Gibraltar moat Shed a tear every time we pass Tangiers Cocaine, cocaine Round my heart and runnin' round my brain Cocaine, aw, you ol' cocaine

Marie

Album: No Deeper Blue
Am
I stood in line and I left my name
G
Am
Took about six hours or so
Am
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
G
Am
Said they'd let me know
Dm
I put in my time till the Pocono line
Am
Dm
Shut down two years ago
Am
I was staying at the mission till I met Marie
G
Am
Now I can't stay there no more Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man To move some old cars around Maybe me and Marie could find a burned-out van And do a little settlin' down Aw, but I'm just dreamin', I ain't got no ride And the junkyard's a pretty good ways That job's about a half week old besides It'd be gone now anyway Unemployment said I got no more checks And they showed me to the hall My brother died in Georgia some time ago I got no one left to call Summer wasn't bad below the bridge A little short on food that's all Now I gotta get Marie some kind of coat We're headed down into fall I used to play the mouth harp pretty good Hustled up a little dough But I got drunk and I woke up rolled A couple of months ago They got my harp and they got my dollar Them lowlife so-and-so's Harps cost money and I ain't got it It's my own fault I suppose The Pocono's down but the Chesapeak's runnin' Two freights everyday If it was just me I'd be headed south But Marie can't catch no train She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby Says we gotta wait and see In my heart I know it's a little boy Hope he don't end up like me Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file I gotta stand in line again I want to kill him but I just say no I had enough of that line my friend I head back to the bridge, it's getting kinda cold I'm feelin' too low down to lie I guess I'll just tell Marie the truth Hope she don't break down and cry Marie she didn't wake up this morning She didn't even try She just rolled over and went to heaven My little boy safe inside I laid them in the sun where somebody would find them Caught a Chesapeak on the fly Marie will know I'm headed south So's to meet me by and by Marie will know I'm headed south So's to meet me by and by

Tower Song

Capo:
IV
Album: Delta Momma Blues
The
F
before the
G7
is only the note (4th string, 3rd fret). It's all in the timing.
C
Em
Dm
F
G7
So close and yet so far away
G7
F
C
And all the things I'd hope to say
F
Em
Am
Will have to go unsaid today
F
G7
Perhaps until tomorrow
C
Em
Dm
F
G7
Your fears have built a wall between
G7
F
C
Our lives and all that loving means
F
Em
Am
Will have to go unfelt it seems
F
G
Leaving only sorrow
F
G
Em
You built your tower strong and tall
F
G
C
Can't you see it's got to fall someday You close your eyes and speak to me Of faith and love and destiny As distant as eternity From truth and understanding The wind blows cold outside your door It whispers words I've tried before But you don't hear me anymore You're pride's just too demanding You built your tower strong and tall Can't you see it's got to fall someday The end is coming soon it's plain A warm bed just ain't worth the pain And I will go and you'll remain With bitterness we've tasted A mother's breast, a new born child A poet's tears, a drunken smile I can't help thinking all the while Their meaning won't be wasted You built your tower strong and tall Can't you see it's got to fall someday

White Freight Liner Blues

Album: "Live at the Old Quarter"
C
F
F
C
C
G
F
C
C
F
I'm goin' out on the highway
C
Listen to them big trucks whine
F
I'm goin' out on the highway
C
Listen to them big trucks whine
G
White freight liner
F
C
Won't you steal away my mind Ah, New Mexico ain't bad, Lord And the people there they treat you kind Ah, New Mexico ain't bad, Lord And the people there they treat you kind White freight liner Won't you steal away my mind Well, it's bad news from Houston Half my friends are dying Well, it's bad news from Houston Half my friends are dying White freight liner Won't you steal away my mind
Instrumental verse
Ah, Lord, I'm gonna ramble Till I get back to where I came Ah, Lord, I'm gonna ramble Till I get back to where I came White freight liner Won't you steal away my brain I'm goin' out on the highway Listen to them big trucks whine I'm goin' out on the highway Listen to them big trucks whine White freight liner Won't you steal away my mind White freight liner Won't you steal away my mind