You can’t hold me
I’m too slippery
I do no sleepin'
I get lonely
You can touch me
If you want to
I got poison
I just might bite you
Lie in circles
On the sunlight
Shine like diamonds
On a dark night
Ain’t no mercy
In my smilin'
Only fangs and
Sweet beguiling
Future, he don’t
Try to find me
Skin I been through
Dies behind me
Solid hollow
Wrapped in hatred
Not a drop of
Venom wasted
You can slip in
Try to find me
Hold your breath and
Flat deny me
It makes no difference
To my thinkin'
I’ll be here when
You start sinkin'
I had no idea this song was by him! I know it from the soundtrack to the film “Lawless”. It was put together, (partially) written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and performed by the likes of Ralph Stanley, Willy Nelson, Mark Lanegan - and they got Emmylou Harris to sing this song, which she does in a very beautiful and ethereal way. I was amazed to hear this original version. They’re almost like two different songs, but all the genius was clearly put in there by Van Zandt. The more this man reveals to me, the more I’m blown away and falling in love. What a discovery. It seems I have hit upon a very rich seam to mine...
I frist heard this song a CD in 1995 I did not know who Townes was then until his death in 1997 when I lived in Austin Texas. But man Townes was beyond Genius a musican and a Songwriter I am in awe at his lyrical powers in English.