Marie
Zandt Townes Van Lyrics
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Took about six hours or so
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
Said they'd let me know
I put in my time till the Pocono line
Shut down two years ago
I was staying at the mission till I met Marie
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 low life 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, its 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'd 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 to meet me by and by
The song "Marie" by Townes Van Zandt tells the story of a man's struggles and hardships in his life with his partner Marie. The song is a melancholic ballad that portrays the struggles of poverty, unemployment, and addiction. The lyrics start with the singer standing in line to seek employment and ends with the tragic death of Marie and the birth of their child. Throughout the song, the singer is haunted by hopelessness and despair, but his love for Marie gives him strength.
The opening lines of the song paint a bleak picture of the man's situation- he is unemployed and waiting for a chance to work. He has been waiting for six hours, but the man in charge seems to be making a game of it. He meets Marie while staying at a mission, and though they fell in love, they could not stay in the mission for long. In desperation, the man dreams of finding a van and settling down with Marie, but he has no car or job. He is bitter about his past mistakes, including getting drunk and losing his mouth harp and money.
The song becomes even more poignant as the singer reveals that Marie is pregnant. He hopes that the child is a boy who will not end up following in his father's footsteps. The singer wants to move to the south to start afresh, but Marie is unable to travel due to her pregnancy. The song ends on a heartbreaking note, where the singer finds out that Marie has died in her sleep, and he lays her and their baby under the sun where they will be found.
Overall, "Marie" is a tragic song about lost opportunities, heartbreak, and the toll that poverty and addiction can take on a person. The song is a powerful reminder of the importance of love, companionship, and resilience, even in the bleakest of situations.
Line by Line Meaning
I stood in line and left my name
I waited in line and gave them my name
Took about six hours or so
It took me around six hours
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
The man smiled at me as if it was a game or joke
Said they'd let me know
He said he would inform me later
I put in my time till the Pocono line
I worked for a while until the Pocono line was shut down
Shut down two years ago
It has been shut down for two years
I was staying at the mission till I met Marie
I was living at the mission until I met Marie
Now I can't stay there no more
I can't stay there anymore
Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man
A guy in another part of town mentioned he was looking for someone
To move some old cars around
To help move some old cars
Maybe me and Marie could find a burned-out
Marie and I could possibly find a burned-out vehicle
Van and do a little settlin' down
Live there and settle down
Aw, but I'm just dreamin', I ain't got no ride
But I'm just fantasizing; I don't have a car
And the junkyard's a pretty good ways
And the junkyard is located quite far away
That job's about a half week old besides
In addition, that job is almost a week old
It'd be gone now anyway
But it isn't available anymore
Unemployment said I got no more checks
The unemployment office told me I won't receive any more checks
And they showed me to the hall
They directed me to a hall or room
My brother died in Georgia some time ago
My brother passed away in Georgia some time back
I got no one left to call
I have no one else to contact
Summer wasn't bad below the bridge
Summertime wasn't terrible beneath the bridge
A little short on food that's all
Just a little low on food, nothing else
Now I gotta get Marie some kind of coat
Now I need to acquire some coat or clothing for Marie
We're headed down into fall
We're approaching the season of fall
I used to play the mouth harp pretty good
I used to play the harmonica very well
Hustled up a little dough
I earned some money by performing
But I got drunk and I woke up rolled
But I drank too much and ended up getting robbed while asleep
A couple of months ago
This happened a couple of months back
They got my harp and they got my dollar
Those criminals took my harmonica and money
Them low life so and so's
Those lowlifes or no-good people
Harps cost money and I ain't got it
Harmonicas are expensive, and I don't have any money at the moment
It's my own fault I suppose
I guess I'm responsible for this situation
The Pocono's down but the Chesapeak's runnin'
The Pocono's not operating, but the Chesapeake is working
Two freights everyday
There are two trains running daily
If it was just me I'd be headed south
If it was just me, I would travel south
But Marie can't catch no train
But Marie is not capable of boarding a train
She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby,
She's experiencing some pain and believes it's a baby
Says we gotta wait and see
She says we should wait and find out what it really is
In my heart I know it's a little boy
Deep down, I feel it's a baby boy
Hope he don't end up like me
I hope he doesn't turn out like me
Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file
The man still seems amused and claims that he lost my records
I gotta stand in line again
I have to wait in line again
I want to kill him but I just say no
I feel like murdering him, but I hold myself back
I had enough of that line my friend
I've had enough of that queue, my friend
I head back to the bridge, its getting kinda cold
I go back to the bridge where it's getting chilly
I'm feelin' too low down to lie
I'm too depressed to pretend or lie
I guess I'll just tell Marie the truth
I suppose I'll be honest with Marie
Hope she don't break down and cry
I hope she doesn't become emotional and weep
Marie she didn't wake up this morning
Marie didn't wake up this morning
She didn't even try
She didn't even attempt to wake up
She just rolled over and went to heaven
She simply passed away and went to heaven
My little boy safe inside
My child is safe and protected inside her womb
I laid them in the sun where somebody'd find them
I left them in the sun, hoping someone would find them
Caught a Chesapeak on the fly
I quickly caught a Chesapeake train while in motion
Marie will know I'm headed south
Marie will be aware that I'm heading towards the south
So's to meet me by and by
So we can meet each other soon
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mongo1940
This is the voice of poverty,
hopeless and alone.
trying to make it another day
Seeking a place called home.
Few if any realize
That many live like this
They'll work hard if they have the chance
Contempt is all they get.
Where's the feelings.Where's the love
For those who are the least, Ignored by pulpit preachers
Did you read the words but miss the meaning
Of the one that we call, teacher?
@hoody8279
Where is this recording from? It's not the version from No Deeper Blue.
@kingston1201
Townes Van Zandt - Last Rights: The Life & Times
@hoody8279
Thank you. And thanks for sharing. Beautiful song.
@Zeda1002
this one is from CD titled Documentary
@Saint_Dismas
I thought at first it might possibly be the live version from 'Absolute Nothing' without the spoke introduction. But I have just played that, and it is not.
@bigbensarrowheadchannel2739
Dylan would agree whole heartedly.
@thomaslemke8506
Three days ago I started an online search after hearing willie Nelson sing Pancho and Lefty. It led me to Towne Van Zandt whose music I had never heard. Each evening I have select 2 songs to acquaint myself with. The darkness and beauty of his music has captured me. I sit here at age 65 with tears in my eyes after listening to Marie for the 4th time. I wish I had found him sooner.
@webbtrekker534
Tom, I'm 74. I found Towns about ten years ago. I'd heard roomers of him for years but paid no attention until one day I did. Been listening ever since. Another "lost" singer/song writer is Kate Wolf. Look her up.
@5solas321
@@webbtrekker534 Kate Wolf, Guy Clarke, Bob Dylan's Hattie Carrol, Ira Hayes and Hollis Brown carry the same heavy weight as Marie does here. Good stuff. Heartbreaking stuff. Gillian Welch manages to tap into human suffering real well also.
@Tom_Van_Zandt
I'm 44 and it's the same story for me. I first heard Townes Van Zandt covering "Dead Flowers" on the Big Lebowski soundtrack when I saw the film in the theater back in 1998, and I was immediately struck by how different the song was from the rest of the songs on the soundtrack. I loved the song, but I never bothered to check out his other stuff. A few days ago I had "Dead Flowers" stuck in my head so I hopped onto the YouTubes and listened to it...A few other Van Zandt songs were recommended, so I started listening to them, starting with "Waiting Around to Die", "Nothin" and "Pancho and Lefty" on the Heartworn Highways documentary. I had heard Willie Nelson's many renditions of "Pancho and Lefty", and always assumed he had written it...it wasn't until I looked it up a few days ago that I found out Townes had written it. I've been listening to his music every day since.
I did the same thing with a band named Sparklehorse. I had heard of them, but never listened to them because I thought the band's name was stupid...I've never been more wrong. Sparklehorse (i.e. Mark Linkous) is now one of my favorite song writers of all time. Not the same kind of musical style, but the same kind of melancholy sadness can be found in both artist's songs. Both of them lived modest lives with even more modest fame and success, but have enjoyed a bit of a renaissance since their respective deaths.