Great songwriters and their greatest song

[San Antone]

Hard to choose a greatest song by Townes Van Zandt. There are many great ones, including "If I Needed You" and "Tecumseh Valley." But I'll pick "Pancho and Lefty." Here's a version by Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, followed by the great Texan himself, playing "a medley of his hit" 

https://www.youtube.com/v/TMPydiR4NaQ

https://www.youtube.com/v/zprRZ2wFQD4


Sarge

Yep on all three.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Ray Davies, "Waterloo Sunset"

Richard Thompson, "Dimming of the Day"

Robbie Robertson, "The Weight"

Tom Waits, "Tom Traubert's Blues"

Sandy Denny, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes"

[TheGSMoeller]

Tom Waits, "Tom Traubert's Blues"

You could've replaced this with over a dozen other Waits songs and I'd be happy with it, but I like your style, T.T.'s Blues is great.

[San Antone]

Wow.  I forgot I started this thread.  Time to add another:

If These Walls Could Speak - Jimmy Webb.

https://www.youtube.com/v/_3p64SIX_KI

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

You could've replaced this with over a dozen other Waits songs and I'd be happy with it,

For sure! That's just how I happen to feel today.

But I'm going for songs that I feel are somehow representative, rather than merely great.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Suzanne Vega, Small Blue Thing.

[NikF]

A cool pursuit while waiting for a flight.
Feel free to overlook those with a separate lyricist.


This Whole World - Brian Wilson.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WPe78FgI9ro

Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington.

I Cover the Waterfront - Green/Hayman.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GIIZ3hQEsqs

Coming Around Again - Carly Simon.

Night and Day - Cole Porter.

Please Fall in love with Me - John Martyn.

Incident on 57th Street - Bruce Springsteen.

She Loves the Jerk - John Hiatt.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYoKpCas0IY

Lida Rose - Meredith Willson.

They Don't Know - Kirsty MacColl.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kIsyQ2qCDQ8

Being Alive - Sondheim.

Stella by Starlight - Victor Young.

It might as well be Spring - Rodgers/Hammerstein.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MrohVzVLSbw

Cheek to Cheek - Irving Berlin.

If It's Love - Tilbrook/Difford.
https://youtu.be/ZS0SMYdGh-c

I Can't Get Started - Vernon Duke.

What am I doin' Hangin' Round - Michael Martin Murphy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0h9QD6UKY

Dancing in the Dark - Dietz/Schwarz.

I Want to see the Bright Lights - Richard Thompson.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_gkWKKeW8vU

Stardust - Hoagy Carmichael.

[JBS]

A cool pursuit while waiting for a flight.
Feel free to overlook those with a separate lyricist.


This Whole World - Brian Wilson.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WPe78FgI9ro

Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington.

I Cover the Waterfront - Green/Hayman.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GIIZ3hQEsqs

Coming Around Again - Carly Simon.

Night and Day - Cole Porter.

Please Fall in love with Me - John Martyn.

Incident on 57th Street - Bruce Springsteen.

She Loves the Jerk - John Hiatt.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYoKpCas0IY

Lida Rose - Meredith Willson.

They Don't Know - Kirsty MacColl.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kIsyQ2qCDQ8

Being Alive - Sondheim.

Stella by Starlight - Victor Young.

It might as well be Spring - Rodgers/Hammerstein.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MrohVzVLSbw

Cheek to Cheek - Irving Berlin.

If It's Love - Tilbrook/Difford.
https://youtu.be/ZS0SMYdGh-c

I Can't Get Started - Vernon Duke.

What am I doin' Hangin' Round - Michael Martin Murphy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0h9QD6UKY

Dancing in the Dark - Dietz/Schwarz.

I Want to see the Bright Lights - Richard Thompson.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_gkWKKeW8vU

Stardust - Hoagy Carmichael.

Decided to go for that warmer clime?

My nomination
Adam Raised a Cain (Bruce Springsteen)

[NikF]

Decided to go for that warmer clime?

My nomination
Adam Raised a Cain (Bruce Springsteen)

Yeah, just for a few days. Y viva espana.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Jean Ritchie, "High Hills and Mountains"

[Gurn Blanston]

George Gershwin - Fascinatin' Rhythm

Hard to pick one Gershwin, he had so many great songs. I've always really liked this one though.

[Papy Oli]

I'll throw those in :

Neil Young - Old man
Joni Mitchell - The last time I saw Richard
Charles Aznavour - Hier Encore
Grant Lee Philips - Waking Memory

[geralmar]

Hank Williams:  "Your Cheatin' Heart"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAct0tUlec

[geralmar]

John Denver:  "Rocky Mountain High"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eOB4VdlkzO4

(Too bad it's about drugged hippies.)

[geralmar]

Gordon Lightfoot:  "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" .

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

[The new erato]

Dancing in the Dark - Dietz/Schwarz.

Finally! I've been soooo close to mentioning this a number of times. Big thumb up for the Berlin song as well, and for mentioning Richard Thompson (though probably not my favorite by him).

[Sergeant Rock]

Emmylou Harris "Boulder to Birmingham" ...the song is about her feelings of grief in the years following the death of Gram Parsons, country rock pioneer. 

https://www.youtube.com/v/P0oemBPggGI


Sarge

[geralmar]

Bobbie Gentry:  "Ode to Billie Joe"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cJZ_ViDADOE

[geralmar]

Paul Simon:  "The Sound of Silence"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4fWyzwo1xg0

[geralmar]

Harry Chapin:  "Cat's in the Cradle"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KUwjNBjqR-c