He died they say on New Year's Day
The year was '97.
His name was Townes, 'til then he'd worn the crown
Best songwriter this side of heaven.

A life of soul searching, of pain and hurting
Filled with danger and surprise.
He let us inside his stormy ride
with no pity or alibis.

Chorus:
You know he wouldn't want us to make a fuss,
But probably wouldn't mind if we kept in mind,
There's no prettier sight than looking back,
at The Townes You Left Behind.

He'd play all night long for the sake of the song,
He took us to his darkest places.
With tales of gloom, he could fill a room,
You could see the spellbound faces.

Since he's been gone, there's no more songs
Now it's us that have the blues
And from the dirt and the dust, if he could hear us,
He'd hear us say "we loved you"

Chorus