SOD: Townes Van Zandt "Lungs"

The first time I conscientiously turned Townes van Zandt on, was after learning about Steve Earle (one of my all time favorite songwriters). Steve Earle, among many others, was highly influenced by Townes Van Zandt. In fact, I'd venture to say that Van Zandt would most definitely be Earle's biggest influence. Hell, Earle even named his son after him (musician Justin Townes Earle). Sometimes you discover music backwards like that, especially when you're listening to dead artists on attic albums.

I'd heard Townes before, I just didn't know it. Songs like "If I Needed You" have been staples of the genre for a very long time, and I've known them since I was young. And of course I'd heard him covered by other artists I listened to more frequently, like Bob Dylan and Steve Earle. There are covers of his work out there that are real gems. Van Zandt's work lends itself to reinterpretation and homage. Steve Earles versions are very tasteful and respectable, but certainly inject some of his own style into them, as they rightly should. But just like American muscle cars, there is no remaking an original.

Townes Van Zandt is the kind of musician who can make you want to feel sad. His music can call up such strong and simple emotion, you need only open yourself to feeling it. Most of the time, we're only interested in letting the pleasurable ones in, and fighting the darker, mores scary ones away. But Van Zandt makes it ok to feel those other raw emotions as well, because as frightening as it is to let yourself feel sad and vulnerable, it's also very liberating. Of course he's not the only one adept at doing this, but he's one of the best, and this song is a great example of the power of his songwriting.