Following on from Lightnin’ Hopkins and how pain is portrayed and created by singers, Townes Van Zandt in my mind is one of the greats if not THE greatest.

Songs such as Kathleen and Waitin’ Round To Die are just so painfully beautiful. If I could write anything as hard-hitting and heart-breaking as that, I’d be happy.

“It’s plain to see, the sun won’t shine today. But I ain’t in the mood for sunshine anyway. Maybe I’ll go insane.” The sheer frustration yet lack of faith here is so utterly chilling, you cannot help but wonder what was going on in his mind when he wrote Kathleen.

Townes’ life wasn’t exactly the artists dream. He suffered with alcoholism, drug addiction and was diagnosed with Manic Depression. He was diagnosed with Manic Depression at quite a young age, and a lot of his long-term memory was erased from having insulin shock therapy. A lot of artists suffer for their art, there is no doubt that Townes was one of them.

“Now I’m out of prison, I got me a friend at last. He don’t drink or steal or cheat or lie. His names Codeine, he’s the nicest thing I’ve seen. Together we’re gonna wait around and die.” So painful, you cannot help but believe he truly felt every single word here.

There will never ever be anyone quite like Townes Van Zandt.