Quiet Time with Townes

So it was my turn to put my little one to sleep tonight. Usually an ambient/space music internet station does the trick. Tonight, it was random shuffle on Winamp. So with my daughter laying across my lap in the dark, the sweet sounds of “Lover’s Lullaby” showed up and did its trick.

Townes Van Zandt released this tune on 1995’s ‘No Deeper Blue‘ (Buy it here on Amazon], two years before his untimely passing on New Year’s Day, 1997. I was introduced to Townes through his association with Steve Earle. Steve once said that Townes was the “best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”

“Lover’s Lullaby” is bittersweet, beautiful, and raw; you can just hear all the years of Townes’ hard living in it.

Townes is missed.

By the way, for the best tribute to Townes that I’ve ever heard, check out Earle’s “Fort Worth Blues” from 97’s ‘El Corazon’.

Townes Van Zandt: Lover’s Lullaby