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
Amsterdam
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a flash in a window I was passing
Just a frame in a movie I remembered
Amsterdam
Just the sound of a wheel in the gravel
Just the click of a heel on the pavement
Just a moment like any other moment
Amsterdam
[Chorus]
I remember your lips
I remember your eyes
And the taste of the kiss, and your graceful goodbye
You lied
Goodbye
Just the scent of perfume on the linen
Just the print of a palm on the pillow
Just the hint of the moon through the window
Amsterdam
Just a ghost in the steam on the mirror
Just a shadow of motion in the water
Just a need to look over my shoulder
Amsterdam
[Chorus]
Just two lovers asleep in the silence as I watched from the door
Just the weight of a heart as it's falling, nothing more
[Chorus]
In Joan Baez's song "Amsterdam," she reminisces about a past love affair that took place in the city of Amsterdam. The song is written in the form of a series of memories that include sensory experiences such as sunlight on a building, the sound of gravel under a wheel, and the scent of perfume on linen. While these moments may seem ordinary and insignificant, they are all tied to the memory of the love that she had once shared with someone.
Throughout the song, Baez reflects on the intimate moments she shared with this person, from the taste of their kiss to the weight of their heart as it falls. Her memories are bittersweet and tinged with sadness as she remembers the graceful goodbye that turned out to be a lie. Despite the heartache, she longingly recalls their time together and the moments that she cherishes from that time in Amsterdam.
The song captures the essence of nostalgia as Baez yearns for something that she can never have again. It is a poignant and honest reminder of the way that our memories shape us, and how the past will always be a part of who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
Just the pattern of sunlight on a building
I remember small, insignificant details of Amsterdam, like the way the sunlight fell on a building, because they remind me of you.
Just a flash in a window I was passing
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of something, like a flash in a window or a familiar outline, and am reminded of you.
Just a frame in a movie I remembered
I recall moments from Amsterdam like they were scenes in a movie - vivid but fleeting.
Just the sound of a wheel in the gravel
The sound of a wheel rolling through gravel triggers memories of you and Amsterdam.
Just the click of a heel on the pavement
The clicking sound of heels on pavement drums up images of Amsterdam and the time we spent there together.
Just a moment like any other moment
Sometimes memories come flooding back and seem so ordinary, like any other moment, and yet they still hold so much meaning.
Just the scent of perfume on the linen
The smell of perfume on the bedsheets reminds me of the time we spent in Amsterdam together.
Just the print of a palm on the pillow
Sometimes I'll find a lingering handprint on a pillowcase and it takes me back to Amsterdam and the moments we shared there.
Just the hint of the moon through the window
Even small details, like the hint of the moon through a window, trigger memories of Amsterdam and you.
Just a ghost in the steam on the mirror
Sometimes I'll see a ghostly image on a steamed-up mirror and it reminds me of the time we spent together in Amsterdam.
Just a shadow of motion in the water
Watching shadows move in the water brings me back to Amsterdam and the moments we spent there.
Just a need to look over my shoulder
Sometimes I feel like you're just behind me in Amsterdam and I need to look over my shoulder to see you.
I remember your lips
I remember the way your lips felt on mine during our time together in Amsterdam.
I remember your eyes
Your eyes always hold a special place in my memory of Amsterdam, and remind me of the love we shared there.
And the taste of the kiss, and your graceful goodbye
I'll never forget the way your kiss tasted and the bittersweet goodbye that came at the end of our time together in Amsterdam.
You lied
Although I cherished the memories we shared in Amsterdam, they were tinged with sadness and betrayal because you lied to me.
Just two lovers asleep in the silence as I watched from the door
I watched silently as we slept, holding onto every moment with you in Amsterdam.
Just the weight of a heart as it's falling, nothing more
The weight of my heart as our time in Amsterdam came to a close was heavy, and there was nothing more I could do but leave it behind and move on.
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BUDDY MONDLOCK, JANIS IAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jiniece
I love this song.
Linda McFaul
Beautiful❤