In the late '60s and early '70s, Baez came into her songwriting own, penning many songs (most notably "Diamonds & Rust," a nostalgic piece about her ill-fated romance with Bob Dylan, and "Sweet Sir Galahad," a song about sister Mimi Fariña's ( of Richard & Mimi Fariña fame) second marriage, and continued to meld her songcraft with topical issues. She was outspoken in her disapproval of the Vietnam war and later the CIA-backed coups in many Latin American countries.
She was also instrumental in the Civil Rights movement, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King on many occassions and being jailed for her beliefs. In 1963, her performance of "We Shall Overcome" at the Lincoln Memorial just prior to Dr. King's famous "I Have A Dream..." speech helped confirm the song as the Civil Rights anthem.
In December 1972, she traveled to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and was caught in that country's "Christmas Campaign," in which the U.S. bombed the city more times than any other during the entire war. While pregnant with her only son, Gabriel, she performed a handful of songs in the middle of the night on day one of the 1969 Woodstock festival. She is considered the "Queen of Folk" for being at the forefront of the 1960s folk revival and inspiring generations of female folksingers that followed. Over fifty years after she first began singing publicly in 1958, Joan Baez continues to tour, demonstrate in favor of human rights and nonviolence, and release albums for a world of devoted fans.
1959
All In Green Went My Love Riding
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The merry deer ran before.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
The red rare deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
The cruel bugle sang before.
Horn at hip went my love riding
Riding the echo down
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The level meadows ran before.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
The lean lithe deer
The fleet flown deer.
Four fleet does at a gold valley
The famished arrow sang before.
Bow at belt went my love riding
Riding the mountain down
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The sheer peaks ran before.
Paler be they than daunting death
The sleek slim deer
The tall tense deer.
Four tell stags at a green mountain
The lucky hunter sang before.
All in green went my love riding
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
My heart fell dead before.
The song "All in Green Went My Love Riding" by Joan Baez paints a vivid picture in the listener's mind with its evocative imagery. The song seems to be about a young woman's quest for freedom and love. The opening line "All in green went my love riding" suggests that the young woman is dressed in green and symbolizes hope and new beginnings. She is riding a "great horse of gold," which represents her dreams and aspirations.
The four lean hounds that crouch low and smile depict the obstacles the woman has to face in her journey. The image of the "merry deer" running before them symbolizes the woman's innocence and purity. As she rides into the silver dawn, she encounters four red roebucks at a white water. The "cruel bugle" that sings before them is a metaphorical representation of the harsh realities she has to face.
The woman presses on, riding into a gold valley where she encounters four fleet does, and a "famished arrow" sings before them. The arrow may represent the hardships and struggles she faces, but still, she perseveres, riding down mountains and across level meadows. However, in the final verse, her heart "fell dead" before the four lean hounds crouching low and smiling. Perhaps this suggests that despite her struggles, she has been defeated in her quest for love and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
All in green went my love riding
My beloved went forth dressed in green
On a great horse of gold
She rode on a magnificent golden horse
Into the silver dawn.
She rode into the dawn when the sky was turning silver
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
Four thin but fierce dogs squatted, grinning
The merry deer ran before.
The happy deer ran ahead of them
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
Those swift and sweet deer run faster than dreams with spots
The swift sweet deer
The deer that are both fast and sweet
The red rare deer.
The deer with unusual red spots
Four red roebuck at a white water
Four red roebucks near a white stream
The cruel bugle sang before.
The harsh sound of hunting horns sounded earlier.
Horn at hip went my love riding
My love rode with a horn on her side
Riding the echo down
She rode down the echo
Into the silver dawn.
She continued to ride into the silver dawn
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The four thin, fierce dogs crouched low with grins
The level meadows ran before.
The wide plains lay ahead
Softer be they than slippered sleep
Those lean and lithe deer are gentler than barefooted sleep
The lean lithe deer
Those slender and limber deer
The fleet flown deer.
The deer are fast and can fly
Four fleet does at a gold valley
The four fast female deer in a valley of gold color
The famished arrow sang before.
The hungry arrow made a noise earlier
Bow at belt went my love riding
My love carried her bow tied to her waist
Riding the mountain down
She rode down the mountain
Into the silver dawn.
She continued to ride towards the silver dawn
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The four thin but fierce dogs crouched low and grinning
The sheer peaks ran before.
The steep peaks lay ahead
Paler be they than daunting death
Those slim deer are paler than the fearsome death
The sleek slim deer
Those smooth and thin deer
The tall tense deer.
Those tall but tense deer
Four tell stags at a green mountain
Four strong stags on a green mountain
The lucky hunter sang before.
The fortunate hunter sang out earlier
All in green went my love riding
My beloved's green garb shone as she rode
On a great horse of gold
She rode a majestic horse of pure gold
Into the silver dawn.
She rode into the dawn when the sky was turning silver
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The four thin, fierce dogs crouched low with grins
My heart fell dead before.
My heart became numb and dead
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: E.E. CUMMINGS, DAVID LEO DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryantaulbee2689
Stunning. The imagery and piercing, threatening power of the words, delivered in a deceptively lilting vocal.
@judyzagorski1
Unbelievable.
@markrice41
I still have this album. It took a long time to get a copy, but I got it on CD. I can tell it was copied off of an LP, but I still cherish it.
@AlanDenman13
I've always been fascinated by the poem. It has a hidden symbolic meaning. I think it's really a love song, very beautiful.
@handspun100
Alan Denman it’s the Greek myth of Diana and Actaeon... hence the horn, hounds and arrows. It is a love story, with a twist x
@bryantaulbee2689
Maybe it's about death, the death of a relationship, I don't know, but it's emotionally powerful, almost disturbing.
@lourelou
Kocham!