Throughout this period, Van Zandt’s excursions usually traced a boomerang: beginning in Colorado, shifting south to Houston, after which east to Nashville and again. Houston was an issue as a result of that’s the place Townes may rating heroin. Quickly, his summers in Colorado changed into retreats from his habit. In 1970, Townes and Fran divorced as his habits grew extra erratic. The subsequent yr, he moved in with a supplier in Pasadena, an industrial part of Houston, the place he had limitless entry to his drug of selection. Van Zandt began to dump all of his possessions, together with his report assortment, and to keep away from family and friends.
Fran satisfied Townes to go to J.T. within the fall of 1971. He didn’t present. Sensing that one thing was flawed, she waited by the cellphone all day. Lastly, the decision that she was dreading got here: Van Zandt had overdosed. He was within the hospital, calling out her title. When Fran arrived, she was instructed that Townes had died once more, twice this time, within the ambulance. His situation was nonetheless important, however she saved him aware by speaking to him all through the night time.
To have a good time his most up-to-date restoration from dying, Van Zandt jokingly named his sixth report The Late Nice Townes Van Zandt. Eggers claimed that he was answerable for the title, meant to poke enjoyable at Townes’ lifeless profession. Actually, although, he was as profitable as he had ever been. The Late Nice bought steadily and featured two songs, “If I Wanted You” and “Pancho and Lefty,” that will come to outline his profession. Van Zandt had survived, even prospered, and was desirous to proceed his fortunate streak. He appeared ahead to his seventh album with anticipation. “The subsequent one will probably be a success. The subsequent one is more likely to be a hit,” he predicted.
He had purpose to be assured within the songs on Seven Come Eleven. Townes usually claimed that he was solely a vessel for lyrics that basically originated elsewhere. They’d come to him in flashes or in desires. This will likely have been true generally, however was extra doubtless a little bit of modesty combined with mythmaking: the standard poet, divinely impressed. Nonetheless he arrived at his songs, Van Zandt was all the time meticulous. “It appears lots of people in Nashville write by the phrase, or by the road. Versus writing by the phrase,” he instructed journalist Paul Zollo for the 2003 e book, Songwriters on Songwriting. “Loads of my finest songs are the place each single phrase is the place it’s purported to be.” He was influenced by Shakespeare and Dylan Thomas however cited Robert Frost as his most necessary touchstone. As in Frost’s finest poems, Van Zandt’s lyrics are profound of their simplicity.
