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Marie Lyrics

Artist: Townes Van Zandt
Album: No deeper blue

by Townes Van Zandt

I stood in line and left my name
took about six hours or so
Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game
said they'd let me know
I put in my time till the Pocono line
shut down two years ago
I was staying at the mission till I met Marie
now I can't stay there no more

Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man
to move some old cars around
maybe me and Marie could find a burned-out
van and do a little settlin' down
Aw, but I'm just dreamin', I ain't got no ride
and the junkyard's a pretty good ways
that job's about a half week old besides
it'd be gone now anyway

Unemployment said I got no more checks
and they showed me to the hall
my brother died in Georgia some time ago
I got no one left to call
Summer wasn't bad below the bridge
a little short on food that's all
Now I gotta get Marie some kind of coat
we're headed down into fall

I used to play the mouth harp pretty good
hustled up a little dough
but I got drunk and I woke up rolled
a couple of months ago
they got my harp and they got my dollar
them low life so and so's
harps cost money and I ain't got it
it's my own fault I suppose

The Pocono's down but the Chesapeak's runnin'
two freights everyday
if it was just me I'd be headed south
but Marie can't catch no train
She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby,
says we gotta wait and see
in my heart I know it's a little boy
hope he don't end up like me

Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file
I gotta stand in line again
I want to kill him but I just say no
I had enough of that line my friend
I head back to the bridge, its getting kinda cold
I'm feelin' too low down to lie
I guess I'll just tell Marie the truth
hope she don't break down and cry

Marie she didn't wake up this morning
she didn't even try
she just rolled over and went to heaven
my little boy safe inside
I laid them in the sun where somebody'd find them
caught a Chesapeak on the fly
Marie will know I'm headed south
so's to meet me by and by

Marie will know I'm headed south
so to meet me by and by

Comments/Interpretations

by neil harvey on 6/10/2010 9:10am
a brilliant lyric; full of some inherant truths about love, isolation, and loss. And, then- again, persecution, cruelty, callousness and vicious, institutional malice and spite.
I heard this first, on a freebie CD that came with some music magazine, some years ago. it was a duet-arrangement between Van Zandt, himself, and Willie Nelson.

I have yet to hear it without dissolving into tears.

Bloody hearbreaking!

CHEERS! Neil

by gwamba on 12/21/2010 12:38pm
just tears.....

by Art Wilmeth on 7/17/2012 1:57am
I met and talked with Townes at his show at " The Birchmere " 6 months before he died . Been a fan for 36+ years . Rip Townes

by jonathan moore on 6/21/2015 12:13pm
Townes is just an incredible song writer. Moves me every time I hear him. The voice, guitar, lyrics - all from the heart, real, brutal and uncompromising.
RIP TVZ.

by KelleyBryant on 5/11/2018 1:31pm
I can’t listen to this or play it without crying... I’ve been there.