In 1983, six years after Emmylou Harris had first popularized it, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song "Pancho and Lefty", reaching number one on the Billboard country music chart. Much of Van Zandt’s life was spent touring various dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms and backwoods cabins. For much of the 1970s, he lived in a simple shack without electricity or a phone.
His influence has been cited by countless artists across multiple genres, and his music has been recorded or performed by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, The Counting Crows, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen Jr., Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Wade Bowen, Gillian Welch, Pat Green and Natalie Maines.
He suffered from a series of drug addictions, alcoholism, and was given a psychiatric diagnosis of bipolar disorder. When he was young, the now-discredited insulin shock therapy erased much of his long-term memory.
Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997 from cardiac arrythmia caused by health problems stemming from years of substance abuse. A revival of interest in Van Zandt occurred in the 2000s. During the decade, two books, a documentary film (Be Here to Love Me), and numerous magazine articles about the singer were written.
Born in Fort Worth into a wealthy family, Van Zandt was a third-great-grandson of Isaac Van Zandt (a prominent leader of the Republic of Texas) and a second great-nephew of Khleber Miller Van Zandt (a major in the Confederate army and one of the founders of Fort Worth). Van Zandt County in east Texas was named after his family in 1848.
Townes's parents were Harris Williams Van Zandt (1913–1966) and Dorothy Townes (1919–1983). He had two siblings, Bill and Donna (1941–2011). Harris was a corporate lawyer, and his career required the family to move several times during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1952, the family transplanted from Fort Worth to Midland, Texas, for six months before moving to Billings, Montana.
At Christmas in 1956, Townes's father gave him a guitar, which he practiced while wandering the countryside. He would later tell an interviewer that "watching Elvis Presley's October 28, 1956, performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was the starting point for me becoming a guitar player... I just thought that Elvis had all the money in the world, all the Cadillacs and all the girls, and all he did was play the guitar and sing. That made a big impression on me." In 1958 the family moved to Boulder, Colorado. Van Zandt would remember his time in Colorado fondly and would often visit it as an adult. He would later refer to Colorado in "My Proud Mountains", "Colorado Girl", and "Snowin' on Raton". Townes was a good student and active in team sports. In grade school, he received a high IQ score, and his parents began grooming him to become a lawyer or senator. Fearing that his family would move again, he willingly decided to attend the Shattuck School, in Faribault, Minnesota. He received a score of 1170 when he took the SAT in January 1962. His family soon moved to Houston, Texas.
The University of Colorado at Boulder accepted Van Zandt as a student in 1962. In the spring of his second year, his parents flew to Boulder to bring Townes back to Houston, apparently worried about his binge drinking and episodes of depression. They admitted him to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he was diagnosed with manic depression. He received three months of insulin shock therapy, which erased much of his long-term memory. Afterwards, his mother claimed her "biggest regret in life was that she had allowed that treatment to occur". In 1965, he was accepted into the University of Houston's pre-law program. Soon after he attempted to join the Air Force, but was rejected because of a doctor's diagnosis that labelled him "an acute manic-depressive who has made minimal adjustments to life". He quit school around 1967, having been inspired by his singer-songwriter heroes to pursue a career in playing music.
Van Zandt was addicted to heroin and alcohol throughout his adult life. At times he would become drunk on stage and forget the lyrics to his songs. At one point, his heroin habit was so intense that he offered Kevin Eggers the publishing rights to all of the songs on each of his first four albums for $20. At various points, his friends saw him shoot up not just heroin, but also cocaine, vodka, as well as a mixture of rum and Coke. On at least one occasion, he shot up heroin in the presence of his son J.T., who was only eight years old at the time.
As a result of Van Zandt's constant drinking, Harold Eggers, Kevin's brother, was hired on as his tour manager and 24-hour caretaker in 1976, a partnership that would last for the rest of the singer's life. Although the musician was many years older than he was, Eggers would later say that Van Zandt was his "first child." His battles with addiction led him to be admitted to rehab almost a dozen times throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Medical records from his time in recovery centers show that he believed his drinking had become a problem around 1973, and by 1982 he was drinking at least a pint of vodka daily. Doctors' notes reported: "He admits to hearing voices, mostly musical voices", and "Affect is blunted and mood is sad. Judgment and insight is impaired." At various points in his life, he was prescribed to take the antidepressant Zoloft and the mood stabilizer lithium. His final and longest period of sobriety during his adult life was a period of about a year in 1989 and 1990.
Van Zandt has been referred to as a cult musician and "a songwriter's songwriter." Musician Steve Earle, who met him in 1978 and considered Van Zandt a mentor, once called Van Zandt "the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." The quote was printed on a sticker featured on the packing of At My Window, much to Van Zandt's displeasure. In the years following, the quote was often cited by the press, much to Van Zandt and Earle's embarrassment; in 2009, Earle told the New York Times, "Did I ever believe that Townes was better than Bob Dylan? No." But he concluded at the end of the same article that, "As a songwriter, you won't find anybody better." Earle has championed the songwriter on a number of occasions: his eldest son, Justin Townes Earle, also a musician, is named after Van Zandt. Earle wrote the song "Fort Worth Blues" as a tribute to the singer in the late 1990s, and in 2009 released an album titled Townes, which featured all covers of Van Zandt songs.
His Texas-grounded impact stretched farther than country. He has been cited as a source of inspiration by such notable artists as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Guthrie Thomas, John Prine, Lyle Lovett, Chelsea Wolfe, Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Cowboy Junkies, Vetiver, Guy Clark, Devendra Banhart, Norah Jones, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, The Be Good Tanyas and Jolie Holland, Rowland S. Howard, Michael Weston King, Josh Ritter, Gillian Welch, Garth Brooks, Simon Joyner, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon, Laura Marling, Andrew Adkins and Frank Turner. Folk musician Shakey Graves has credited his fast-paced, rhythmic style of finger picked guitar playing partially to Van Zandt's influence.
In 1994, Israeli singer David Broza performed with Van Zandt during a Writers in the Round concert in Houston. When Van Zandt died, he left a shoe box full of unreleased poems and lyrics with a request that Broza set them to music. The resulting album was Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry of Townes Van Zandt.
In 2012, Van Zandt was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In July 2012, Neurot Recordings released a three-way split album in tribute to Van Zandt, featuring Neurosis singer/guitarists Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till and doom/stoner metal legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich.
On June 18, 2015, Van Zandt was inducted into the second year's ceremony of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, along with Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark and Flaco Jimenez. Gillian Welch inducted Van Zandt by telling stories about how he had come to her early gigs in Nashville and how he had bolstered her confidence in writing sad songs.
I'll Be Here In the Morning
Townes Van Zandt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down a lonesome railroad line
No prettier sight than looking back
On a town you left behind
There is nothin' that's as real
As a love that's in my mind
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
There's lots of things along the road
I'd surely like to see
I'd like to lean into the wind
And tell myself I'm free
But your softest whisper's louder
Than the highways call to me
All the mountains and the rivers
And the valleys can't compare
To your blue lit dancin' eyes
And yellow shining hair
I could never hit the open road
And leave you layin' there
Lay your head back easy, love
Close your cryin' eyes
I'll be layin' here beside you
When the sun comes on the rise
I'll stay as long as the cuckoo wails
And the lonesome bluejay cries.
Townes Van Zandt, in his song I'll Be Here In the Morning, masterfully portrays the theme of true, ever-lasting love. The lyrics use the metaphor of a lonesome railroad line, suggesting that life is like an unpredictable journey, full of uncertainties and struggles. It's like a lonesome journey, reflecting the sheer isolation that we experience every once in a while in the journey of life. The first line of the song, "There's no stronger wind than the one that blows / Down a lonesome railroad line," exemplifies this idea. The verse suggests that though the journey is tough, the wind that blows alongside it makes the journey stronger.
The next verse of the song, "There's lots of things along the road / I'd surely like to see / I'd like to lean into the wind / And tell myself I'm free," encapsulates the idea that there are many worldly pleasures that we might enjoy during the journey. But even after seeing everything, the gentle whisper of a loved one's voice grounds us. Our love gives us direction and purpose even in the face of the vastness of the world.
Finally, the chorus of the song repeats the idea of ever-lasting love. The singer sings, "Close your eyes / I'll be here in the morning / Close your eyes / I'll be here for a while." The repetition of this chorus emphasizes the power of the love that the singer shares with his beloved. Despite the long journey and the uncertainties of life, the singer's love is eternal, providing comfort and security like nothing else in this world.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no stronger wind than the one that blows
The wind of loneliness and isolation is the strongest of all.
Down a lonesome railroad line
It is common to feel this way when you travel alone on the train.
No prettier sight than looking back
The view you get when you look back at the place you left is breathtaking.
On a town you left behind
The memories of the people you met and the experience you had in the place you last visited never leave you.
There is nothin' that's as real
There is no tangible thing in the world that can compare to the power of love in the mind.
As a love that's in my mind
The love that I am feeling is the most meaningful thing to me.
Close your eyes
Stop focusing on the physical world and imagine the future that awaits us.
I'll be here in the morning
I promise to be here when you open your eyes in the morning because my love for you is eternal.
Close your eyes
Reiterate the need to concentrate on nothing but love.
I'll be here for a while
I promise to stay with you for some time.
There's lots of things along the road
There are many things to discover in the world.
I'd surely like to see
I would love to see them all.
I'd like to lean into the wind
I desire the freedom to lean in any direction and go where the wind takes me.
And tell myself I'm free
To remind myself that I am no longer bound to anything or anyone.
But your softest whisper's louder
Your slightest touch has the power to break all barriers.
Than the highways call to me
Your love has a greater pull on me than the urge to travel.
All the mountains and the rivers
No matter how beautiful the landscape may be.
And the valleys can't compare
It can never match up to the beauty of the person I love.
To your blue lit dancin' eyes
The light that shines within you is what I find most attractive.
And yellow shining hair
I love the natural beauty of everything about you.
I could never hit the open road
I cannot leave you behind and go.
And leave you layin' there
I refuse to let you go and never look back.
Lay your head back easy, love
Relax and let go of any worry or anxiety.
Close your cryin' eyes
Remember that I am here for you in both joyful and sad moments.
I'll be layin' here beside you
I will never leave your side and I will always be there for you.
When the sun comes on the rise
When the new day begins, we will face it together.
I'll stay as long as the cuckoo wails
I am committed to you for as long as needed.
And the lonesome bluejay cries.
Even if life is tough and challenging.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: John Townes Van Zandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samfitzgerald3923
Well there's no stronger wind than the one that blows down a lonesome railroad line
No prettier sight than lookin' back on a town you left behind
But there's nothin' that's as real as a love that's in my mind
Close your eyes
I'll be here in the morning
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
Well there's lots of things along the road I'd surely like to see
I'd like to lean into the wind and tell myself I'm free
But your softest whisper's louder than the highway's call to me
Close your eyes
I'll be here in the morning
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
All the mountains and the rivers and the valleys can't compare
To your blue lit dancin' eyes and yellow shining hair
I could never hit the open road and leave you lyin' there
Close your eyes
I'll be here in the morning
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
Ah lay your head back easy, love, close your cryin' eyes
I'll be layin' here beside you when the sun comes on the rise
I'll stay as long as the cuckoo wails and the lonesome blue jay cries
Close your eyes
I'll be here in the morning
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
Close your eyes
I'll be here in the morning
Close your eyes
I'll be here for a while
@chris1ine
“Your softest whisper’s louder than the highway’s call to me.”
@jordank566
people don't understand the beauty of this line.
@loucat2779
Townes is a true unsung American Icon. He had some serious baggage for sure, that doesn't discount his talent for prose and song. Always touches home to some degree.
@evanpetelle5669
Absolutely.
@billdaniel7476
I'll drink to that,but seriously, you are correct about his talent for prose and song.
@simmo303
"Will you come to me", the finest bitter-sweet creation.
@niallfoody97
TBF he mostly only harmed himself intentionally though other's were hurt by his actions before (nothing to bad interms of country musicians even).
@Voodoochil111111
One of those songs that just knocks you out. Beautiful.
@kylecarlson9026
True story
@tylerhall8919
My Father loved this song. I lost him I'm a car wreck not to long ago i will be playing this song at his memorial.