My Proud Mountains

Townes Van Zandt: My Proud Mountains

my home is Colorado
where there's proud mountains tall
where the rivers like gypsies
down her black canyons fall
i'm a long way from Denver
with a long way to go
so lend an ear to my singing
'cause i'll be back no more

i left as a young man
not full seventeen
with nothing for company
but the wind and a dream
'bout all the fast ladies
and living i'd find
when i left
my proud mountains
and rivers behind

so i rolled and i rambled
like a leaf in the wind
i found my fast ladies
and some hard living men
i sometimes went hungry
with my pockets all bare
i sometimes had good luck
with money to spare

i made me some friends
that i won't soon forget
some are down under
and some are rambling yet
but as for me, well
i'm headed for home
back to high Colorado
never more for to roam


so friends,
when my time comes

as surely it will
you just carry my body
out to some lonesome hill
lay me down easy
where the cool rivers run
with only my mountains
'tween me and the sun

--Townes Van Zandt
My Proud Mountains