Baez first met Dylan in 1961 at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village. At … Read Full Bio ↴Baez first met Dylan in 1961 at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village. At the time, Baez had already released her debut album and her popularity as the emerging “Queen of Folk” was on the rise. Baez was initially unimpressed with the “urban hillbilly,” but was impressed with one of Dylan’s first compositions, “Song to Woody,” and remarked that she would like to record it (though she never did). At the start, Dylan was more interested in Baez’s younger sister, Mimi, but under the glare of media scrutiny that began to surround Baez and Dylan, their relationship began to develop into something more. By 1963, Baez had already released three albums, two of which had been certified “Gold”, and she invited Dylan on stage to perform alongside her at the Newport Folk Festival. The two performed the Dylan composition “With God on Our Side”, a performance that set the stage for many more duets like it in the months and years to come. Typically while on tour, Baez would invite Dylan to sing on stage partly by himself and partly with her, much to the chagrin of Baez’s fans, who often booed him. Before meeting Dylan, Baez’s topical songs were few and far between: “Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream,” “We Shall Overcome” and an assortment of negro spirituals. Baez would later say that Dylan’s songs seemed to update the topics of protest and justice.

By the time of Dylan’s 1965 tour of the United Kingdom, their relationship had slowly begun to fizzle out after their having been romantically involved off and on for nearly two years. The tour and simultaneous disintegration of Baez’s and Dylan’s relationship was documented in the rock-doc Dont Look Back .

Mama You Been on My Mind
Bob Dylan & Joan Baez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
But mama, you are just on my mind.

I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I am not pleadin' or sayin', I can't forget
I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet

Mama, you are just on my mind.

Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow
Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow
It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow
But mama, you're just on my mind

When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
As someone who has had you on his mind

Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that

But mama, you are just on my mind
Mama, you are just on my mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez's ‘Mama You Been on My Mind’ are an expression of the singer's innermost thoughts as he stands at a crossroads in life, unsure of the path he should take. He is introspective as he contemplates the reasons why his mother is occupying his thoughts at that moment. The sun's color, the weather, or something more profound may be responsible for his feelings of nostalgia. Nevertheless, he assures his mother that his thoughts of her are not troubling or a plea for her return.

He goes further to reveal that his thoughts of her are not causing him any troubles, and he is not wallowing in self-pity. He does not even care where she is currently and is not in sorrow over her absence. However, he admits that her memory is still present in him and has been consuming his thoughts. He acknowledges that his mind could be hazy, and his thoughts may not always be clear, yet his mother's image persists.

The song's beauty comes from the singer's ability to convey his feelings transparently without asking for his mother's return or apologizing for his thoughts. Instead, he says a simple, honest prayer, asking his mother to look in the mirror and see herself through his eyes. He hopes she can see the loving memories he has of her and understand how much he still thinks of her, even when she isn't near him. The song is a beautiful tribute to a mother-son relationship, and the singer's candidness about his thoughts is touching.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
Perhaps it's the bright, flat color of the sun that reminds me of you and puts you on my mind.

An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
The sun is also shining down on the crossroads where I'm currently standing, making me reflect on my past and think of you.

Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
It could also just be the general atmosphere or mood created by the current weather that brings memories of you to my mind.

But mama, you are just on my mind.
Regardless of the reason, I can't help but think about you and your influence on my life.

I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I want to make it clear that my thoughts of you are innocent and not intended to cause any turmoil or strife.

I am not pleadin' or sayin', I can't forget
I'm not begging for you to come back into my life, nor am I saying that I can't move on without you.

I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet
Although I'm thinking of you, I'm not letting those thoughts consume me. I'm still standing strong and moving forward with my life.

Mama, you are just on my mind.
Once again, I want you to understand that you hold a special place in my memories and that's why I can't help but think of you from time to time.

Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow
While my thoughts of you may not be fully clear or detailed, and my thinking may be limited, that doesn't stop me from thinking of you fondly.

Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow
I'm not concerned with where you are or what you're doing because it doesn't bring me any sadness or hurt.

It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow
Your current location or future plans aren't important to me. My thoughts of you are based on our past and the memories we shared.

But mama, you're just on my mind
Once again, I want to emphasize that my thoughts of you are not negative or harmful, but simply a way for me to remember and honor our past.

When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
I'm not with you anymore, but if you were to look in the mirror, I wonder if you could see how much of an impact you had on my life and how you still hold a place in my heart.

You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
I'm not trying to give you false hope or lead you on. I know we won't be together again, but that doesn't stop me from thinking of you in a positive light.

I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
I'm simply curious if you're able to see the same type of clarity and depth in your own self-reflection as I see in my own memories of you.

As someone who has had you on his mind
As someone who has thought of you fondly and often, I think you hold a unique place in my memories and in my heart.

Mama, you are just on my mind
For the final time, I want to express that my thoughts of you are not negative or bothersome, but simply a special and important part of my past that I want to remember and honor.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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