Guantanamera
Jackson Browne & Joan Baez Lyrics


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Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera

Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma

Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera

Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo

Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera

Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace mas que el mar





Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera

Overall Meaning

The song Guantanamera is a traditional Cuban song that has been covered many times by different artists, including Joan Baez and Jackson Browne. The song describes the sincere and honest nature of the person singing, who comes from a rural area where palm trees grow. The singer wants to share his or her soulful poetry before they die.


The second verse describes what the singer's poetry is like. The verse is full of contrasting imagery, with the colors green and red being used to describe the emotions and sensations that the singer is feeling. The verse also includes the line "My verse is a wounded deer," which suggests the vulnerability and fragility of the singer's emotions.


The final verse of the song mentions the singer's desire to be with the poor people of the world. The singer finds greater pleasure in the simple things, like a mountain stream, than in the vastness of the sea. This verse may be interpreted as a commentary on the simplicity and beauty of a rural life compared to the distractions and complications of urban life.


Overall, the song Guantanamera is a celebration of one's values and appreciation for the natural world, and a song that honors the tradition of Cuban music.


Line by Line Meaning

Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
This line is a repetition of the song's title and signifies the song's title.


Yo soy un hombre sincero
I am an honest man.


De donde crece la palma
I come from where the palm grows, which is a reference to the Caribbean islands including Cuba.


Y antes de morirme quiero
Before I die, I wish to fulfill my dreams.


Echar mis versos del alma
This translates to 'Throw my soul's verses.' In this line, he means that he wishes to express himself through his music.


Mi verso es de un verde claro
The color green signifies life and growth. He is saying that his verses are lively, fresh and full of growth.


Y de un carmin encenidido
Carmine red represents passion and love. He is saying that his verses are passionate and filled with love.


Mi verso es un ciervo herido
His verse is a wounded deer, symbolizing his vulnerability yet the strength to still seek refuge in the mountains.


Que busca en el monte amparo
He seeks protection and refuge in the mountains.


Con los pobres de la tierra
He wishes to stand with the poor people of the earth.


Quiero yo mi suerte echar
He wishes to cast his own fate alongside the poor people of the earth.


El arroyo de la sierra
He is happy with a small stream up the mountains.


Me complace mas que el mar
He is content with the simple and humble things in life more than the vastness of the sea.


Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
This line is a repetition of the song's title and signifies the song's title.


Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
This line is a repetition of the song's title and signifies the song's title.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Peter Seeger, Julian Orbon, Hector Angulo, Jose Fernandez Diaz, Fernandez Diaz Jose

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Cindy Schneider

Saw an interview with Jackson once where he said the first album he bought as a kid was Joan Baez, what a thrill it must be for him to get to sing with her, and Emmy Lou it goes without saying!

Stargazer

@ Cindy S. So well said. We watch the same videos.

roderick matheson

3 legend's on stage,thats great stuff, and Joan getting up to dance , what else can you say.

Jean Pierre Zutter

Thank you very much for this version of Guantamera by Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez and Jackson Browne !!

guybos1

A great song by tremendous artists in their own right ! Thanks for sharing !

bil peterson

I was there! All the way from Orange County to San Jose just for this concert. It was amazing!

Saskia Cornell

WONDERFUL.....Thank you Ronna

Jill Waters

A memorable night. Great acoustics. How did you get this video? We were all in the back.

Honey Pie

Wow! Beautiful!

Maria Van Kooyk

j'adore !!!!!

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