Steve Earle - Ft. Worth Blues Lyrics






In Ft. Worth all the neon's burnin' bright
Pretty lights red and blue
But they'd shut down all the honky tonks tonight
And say a prayer or two
If they only knew

You used to say the highway was your home
But we both know that ain't true
It's just the only place a man can go
When he don't know where he's travelin' to

But Colorado's always clean and healin'
And Tennessee in Spring is green and cool
It never really was your kind of town
But you went around with the Ft. Worth Blues

Somewhere up beyond the great divide
Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few
A man can see his way clear to the light
Just hold on tight
That's all you gotta do

And they say Texas weather's always changin'
And one thing change'll bring is somethin' new
And Houston really ain't that bad a town
So you hang around with the Ft. Worth Blues

There's a full moon over Galway Bay tonight
Silver light over green and blue
And every place I travel through, I find
Some kinda sign that you've been through

But Amsterdam was always good for grieving
And London never fails to leave me blue
Paris never was my kinda town
So I walked around with the Ft. Worth Blues





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Steve Earle Ft. Worth Blues Comments
  1. m.... b....

    Rest in peace Townes.

  2. R.... G....

    Steve Earle for songwriters Hall of Fame

  3. c.... ....

    No better tribute to the great Townes Van Zandt.

  4. N.... N....

    My favourite one from Earle. Especially when you know to whom is dedicated.

  5. S.... a....

    He looks alot different than from heartworn highways. He must have up the drinking

    S.... a....

    He did, but more to the point he gave up speed and opiates. He gained a lot of weight after he got clean and sober in 1994

  6. M.... S....

    David Bowie never heard this one.

  7. D.... M....

    The best tribute - from the heart.

  8. s.... s....

    ..its a sad song but what a great one

  9. s.... s....

    Aww man, Townes. So 😢

  10. h.... b....

    Nanci knows he's in pain and great artist

    h.... b....

    She also was close to Townes, so it is her own pain as well

  11. h.... b....

    I could hear this song g everyday of my life.

  12. j.... b....

    you always went around,,with the southern California blues,,,
    maybe thats alright,,,cause that way you couldn't fight the truth...

  13. m.... ....

    If I was on that stage, after that, my guitar would be resting comfortably in its case.

  14. G.... ....

    Great song....makes Nanci cry....is that a Gibson J35 banner? Never seen one with block inlays?

  15. M.... M....

    Nanci seems particularly choked up. I think it affects us all this way.

  16. M.... S....

    Apologies, dislikes

  17. M.... S....

    Anyone who dislike this have no souls. Just a bunch of bastards really

  18. M.... L....

    So very sad to see this again. I try not to watch it, but its so good if I could just forget why they are there!.

  19. T.... N....

    Truly a moving and lovely tune. I think Nancy's tears speak to that.

  20. M.... L....

    Steve Earle, Nancy Griffith, Ji Van Zandt,. This is the tribute show to Townes Van Zandt soon after he passed away.

  21. F.... ....

    I met him back when he looked like this. He worked with the producers who also produced my songs... and he was working in the same studio, then they came in for lunch where I worked as a bartender. He looked like "Billy the Kid". I never forget the look he gave me. It wasn't a "nice to meet you" - look.

  22. V.... P....

    true artist

  23. H.... M....

    Pure chills, every single time. This is one of my favorite songs ever. <3 Steve <3 Townes

  24. A.... G....

    fav song ...

  25. R.... T....

    sounds alot like john prine!!! steve is a great artist!!!!🦅🎸🦅

    R.... T....

    On this track, for sure. Another great artist, John Prine.
    Sadly, all I knew of Steve was Copperhead Rd. 🙄 until a Texan on here introduced me to this. Forever thankful 😊

    R.... T....

    @l Braun ~ I came down the same road

    R.... T....

    @Sandy Stephens check... Darling commit me.... if you haven't already 😁
    Excellent tune!

    R.... T....

    @l Braun Yeah man ~ from Heartworn Highways !!!

    R.... T....

    @Sandy Stephens yep, that's the best version 😍

  26. D.... U....

    Is there a home for hearts like ours?

  27. A.... M....

    Beautiful. Anyone know where I can see the full show? Seems like an amazing panel of musicians producing magic.

    A.... M....

    It is a tribute to Townes Van Zandt from Austin City Limits. It is around if you google, and at some point ACL is supposed to be posting all it's old episodes for sale.

  28. N.... E....

    Born and Raised in Fort Worth Texas !
    Townes is a legend here

  29. D.... ....

    they really gotta get a better copy of this up, just a killer performance from Steve Earle

  30. d.... d....

    love this song

  31. J.... C....

    God this is such a good song. This one speaks to me.

  32. M.... C....

    he really kills it on this one; great picking

  33. d.... ....

    Canadian Brad sent me here. "RIGHT ON!"
    #TMP

  34. C.... T....

    his song to Townes after he passed away...she is crying because the song it's the heart...

    C.... T....

    they were all very close to Townes...like family

  35. M.... L....

    Thank you, Steve Earle, for saying and singing what I want/need to hear. Always.

  36. P.... H....

    Beautiful I love his and accent. amazing talent

  37. J.... B....

    such a phenomenal song - it moves me every time I hear it

  38. s.... ....

    Oh my God, Nanci Griffith, sitting to Steve's right, was mooved and shed a tear or two.

  39. h.... ....

    Same here, I've known about Steve Earle for years, liked the song Copperhead Road when it came out, but otherwise didn't know much about the guy 'til his appearance in the Nashville and Austin episodes of Sonic Highways, playing this song, and I swear, it's become one of my favorite songs and a clue that I have to dig deeper into his catalog of work. Thanks for posting the full version, really great!

    h.... ....

    Watch his jams in heartworn highways. Galway girl and guitar town are classics too

  40. C.... E....

    Stunning every time

  41. S.... C....

    You know the others are a bit jealous of ole Steve.

    S.... C....

    done ... show over

    S.... C....

    Nah, I think they are proud of him. He carrys them with him where he goes.

    S.... C....

    They all have plenty to be proud of on their own.

  42. J.... V....

    I F---kin love this song.. !! el corazon !!

  43. J.... D....

    This a sad and beautiful song. Steve has the "right understanding" of Townes. RIP Townes.

    I hope this is not being disrespectful but were Steve and Townes using buddies. I am so glad Steve made it.

    Nancy lost her mentor and best friend. She has said in her own words that it was Townes who set her on the road to becoming a singer/songwriter.

    I also know Steve spent a period of time in Galway after getting clean, and while there he did some sessions with Sharon Shannon among others. His song "Galway Girl" was/is very popular in Ireland.

    Nanci of course is also very connected to Ireland. She has been connected for a long time now.

    Finally there are no winners using and becoming addicted to hard drugs. Again RIP Townes.

    J.... D....

    The entire crowd did a lot of drinking and abusing drugs, and I am sure they used together sometimes.  Yet from my understanding, by the time Steve's heroin/crack addiction really got out of hand in the 80s, Townes was mostly just drinking.

    J.... D....

    @nilradem Steve's friends and family once sent Townes to do an intervention on Steve.....it didn't work

    J.... D....

    I think most fans know that story, though Townes did not really try that hard to intervene, since he was not sober.

  44. L.... B....

    seeing him live in 2 days ! would be a show stopper if he plays this !

  45. T.... B....

    23 dislikes???Get a clue.Amazing how some folks have no soul.Now go back to the Top 40 mushmouth usual garbage and watered down cookie cutter radio bullshit.

  46. m.... ....

    forever Townes... Townes forever .

  47. J.... B....

    I love Steve Earle

  48. P.... S....

    I don't know how I had missed her, but I wasn't familiar with Nanci Griffith, but had seen Townes play in person several times.. When the tears streamed down her face during this show, I instantly fell in love with her, thinking I had seen the saddest and most beautiful person, all at the same time.

    P.... S....

    Nanci loved Townes.Without Townes there would have been no Nanci.Im with ya,I love her too.So many great singers/songwriters in Texas that can chill ya to the bone.

  49. D.... S....

    not sure if she's crying for Townes, for Steve or both. Steve looks in pretty rough shape at this time of his life. Fortunately for all of us it looks like he's pulled out of it.

    D.... S....

    You are imagining things. He had been clean 3 years at this point. (And has been clean since then.)

  50. b.... ....

    Yes, this moves lota thoughts. It's about Towns Van Zant.

  51. S.... M....

    Saddest song i've ever heard and a great tribute to a great man

    S.... M....

    @sammy scotch Oh yes! Marie You better have a case of kleenex.Ive seen Townes do Marie live then drank with him after they locked the doors at the bar many times.He played Poor David's Pub in Dallas for many years.He is miss ed. Townes like the rest of those guys lived hard.

    S.... M....

    @Talkin Bout Nawlins lucky you to have known Townes!

    S.... M....

    @sammy scotch As much as I loved his music it was bad at the end.If you look at the album's there's a red hollow body gibson.The last time he was in Dallas he left the guitar at the bar.My best friend was the mgr of the club.He called Townes on the road and told him he left the guitar.Townes argued with him saying he didn't leave it.My friend said it will be here when you come back through.He never came back through and passed.Last I heard he still had the guitar.Guy Clark was another one I got to hang with after the bar closed while they waited to get paid.We lost him not too long ago.Dont ya know Townes and Guy are up there stirring up shit lol

    S.... M....

    @sammy scotch Have you heard Townes do"Sanatarium Blues?" Check it out!

    S.... M....

    @Talkin Bout Nawlins Oh yes! Sanitarium Blues...😢 especially knowing Townes spent a fair amount of time in one

  52. M.... L....

    Nanci's tears were for all of us.

    M.... L....

    That is so beautiful.

    M.... L....

    Sammy I think that those who have even thought about this idiocy, they should just be ashamed...this sentence is offensive for Nanci but even for the Fans of Nanci ... Nanci is the most real and honest and sincere and clean that the music scene can present .. .

    M.... L....

    Martha I love Nanci's tears, because they are tears of love and of sincerity

  53. S.... K....

    may be my fav of all time

  54. j.... s....

    Steve Earle and his tribute to John Townes Van zandt. watch as Nanci Griffith Gently weeps as steve sings about Townes.

  55. E.... C....

    always hard to say goodbye to a best friend..

  56. T.... R....

    This is an Austin City Limits Tribute in Austin Texas R.I.P. Townes

    T.... R....

    Robert Harris well brother your always welcome. Texas is a truly amazing place with amazing people.

    T.... R....

    Austin is worth the trip..others, not so much.

    T.... R....

    Ive got the video and its great!

    T.... R....

    @Alice Alvarez What are you doing out of the kitchen? Texas has many great places.San Antonio,Big D,Laredo and I could go on all night long.Checkout: Gary P Nunn-"Ask Me What I Like About Texas".....I think you will.get the point.

    T.... R....

    My wife is from van zAndt co texas . my high school librarian was his aunt .

  57. M.... C....

    I had to run this title down. Heard it for the 1st time just now by Guy Clark on Pandora (Bless 'em!) Thought for sure it was a Guy Clark song. Wonderful to see that it is Steve Earle's. So touching and great. If you have not seen "Treme," do yourself a favor. Best music-related series I have ever seen and Steve Earle stars in it and wrote some of the music. Stunned at how great it is. Thanks for posting this. I live in the jungle in Costa Rica and I can't live without YouTube and Pandora.

  58. L.... B....

    Seeing Nanci cry always make me cry.

    L.... B....

    @Payton Kane She wept openly and unashamedly. Our human nature causes us to try and hide tears. That just plain convicts her of true love and respect.

    L.... B....

    @Payton Kane i thought it so heartless and cruel of anyone who would say that about Nanci. Townes and she were friends and its a sad song

    L.... B....

    @Talkin Bout Nawlins hope they have endless cigs for susanna

    L.... B....

    @Sammy Scotch Agreed! Shes got her hands full up there with those two.lol Last time I saw Guy was at Poor Davids Pub in Dallas.I had talked with an elderly gentleman outside for about an hour during the opening band.After the show I went back to say hello to Guy and Verlin and here comes the gentleman in behind me.It was Larry Mahan.That made my night.I sure miss seeing Townes too back in the 80s at Davids.David's had all the great Texas singer/songwriters then.

    L.... B....

    @Sammy Scotch Love Nanci and Townes doing"Tecumseh Valley" with Mark OConnor on strings.Youtube it but grab a box of kleenex first.You will need it.

  59. m.... ....

    Anyone know when and where this tribute concert was? Look like fairly soon after TVZ died in '97.

    m.... ....

    +morgaffi I was wondering the same thing

    m.... ....

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0516551/


    A collection of TVZ tributes and covers from YouTube - several from Austin City Limits "Celebration of Townes Van Zandt" (recorded December 1997)*. All songs written by TVZ except for couple written by his friends (Fort Worth Blues by Steve Earle & Ordinary Heart by Emmylou Harris & Kimmie Rhodes).

    m.... ....

    Thanks for finding that. What a ridiculous lineup of talent...

    m.... ....

    Austin City Limits.Austin Texas.

  60. R.... R....

    im totally lost in this.. this song makes me think of how it was...the best of music was somewhere beyond me. my parents probably heard it, they know, what real music is.

    R.... R....

    +Rey Rangel At 36 I know I missed some good music. Just glad good music is recognized at whatever age you find it

  61. N.... ....

    Best song Steve Earle ever wrote.

  62. N.... F....

    Sharon, you were always a beacon of understanding and acceptance in my life. You gave me my first Steve Earle CD so many years ago. You knew me well enough to know his music would make sense to me. To this day I'm still listening. Thank you for everything.

    N.... F....

    Youre welcome

  63. S.... C....

    I not to compete. I not to argue I not to wear a bathing suit

  64. M.... Z....

    I can't keep my eyes dry when I listen to it

    M.... Z....

    U ain't the only one.

    M.... Z....

    +longhornfan8575 me too. Loved the old seedy downtown before the Basses cleaned it up.

    M.... Z....

    I don't even try

  65. m.... ....

    This is my favorite version of this song.

    m.... ....

    +matthrlw1 I like Guy Clarks cover and the album version by Steve but this live cut just has so much emotion in it. I always seem to go back to it.

  66. K.... ....

    ..."Every place I travel through I find, some kind of sign, that you've been through"... traveling south on route 17 in NY, I look on the wall and I see "PANCHO AND LEFTY".

    K.... ....

    @butlerdawgs78 Thanks Bro! Too cool!

    K.... ....

    Even that yankee s -hole loves Townes. :-)

    K.... ....

    @Dan Marino guess you had some bad times in NY

  67. k.... ....

    RIP Townes...

  68. D.... A....

    me too! :) 

  69. R.... ....

    Oi! from Ft. Worth TX.

  70. C.... M....

    This song makes me cry all the time

  71. C.... M....

    My favorite Steve Earle song! Really hits ya hard

  72. P.... 6....

    Absolute killer tune and performance, huge thanks to Dave Grhol and Sonic Highways for highlighting this amazing song and artist.

  73. T.... C....

    Hard to keep a dry eye aint it.

    T.... C....

    Absolutely 

    T.... C....

    I for one can't ...but that goes for so many songs from Steve the Storyteller. One of the Great American Poets as far as I'm concerned. He surely does the legacy of Townes right.

    T.... C....

    Just my feelings. Always tears @ this song!

  74. I.... A....

    His face right at the very end where he can barely hold it together as he finishes the song. That's the face of a guy who means every word of what he's singing. What a great video.

    I.... A....

    Isaac Allan he is his generation’s gift to the world.

  75. A.... H....

    Foo fighters: sonic highways!! Brought me here.. true artist at his finest

    A.... H....

    @Cambio 559 ME TOO HAHA

    A.... H....

    @Cambio 559 Guess what..!

    A.... H....

    +Cambio 559 Same here! :-)
    Good song to face the new year

    A.... H....

    wow... same here! song gave me goosebumbs.

    A.... H....

    @cauwel3 Good man for opening your soul.

  76. D.... B....

    One of the best singer/songwriter performances of all time.....

  77. T.... F....

    this appears to be from the Austin City Limits Townes Van Zandt tribute show ... does anyone know if the entire episode is out there anywhere?

    T.... F....

    @Tim Forsman I have seen it on torrent sites, but I don't think it was ever released officially.

    T.... F....

    @Tim Forsman Hallo, it`s on the DVD Singing Songwriters. A Carinco AG released. Made in Germany 2004.

    T.... F....

    @Irmgard Hötte The Singing Songwriters DVD only has part of this show, with other unrelated performances. It is also bootlegged, not an official release of the show. If Tim really wants this entire show, he should look for it specifically as the ACL Townes tribute. It was on dimeadozen.org for awhile. I had it from there, but lost it in a hard drive crash. There was some talk of ACL putting all their shows online for sale but hasn't happened yet.

    T.... F....

    @Tim Forsman I had a look, and found the complete show posted here: http://strangerintown.podcastpeople.com/posts/49864
    I don't know anything about the site, so download at your risk, but streaming is allowed. And Darlin' is right, the Singing Songwriters DVD only has part of the show and bits from other ACL shows.

  78. F.... ....

     In the dictionary, under eulogy, this should be the example.

  79. A.... W....

    what a beautiful tune....

  80. l.... ....

    one of my favourite Steve Earle songs for sure

  81. O.... M....

    Nanci Griffiths cries so beautifully.

  82. e.... ....

    OMG ik hou hier zoooooo van      Doet me zo denken aan Toon.   Het gevoel is dat wat er toe doet.

  83. C.... I....

    What a troubador...  Steve, you are THE SHIT!!!
    Thank you for so many years of good tunes...

  84. M.... B....

    Anyone would be proud to have a best friend write a song like this in tribute. Absolutely brilliant.

  85. n.... ....

    Peter Rowan and Nanci Griffith are on either side. Others are JT Van Zandt (son of Townes), Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett and Cowboy Jack Clement.

  86. T.... C....

    If you've got a dry eye after that, then you aint right in the head man.

  87. s.... m....

    Real songwriting

  88. d.... ....

    OMG ! theres another living superfan of this man. He wrote the words and tunes to our nation. Cold Dog singing out....

  89. s.... ....

    guy clark does a beautiful version of this on his cold dog soup collection..

  90. c.... p....

    ''said he fell from a 4th story building, and it didn't hurt him any'' --- Eric Taylor

  91. F.... S....

    I remember seeing this when it aired. I still watch it regularly as if it just aired. The whole show is just a glimpse into Townes in the sweetest way. It has really stuck with me.

  92. n.... ....

    He should have been in Oklahoma, I suppose.

  93. T.... ....

    Like this is the best version of this lovely song. Is ther any recording of this version?
    Thanks!

  94. n.... ....

    This was broadcast about 15 years ago - what took you so long to pop the question? :)

  95. T.... H....

    Thank god there is artist like Steve Earle out there

  96. T.... ....

    I come to view this video from time to time. It's vivid in my memory when I was watching it with my girlfirend the night it first aired on T.V. I was thinking at the time this is epic, when I turned over to my girlfriend she was crying. I knew she was going to be my wife right there and then. It will be 8 years in June. I love you Jennifer!

  97. R.... B....

    reminds me of bob dylan

  98. H.... ....

    Holy Mackerel, that was a strong song. Townes was right there and those people were hurting but still feeling him. Powerful for sure.

  99. H.... H....

    this man never fails me, ever. God Bless you.