Waiting 'Round to Die

"Waitin' Around to Die"
Song by Townes Van Zandt from the album For the Sake of the Song
Released	1968
Recorded	1968
Genre	Country, Folk
Length	2:25
Label	Tomato
Writer	Townes Van Zandt
Producer	Jack Clement
For the Sake of the Song track listing
"(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria" (4) "Waitin' Around to Die" (5) "I'll Be Here in the Morning" (6)

"Waitin' Around to Die" is a folk/country song written and recorded by Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. One of Van Zandt's more famous songs, "Waiting 'Round to Die" chronicles the life of a fictional drifter as he passes sadly through the experiences of an abusive father, the abandonment of his mother, drug and alcohol abuse, fast women, and even prison. The song appeared first on Van Zandt's debut album, For the Sake of the Song, in 1967, and later on his 1969 release Townes Van Zandt. Several live albums, notably Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas also feature the song.

The song appears on the classic documentary of 1970's outlaw country music, Heartworn Highways, where Van Zandt is seen performing in his Austin, Texas home with his good friend the "Walking Blacksmith" Seymore Washington.^[1] At one point during the performance, Washington, a 75-year-old man, is visibly seen crying as Van Zandt plays.

In a biographical documentary about the life and work of Townes Van Zandt, Be Here to Love Me, Townes' first wife is seen informing the audience that "Waiting 'Round To Die" was the first song Van Zandt composed during their marriage in his small apartment in Houston, Texas.

The song was covered by The Goddamn Gallows, The Lemonheads, The Be Good Tanyas, Whitey Morgan and the 78's, and was featured in an episode of Breaking Bad as well as an episode of Billions .

References

1. Heartworn Highways