I'm probably wrong but I could've sworn that Levon Helm said that. Either way I agree. I have met her, albeit briefly, but I loved her way before that.
I was in the Front Porch Boys with Lyle Lovett and Robert Keen back in the late 70s. Lyle sang "If I Needed You" at my wedding, in my sister in law's living room. I'd never heard it before, and assumed Lyle had written it. I barely knew of Townes at the time, but later got to hear him. I think "If" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, as simple as rain and as profound as a thunderstorm.
Aww I love the "Loop and Lil agree, shes a sight to see" bc it made me do a bit of research to discover they were Townes birds. Makes the song more endearing
“Loop and Lil agree” is the best line of the song. How personal it is makes them feel like they’re your old friends, even though you’ve never heard of them.
Yes, they’re birds autobiographically, but you wouldn’t know it just listening to the song. “Loop and Lil” sound like informal names of people, and therefore it sounds like he’s referencing old (human) friends, which is why it’s a good line whether you know who they are or not. And shouldn’t be changed if someone else is singing it.
There's a pizza joint in Lockhart Texas named "Loop and Lils" named after Townes Parakeets.James McMurtry turned me onto it. AINT IT FUN BEING FROM TEXAS!
@knifelyfe6565 That’s interesting. I also got your comment via email about Don Williams cutting the line. I’m not familiar with his music, but it’s still my favorite lyric of the song.
It seems hard to imagine today there was actually a time when we sat in these very small rooms, drinking 60-cent beers and listened to guitar player after guitar player sing an introspective tune just trying to be honest and tell the truth. And some of them even managed to.
Gorgeous woman. Great insight into the process. The story of the parakeets, 😅😁🙌..i wouldn't have changed the original lyrics, but that's just me... Thank ya ❤️❤️💯💯👌👌
There are many days through out the year when I am very happy to tune out the rest of the world, get high and chill out all day long and listen to Emmylou Harris talk, sing, and get interviewed on RU-vid. She has such a beautiful voice whether she's singing or talking. I could listen to her talk all day long. She seems like a genuinely kind and nice, laid back, patient and non-judgemal person with a very beautiful heart. I find her to be totally captivating and hypnotic. I can't take my eyes off of her. She is so Graceful the way she presents herself to the world. She has easily been my all time favorite celebrity since the 1st time I heard her sing "The Sweetest Gift" with Linda Ronstadt on Linda's "Prisoner in Disguise" album. Thanks for posting this video.
Emmylou Harris is probably one of the coolest human beings in the universe. I believe that in India she would be referred to as a "Mahatma", or "Great Soul" I can not and will not speak of this lady with anything less than love and respect in the highest degree.
WoW the poster hanging behind Emmy Lou Curly Fox and Texas Ruby ...I spent many a warm spring day fishing with that ol' man with his ruby colored glasses ,he would drink and fish as long as he was able ... But I digress this is about the great Townes Van Zandt !!
*Emmylou Harris on Townes Van Zandt* Love Emmylou on Townes here. I agree with her on the poetry of Townes, when I first heard 'Our Mother The Mountain' my assessment was poetry with incidental music. Gotta get the documentary DVD about this superb artist.
What a stunning woman... Graceful and natural, calm. I asked her to sign a couple of guitar tops after she'd performed with Richard Thompson in Victoria. She was just so sewet, and even more beautiful close up. Does eyes! Wheeere ja get doe's eyes haha Wish I'd thought of that at the time. She asked about the guitars, and I turned to stone. Could not move a muscle, not a finger. Couldn't blink. She stared at me for like 10 seconds, and walked away. Sorry Miss Harris :/
“Loop” was named after the I-610 loop in Houston. Townes, Guy and Suzanna lived in a small house just off the Northwest corner of the Loop. Changing the lyric was a foolish thing to do. I was disappointed when Doc Watson made the same mistake as he recorded If I Needed You.
I think that it was a good move what Don Williams did. As a song writer I am al for a small tweak here and there to make a song a better fit for the singer.
Well, wonder no longer, anybody who cared enough would have found out on their own, and personally I think Don Williams is all hat and no cattle and ought not be changing the lyrics to a song by arguably one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and I don't give a shit how popular it became, or how much money it made Townes (not much, I'd wager). Either write em yourself or leave em alone when you're covering a song.
Don Williams is a vocalist not a writer. He's gonna change the melody to accentuate his ability why not a lyric or two. No harm done and Williams has one of the richest most honest voice in the business.
I love Townes's songs but I have to say "who could ill agree" works better than "Loop and Lil agree". At least as someone covering it, its better in my opinion to not use a lyric that was only personal and relatable to Townes himself.
Townes Van Zandt is one of the greatest musicians of all time. That said, what the fuck did Emmylou Harris do to her face? And I really have to laugh at the guys who are saying "that's what she looks like". Get out of your house, no human face looks like that, it is heavily surgically altered. That's not a matter of opinion either, fellas.
+MaryLiz Locke he does NOT look like that. He is a COWARD and will never show his real force until we force him to, and then he probably won't survive so please dear lady, let's try to ignore this prick. He is not worth a micro second of our time.
+CaterpillarsTV. Maybe you need a brain job! What a horrible human being you are for spitting out your poison on this thread. No words other than I'm glad you're not near because you would need a nose job LOSER!
+Jeff Travis this idiot is a garden variety troll. Ignore this fool who uses the name shorty on other trolling sites. Focus instead on lovely Emmylou talking about the brilliant Townes!
