Townes Van Zandt - Lungs Lyrics






Well, won't you lend your lungs to me?
Mine are collapsing
Plant my feet and bitterly breathe
Up the time that's passing.
Breath I'll take and breath I'll give
Pray the day ain't poison
Stand among the ones that live
In lonely indecision.

Fingers walk the darkness down
Mind is on the midnight
Gather up the gold you've found
You fool, it's only moonlight.
If you try to take it home
Your hands will turn to butter
You better leave this dream alone
Try to find another.

Salvation sat and crossed herself
Called the devil partner
Wisdom burned upon a shelf
Who'll kill the raging cancer
Seal the river at it's mouth
Take the water prisoner
Fill the sky with screams and cries
Bathe in fiery answers

Jesus was an only son
And love his only concept
Strangers cry in foreign tongues
And dirty up the doorstep
And I for one, and you for two
Ain't got the time for outside
Just keep your injured looks to you
We'll tell the world we tried





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Townes Van Zandt Lungs Comments
  1. G.... ....

    Townes family has actually been in Texas a long, long time...

  2. S.... S....

    I would think this was written about Susana Clark (Guys wife) and she and Townes were best friends but its not. Ive heard sooo much from people who knew her about her smoking and yes it finally killed her. RIP Townes, Susana and Guy-sure do miss em alot

  3. A.... P....

    What kind of sick fuck gives this a thumbs down?

  4. a.... a....

    True detective seasons 1

  5. J.... T....

    Hopeless and beautiful are the words this man sang along with his beautiful guitar playing, a poetic genius and a troubadour. RIP Townes

  6. e.... v....

    Time is a flat circle.

  7. z.... q....

    ❤️❤️

  8. M.... S....

    LOVE !!!

  9. P.... M....

    Not handsome.

  10. P.... W....

    Townes invented the trap beat

  11. M.... I....

    If there is ever another fallout game in the west this should be in it

  12. S.... {....

    True Detective much?

  13. S.... M....

    Kristofferson VS Lizzo lyric comparison. https://youtu.be/zpl3nMrgXEQ

  14. O.... N....

    Better leave this dream alone and find another....
    Truest words ever spoke

  15. K.... M....

    ads before a townes song seem sacrilegious

  16. a.... w....

    worth it

  17. M.... ....

    This shit slaps

  18. K.... D....

    Chills every time.

  19. D.... C....

    love...love...LOVE this

  20. I.... N....

    One of the greatest English language poets to be sure.

  21. G.... M....

    I need a smoke...and a drink
    .

  22. K.... M....

    this is the best song ever written

    K.... M....

    Definitely one of them!

  23. W.... A....

    love this song in 2019

  24. B.... O....

    townes is logos

  25. j.... s....

    Why do I only just know this now

    j.... s....

    I've only known of him for 5 years, wish it was sooner

  26. K.... G....

    Love you Mr. Townes!

  27. G.... a....

    Co jste vy, byli jsme i my, co jsme my, budete i vy----------What you are, we were also us, you too ´=é)))))))))))) ou anyhow that means dead ;-) ´=))

    G.... a....

    What the fuck

  28. G.... a....

    I GOT THIS DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!FROM GRAVE HE WALKS AMONGS US ´=DDDDDDDD UGH ´=P i never forgot this partner!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  29. C.... �....

    I’m 22 I know this song word for word, my friends call me an old man... my father calls me his favourite xD

    Version with Steve Earle is amazing also
    Second favourite song after Steve Earle Ellis Unit 1

  30. G.... T....

    This feels similar to ma I'm only bleeding by Bob Dylan. Am i the only one that thinks that? Just something about the lyrics

  31. G.... M....

    members me on firefly...

  32. G.... M....

    wanna hear this on my funarel....wait

  33. M.... D....

    The lungs don't work well filled with carbons and fluids...if you find someone like that, call for help.

  34. M.... K....

    This. Yes.

  35. D.... W....

    Some things are forever.

  36. J.... D....

    Genius !

  37. B.... A....

    that entry :) perfect

  38. I.... B....

    "Stand among the ones that live
    In lonely indecision"...fuck did he knew what it was to live in lonley indecision. Folk-country singer, road tripper, drug fulled alcoholic, angel and demon...full blown POET!

  39. l.... ....

    They got it so damn dirty no one wants to go in!
    "Jesus was an only son
    And love his only concept
    Strangers cry in foreign tongues
    And dirty up the doorstep"

  40. _.... S....

    This should’ve been in red dead redemption 2, for Arthur Morgan

    _.... S....

    Jarvey Hones Same, felt like this would be good to replace the song that plays when you come back from Guarma.

    _.... S....

    Might’ve been a little too one the nose with the line about lungs collapsin

    _.... S....

    Maybe when he gets diagnosed with tuberculosis while he's walking

  41. L.... F....

    Is the solo played on a banjo?

  42. B.... C....

    What a crisis America is facing at its Southern border right now. Well. Dear World; we tried.

  43. t.... a....

    Whoa. I'm totally shaken and unnerved by this song. I don't think i can listen to it again.

  44. K.... R....

    I listen to this song whenever I smoke to grief about my uncurable addiction and all my hopeless attempts to quit smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

  45. J.... B....

    Hooooooo

  46. F.... D....

    songwriters now do not write or play for the public anymore. we have stopped trying to deliver a message to the dead. Sorry, but the time has past for such things.

  47. P.... ....

    "A man's game charges a man's price. Take that away from this if nothing else."

  48. S.... K....

    anything dropped d :)

  49. F.... D....

    Song fits the narrative of the new Red Dead game surprisingly well.

  50. I.... B....

    Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck bless the day Justin Townes Earle turned me on to one of the godfather's of songwriting.

  51. F.... S....

    a great artist...
    thanks for sharing

  52. J.... S....

    "A man's game charges a man's price. Take that away from this if nothing else."

  53. R.... D....

    Gather up the gold you found you fool it's only moonlight.

  54. S.... ....

    Damn Townes! There's (literally) NO ONE LIKE YOU. You could make me cry even when I.... Well fuck it....

  55. F.... B....

    What does it mean

  56. M.... L....

    This and Waiting Around are my favs. May his soul/spirit be soaring.

  57. F.... M....

    This song never fails to give me chills.

  58. C.... K....

    I always end up back listening to Townes.

  59. N.... D....

    All my life I wanted to be close to God....only closeness I ever found.....silence

  60. T.... M....

    Best songwriter ever...and then there's Steve...who learned from Townes.

  61. c.... ....

    Check out the end of episode 7, Season 1 of HBO's "True Detective" to add some dramatic context to this Townes classic. Wow !

    c.... ....

    cardogsink this song and many other from TVZ were remastered with more backing tracks.

  62. H.... G....

    "Careful what you get good at" Rust Cohle

  63. S.... P....

    Come inside little prince

  64. E.... C....

    there will never b another townes

  65. E.... C....

    life is a flat circle until u break the loop

  66. J.... w....

    Quit smoking dumbass

  67. L.... M....

    See the photography project 'Good Goddamn' by BRYAN SCHUTMAAT. It fits this song as a glove

  68. M.... ....

    These lyrics are unbelievably good. Like Leonard Cohen good.

  69. S.... C....

    Very nice song...Light & Love...

  70. J.... W....

    Great song.

  71. K.... B....

    true detective brought me

  72. M.... W....

    https://youtu.be/PuuGoi3MF0o
    I tried to cover this song and maybee play it live someday. Please tell me what you think, would mean a lot its a great song

  73. E.... B....

    Any other musicians or music historians out there know who’s playing the percussion on this and on songs like waiting around to die? It’s a very minimal style did Townes do it himself after the take I wonder? It sounds like the percussion was added after

  74. d.... d....

    Misunderstood Genius.

  75. M.... S....

    one special the nacho vegas in the república federativa argentina o no, aguante la renga

  76. A.... F....

    On the edge of this rabbit hole I look down knowing my demise yet I cant deny the pull of its heavenly disguise.

  77. J.... P....

    My family's been here a long, long time.

  78. H.... A....

    Saw on BBC just before the sport this evening. Didn't know it before.

  79. W.... R....

    Black Stars Flat Circles And Yellow kings

  80. E.... M....

    I love this part 01:26-01:46. I wish It would be longer

  81. o.... H....

    you ever wondered if jesus felt lonesome?

  82. M.... M....

    don't have a lot of time.... someone tell me from which album this is from. please. true detective soundtrack excluded.

  83. M.... B....

    Painfully sad

  84. L.... B....

    He never tries to sell you anything. That's why it's so good.

  85. D.... M....

    Splendid; I have discoverd him a few weeks ago.C'est vraiment très beau je vis en France et il est peu connu dans mon pays; c'est magnifique

  86. e.... ....

    When you have no idea what your lyrics mean

  87. m.... ....

    TVZ burns like fire. Not fade away ever, I have to keep listening.

  88. A.... A....

    This transcends muscal comprehension. Country? Folk? na, f*ck you, this is music. in its purest most unadulterated form.

  89. m.... ....

    Listen to this 6-7 times and youll start to see what a great writer and poet Townes was. Amazing as hell.

  90. T.... m....

    one of my hero's

  91. G.... ....

    Always come back to this, thanks to the uploader for posting such a fucking brilliant track.

  92. P.... N....

    Been listening to TVZ everyday for the last ten years& some Jim White inbetween!

  93. A.... ....

    Townes, Nick (Drake), Elliott, Hank, Johnny, Lou, Bob, Emmy, Lucinda...........boy we blessed : P

  94. T.... M....

    The Good Reverend Ray is romancing SWEET Lady Blues!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUDJHnDqMUw

  95. M.... D....

    One of my favorite songs.

  96. T.... R....

    Jesus wasn't an only son though. He was God's only son but he did have half brothers and sisters.

  97. s.... ....

    ❤️🖤💙💚

  98. G.... R....

    Carcossa