Townes Van Zandt was an alcoholic, drug addict country-western musician. He also happened to be one of the best singer-songwriters of the genre to never make it big in his lifetime. Another simple case of insane influence wasted on a disinterested public, Zandt was like and extremely unlucky Johnny Cash, a man who made the genre while he was alive and continues to be loved by those that are interested enough to track him down.
In 1993, Zandt covered The Rolling Stones’ heartbreak song Dead Flowers (link to original on YouTube). The Stones version of the song is tragic and astonishingly relatable despite an overt reference to heroin addiction, but Zandt managed to distill the bluesy upbeat of the song into a quiet country pluck-n-strum that sounds like an excellent song to kick the chair out to. Anything that embodies sorrow in this way has a special place in my heart, and I love this version of the song infinitely more than the Stones version.
Lyrics:
And when you’re sitting there
In your silk upholstered chair
Talking to some rich folks that you know
Well I hope you won’t see me
In my ragged company
You know I could never be alone
-
Take me down little Susie, take me down
I know you think you’re the Queen of the Underground
Send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flower by the mail
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
And I won’t forget to put roses on your grave
-
And you’re sitting back
In your rose pink Cadillac
Making bets on Kentucky Derby days
I’ll be in my basement room
With a needle and a spoon
And another girl to take my pain away
-
Take me down little Susie, take me down
I know you think you’re the Queen of the Underground
Send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
And I won’t forget to put roses on your grave
-
Take me down little Susie, take me down
I know you think you’re the Queen of the Underground
Send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
And I won’t forget to put roses on your grave
No I won’t forget to put roses on your grave
