Lyr ADD: If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt)

Subject: ADD: If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 16 - 04:34 PM

This is my transcription of a Townes Van Zandt recording of this song. We used this transcription in the Rise Again Songbook.

IF I NEEDED YOU
(Townes Van Vandt)

CHORUS
If I needed you would you come to me,
Would you come to me and ease my pain?
If you needed me I would come to you,
I would swim the seas for to ease your pain.

In the night forlorn, the morning's born,
And the morning shines with the lights of love.
You will miss sunrise if you close your eyes,
That would break my heart in two.

The lady's with me now since I showed her how
To lay her lily hand in mine.
Loop and Lil agree she's a sight to see,
A treasure for the poor to find.

Townes Van Zandt
On his Legend. Emmylou Harris & Don Williams Cimarron & recordings by Lyle Lovett, Andrew Bird, Guy Clark, Bobby Vee, Seldom Scene. In films Crazy Heart & Broken Circle Breakdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j54Yk3xSYx4

I did find some recordings that had this for the last line of the chorus: "I'd swim the seas for to ease your pain."
I don't think that scans as well.

Many singers begin the last verse with, "Baby's with me now..."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 19 May 16 - 04:29 PM

Mr. Clark and wife Susanna were often in the 1970s company of Van Zandt, who wrote his own classic, "If I Needed You," in the spare bedroom of the Clarks' home on Chapel Avenue in East Nashville.

"Townes Van Zandt is one of the reasons I started writing songs," Mr. Clark told musicologist Ben Sandmel in 1992. "He writes serious, he writes seriously funny. But he never rhymes moon-june-spoon to make a buck. It's more of a literary approach. His work is a great yardstick. He consistently keeps me honest."

Peter Cooper The Tennessean 17 May 2016

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 16 - 04:19 PM

I suppose I could combine the two threads on this song, but I have arcane reasons for not wanting to do that. Trust me.
But I do think that this message clears up the "Loop and Lil" conundrum quite nicely.

Thread #95454   Message #1856057
Posted By: GUEST,Jim
11-Oct-06 - 02:54 PM
Thread Name: Loop and Lil (Van Zandt's 'If I Needed You')
Subject: RE: Loop and Lil


Well thanks Michuck and Dan. You too Little Robyn.
After reading Midchuck's response, I googled Loop and Lil and found this:
"He says that the lyrics were changed in the Emmylou and Doc Watson version to "Who could ill agree / she's a site to see / and a treasure for the poor to find." The original lyric was "Loop and Lil agree" and Loop and Lil were Townes' two parakeets. Loop was named after the North Loop drugstore in Austin where they used to buy codeine cough syrup and Lil was named after a girl Townes knew."

Here's a recording of the song by Tracy Grammer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXSc0N1AH4

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: If I Needed You
From:
Date: 17 May 02 - 07:25 PM

The lyrics posted above are correct with one exception. Above, it says, "who could ill agree". That is not what Townes wrote. He wrote, "Loop and Lil agree". Loop and Lil were his parakeets. (Said they didn't do very well on the road). -Res

Subject: If I needed you
From: GUEST,fiddler
Date: 17 May 02 - 01:26 AM

I need the lyrics to the song "If I needed you", by Towns Van Zandt. Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 12:40 PM

^5's CP!

Ta!

;-)

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: IF I NEEDED YOU (Townes Van Zandt)
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 06:18 PM

Sho' 'nuff CH........

IF I NEEDED YOU

Emmylou Harris.......written by Townes Van Zandt


C
If I needed you

Would you come to me
                  F
Would you come to me
       G       C
For to ease my pain
C
If you needed me

I would come to you
                F
I would swim the seas
       G         C
For to ease your pain
C
Well the night's forelorn

And the morning's born
                F
And the morning shines
          G       C
With the lights of love
C
And you'll miss sunrise

If you close your eyes
               F
And that would break
   G       C
My heart in two
C
If I needed you

Would you come to me
                  F
Would you come to me
       G       C
For to ease my pain
C
If you needed me

I would come to you
                F
I would swim the seas
       G         C
For to ease your pain

SOLO

C
Baby's with me now

Since I showed her how
          F
To lay her lilly
G       C
Hand in mine
C
Who would ill agree

She's a sight to see
          F
A treasure for
    G       C
The poor to find
C
If I needed you

Would you come to me
                  F
Would you come to me
       G       C
For to ease my pain
C
If you needed me

I would come to you
                F
I would swim the seas
       G         C
For to ease your pain

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: If I Needed You
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 06:12 PM

Well, now that MMarios link is defunct, anybody else got the lyrics??

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 10:50 PM

Ah, this is one of my very favourites, esp. wiht Don Williams' voice. Thansk for the reminder and the lyrics.

kat

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 08:53 PM

SPAW I think both of our stations run everything
out of SYNC with the rest of the world
Guess they TAPE and run them when they feel like it

* PUBLIC TELEVISION SCHEDULE *

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 01:08 PM

Neither of my PBS staions had that on Gene. I'll watch for a separate "Best of" series. I'd love to see the songwriter one again with Harlan Howard and Prine.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 01:03 PM

Townes Van Zandt sang that on BEST OF AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Saturday night!

Show consisted of:

Neil Young/Tom Waits/Sherryl Crowe/Leonard Cohen

Lyle Lovett/Townes Van Zandt/John Prine/Shawn Colvin

Los Lobos and Steve Goodman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 12:06 PM

Chuck, I assume you're looking for this for your family band? Great choice and I can easily hear it in your style. Lots of opps for mountain harmonies and instrumental solo work.

Quick up there Mario!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: if i needed you
From: MMario
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 11:59 AM

lyrics and chords here

url=http://home.netvigator.com/~wlleung/m_plaza/songs/ifineede.htm

Subject: if i needed you
From: tar_heel
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 11:51 AM

looking for the lyrics to a song recorded by DON WILLIAMS and EMMY LOU HARRIS,in the early 80s.....i also think RICKY SCAGGS,had a version of it also!
IF I NEEDED YOU,I WOULD COME TO YOU.............
thank you,
chuck hemrick

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Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-