The article revisits Townes Van Zandt, highlighting his tumultuous life as a cult singer-songwriter. Known for his hauntingly beautiful songs, Van Zandt's experiences with pain and risk shaped his creative work. The piece highlights a pivotal moment from his youth, where he intentionally fell from a balcony to understand the feeling of losing control. Despite facing numerous challenges, his music remains impactful. The discussion centers on his seventh album, initially shelved, later released in 1993, which continues to evoke the profound essence of his artistry.
To really die you have to die three ways. Townes Van Zandt discovered this after overdosing on model airplane glue. He was declared DOA at the hospital where, to hear him tell it, he sat for an hour and a half while doctors debated just how dead he was.
Van Zandt reasoned that to write great songs, he would have to experience everything that he could survive and a few things he couldn't. As a freshman at the University of Colorado, he tipped backward over the railing of a fourth-story balcony just to see how it felt to lose control.
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