any other townes van Zandt fans in here...

[pillory]

I just like his songs and his voice

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Well, Lady Muck loves his stuff, and has now persuaded me to sing along ( "--grey-haired Federales say/ they could have had him any day--") to the CDs in the car.
Regards.

[Bikewer]

For years. We have a show here on the local "community" radio station (KDHX-FM..They webcast) called "songwriter's showcase.

They play a lot of Townes' material, and the many fine covers that have been recorded by other artists. Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris spring to mind.

[Mr. Skinny]

Originally posted by Lord Muck oGentry
Well, Lady Muck loves his stuff, and has now persuaded me to sing along ( "--grey-haired Federales say/ they could have had him any day--") to the CDs in the car.
Regards.
Muck,

the lyric is:

All the Federales say
they could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
out of kindness, I suppose.

sorry to be pedantic, but I'm correcting you out of kindness, I suppose.;)

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Mr Skinny
I accept your kind correction, of course. Mind you, don't you think that the interpolation of "Grey-haired Federales" is absolutely the business?
Regards.
Muck

[Bikewer]

Seems to me, in at least one version (Willie...Emmylou?) the second time through they indeed say "Grey-Haired" federales.

[Mr. Skinny]

Originally posted by Bikewer
Seems to me, in at least one version (Willie...Emmylou?) the second time through they indeed say "Grey-Haired" federales.
I think I have the Emmylou version. I'll listen to it again, but I don't recall ever hearing "grey-haired".

If either of you can find a cite with "grey-haired", I'll be glad to retract my statement, with apologies to Muck of course.:)

[Bikewer]

Pretty sure it's Willie's version, on the "outlaws" CD. Probably a sly reference to certain aging singers.....

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Mr. Skinny,
I just listened again to "Pancho and Lefty" on "The Late Great Townes Van Zandt", quite prepared to learn that I had once again misheard a song. As indeed I had, but in quite an interesting way:the final chorus seems to start with " A few grey Federales say". Does it sound like that to you?
Yours, fallibly as ever,
Muck

[Grommitt]

This site (http://home.swipnet.se/~w-36794/tvz/tvz_017.html) has the lyrics to Pancho And Lefty. by Townes Van Zandt. Proofread and authorized by Jeanene Van Zandt.

According to the lyrics authorized by Jeanene Van Zandt, the line is "a few grey federales". This line is sung onl the last chorus only.

I have listened to this song for years and always heard the line as "two old Federales". Then again, I always heard that great Platters song "The Great Pretender" as "The Grapes Are Tender".

[ASRomatifoso]

I am a big fan of Townes and have been for quite a few years. Also, Steve Earle, Guy Clarke, Lyle Lovett (awesome in concert), and of course, Willie.

Gillian Welch has covered "Pancho and Lefty" as well. She slowed the tempo down quite a bit, as she is wont to do in her most recent stuff, it seems. David Rawlings guitar work is as fine as ever, though.

[Frank Newgent]

Ever hear his story of losing a tooth with a pair of vicegrips in a game of dice? Here's (http://www.artistdirect.com/music/stream/player/rm/0,,1562402-3853440,00.html) just a little of it...