| Townes Van Zandt – St. John The Gambler Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Who knows what Townes Van Zandt was thinking of when he wrote this song; one thing is for certain though; when he is described as having a Shakespearian influence, this song is a good example of where it lies, in its entire poetic structure and the way it flows so easily through the phrasing. Van Zandt himself said that every song he wrote had to be perfect – this is a good example of that. “And dead men lay deep 'round the door, of the only salvation that's mine for the asking…” I think this lyric spells out the danger and ultimate tragedy ahead. It appears to be saying; “many have tried before and failed but there is no other choice”, or “the only thing that will save me is to follow my heart, even if it frighten me”. I’ve studied every word in this song and what it presents to me is the archetypal image of youth leaving their roots to find themselves, and in this case, the path chosen is that of risk; St. John the Gambler , as opposed to John the Baptist, perhaps. A choice between good and evil, god and the devil, taking a gamble instead of choosing blind faith, and which seems to sit so poignantly with the way Van Zandt lived his own life. But who knows what it means for certain, it’s just my guess, and as Willie Nelson says about another of Van Zandt’s songs; Pancho and Lefty, you kind of decide for yourself what it means anyway. Whatever it means, it is one of my personal favourites of Van Zandt’s and has also taught me a lot about the art of song writing. |
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