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also try this in your library :
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To Live Is To Fly
Townes Van Zandt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't say I need you, babe
But I'm gonna get you babe
And I will not do you wrong
Living's mostly wasting time
And I'll waste my share of mine
But it never feels too good
So let's don't take too long
And I'm a gentle man
We got the sky to talk about
And the earth to lie upon
Days, up and down they come
Like rain on a congadrum
Forget most, remember some
But don't turn none away
Everything is not enough
And nothin' is too much to bear
Where you been is good and gone
All you keep is the getting there
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
Goodbye to all my friends
It's time to go again
Think of all the poetry
And the pickin' down the line
I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low
And the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think too much
On things you leave behind
I will be gone
But it won't be long
I will be a'bringin' back the melodies
And rhythm that I find
We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make
Time is yours to take
Some sail upon/dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
Shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eyes
The Townes Van Zandt song "To Live is To Fly" is a reflective piece that considers the moments that make up a life. Van Zandt's words are pointed, and they evoke a sense that every moment is fleeting and precious. The musings begin with the singer refusing to blindly say I love you or I need you to a partner. Instead, he confidently states that he will get the person he wants, and he will not wrong them. The lyrics consider the ups and downs that life has to offer, and how it can feel like we waste time, but it is necessary to get to where we want to go in life. The singer emphasizes that it is not about the destination, but the journey.
The chorus reflects on the vastness of life, suggesting that to live, in the end, is to fly. The line is both hopeful and poignant, as it emphasizes the beauty, potential, and fleeting nature of existence. The song touches on the idea that everything is both too much to bear and not enough at the same time, a reminder of the complexity of living. The lines "we all got holes to fill" and "some fall on you like a storm, sometimes you dig your own," suggest how life can be challenging, and we all have difficult moments to face. But Van Zandt switches to a more hopeful tone by emphasizing that time is ours to take, and the choice is ours to make. Ultimately, the song encourages us to shake the dust from our wings and the sleep from our eyes and go out into the world and fly.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't say I love you, babe
I won't express love for you verbally
Won't say I need you, babe
I won't express neediness for you verbally
But I'm gonna get you babe
I intend to pursue a relationship with you
And I will not do you wrong
I will not intentionally harm you
Living's mostly wasting time
Life is mostly unproductive
And I'll waste my share of mine
I admit I'll be unproductive at times
But it never feels too good
Wasting time doesn't feel good
So let's don't take too long
Let's not waste too much time
You're soft as glass
You're delicate and fragile
And I'm a gentle man
I'm also delicate and respectful
We got the sky to talk about
We have endless conversation topics
And the earth to lie upon
We have a comfortable place to rest
Days, up and down they come
Life has its ups and downs
Like rain on a congadrum
Life can be unpredictable
Forget most, remember some
Life is full of memories
But don't turn none away
But don't discard any memories
Everything is not enough
Nothing is ever sufficient
And nothin' is too much to bear
But nothing is insurmountable
Where you been is good and gone
The past is gone and over with
All you keep is the getting there
But what matters is the journey
To live is to fly
Life is like flying
Low and high
With ups and downs
So shake the dust off of your wings
Embrace life
And the sleep out of your eyes
Be alert and aware
Goodbye to all my friends
Saying farewell to friends
It's time to go again
It's time to move on
Think of all the poetry
Recalling memories of creative expression
And the pickin' down the line
Recalling memories of making music
I'll miss the system here
I'll miss my current situation
The bottom's low
My current situation is not ideal
And the treble's clear
But the highs are high
But it don't pay to think too much
But overthinking won't help
On things you leave behind
Or dwelling on things you can't change
I will be gone
I will leave this situation
But it won't be long
But I won't be away for too long
I will be a'bringin' back the melodies
I'll preserve my memories of music
And rhythm that I find
And the rhythm of life that I come across
We all got holes to fill
We all have needs and wants
Them holes are all that's real
But those needs and wants are what matters
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes needs and wants come unexpectedly
Sometimes you dig your own
Other times you create your own needs and wants
The choice is yours to make
You decide what matters to you
Time is yours to take
You have control over how you spend your time
Some sail upon/dive into the sea
Some people take risks and explore
Some toil upon the stone
Others work hard to achieve their goals
Shake the dust off of your wings
Embrace life
And the tears out of your eyes
And let go of past hurts and regrets
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Townes Van Zandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sathika Wickramasinghe
Won't say I love you, babe
Won't say I need you, babe
I'm gonna get you babe
And I will not do you wrong
Living's mostly wasting time
I'll waste my share of mine
But it never feels too good
So let's don't take too long
Well you're soft as glass
And I'm a gentleman
We got the sky to talk about
And the world to lie upon
Days up and down they come
Like rain on a conga drum
Forget most, remember some
Don't turn none away
Everything is not enough
And nothin' is too much to bear
Where you've been is good and gone
All you keep's the getting there
Well to live is to fly, all low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
It's goodbye to all my friends
It's time to go again
But think of all the poetry
And the pickin' down the line
Well I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low and the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think to much
On things you leave behind
Well I may be gone
But it won't be long
I will be a bringin' back the melodies
And rhythm that I find
We all got holes to fill
And them holes are all that's real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
The choice is yours to make
And time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
Well to live is to fly, all low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
Shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eyes
pink phloid
Won't say I love you, babe,
Won't say I need you, babe,
But I'm gonna get you babe
And I will not do you wrong.
Living's mostly wasting time
And I'll waste my share of mine
But it never feels to good,
So let's don't take to long.
You're soft as glass
And I'm a gentle man
We got the sky to talk about
And the earth to lie upon.
Days, up and down they come
Like rain on a congadrum
Forget most, remember some
But don't turn none away.
Everything is not enough
And nothin' is to much to bear.
Where you been is good and gone
All you keep is the getting there.
To live is to fly
Low and high,
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes.
Goodbye to all my friends
It's time to go again
Think of all the poetry
And the pickin' down the line
I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low
And the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think to much
On things you leave behind.
I will be gone
But it won't be long
I will be a'bringin' back the melodies
And rhythm that I find.
We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that's real.
Some fall on you like a storm,
Sometimes you dig your own.
The choice is yours to make,
Time is yours to take
Some sail upondive into the sea,
Some toil upon the stone.
To live is to fly
Low and high,
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes
Shake the dust off of your wings
And the tears out of your eyes.
Durand Watson
This man is the best lyricist that has ever lived.
I’m so sorry he’s no longer amongst us …..
But his words will never die ! 👍🏼
Andrew Higgins
I know few Roy Harper fans who might disagree..)
Joe Cobb
@Andrew Higgins thx will google him
Why are all the best ppl unknown
Paul DeBouvre
Quite possibly the best song evet written. So many lines in the lyrics that trace right back to you and me.
Sebastian Vega
Indeed
Julian Garfield
Oh yes
Joel's Music
Amen to that
the sodium lights
not the best but without a doubt one of the very best. Dark End of the Street/Strange Fruit/Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Higher Than the Sun/Most of the Time
John Watson
Someone argue it’s not the best song ever written please. Anyone. Please.
Matthew Castro
Townes is one of the greats, his story is just as touching as his songs. This guy has been through a lot.
For those who don’t know, he said this is his favorite song. It’s my favorite of his too. Beautiful, heartfelt, moving. It really hits home for me.