Townes Van Zandt wrote a handful of songs that became permanent fixtures in country and bluegrass. “Pancho and Lefty” became a #1 country hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in 1983. “If I Needed You” got the Emmylou Harris and Don Williams treatment. “White Freightliner Blues” entered bluegrass via Jimmie Dale Gilmore. His work is dark, plainspoken, and unforgettable — “Tecumseh Valley” tells the story of a young woman who dies, “Loretta” and “Snowin’ on Raton” carry the same weight. Townes died in 1997; his songs only got more played.

Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history.