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
Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me"
Blessed are the persecuted
And blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the merciful
The step is hard that tears away the roots
And says goodbye to friends and family
The fathers and the mothers weep
The children cannot comprehend
But when there is a promised land
The brave will go and others follow
The beauty of the human spirit
Is the will to try our dreams
And so the masses teemed across the ocean
To a land of peace and hope
But no one heard a voice or saw a light
As they were tumbled onto shore
And none was welcomed by the echo of the phrase
"I lift my lamp beside the golden door"
Blessed are the persecuted
And blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the merciful
And blessed are the ones who mourn
The first stanza of the song, "Give to me your tired and your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me," refers to the ideals of the United States as a refuge for those seeking a better life. The lyrics highlight the hypocrisy of those ideals as many immigrants faced discrimination and were not truly welcomed into the country.
The second stanza, "Blessed are the persecuted And blessed are the pure in heart, Blessed are the merciful And blessed are the ones who mourn," speaks to the Christian notion of blessing and highlights the struggles faced by immigrants who came to the United States. The lyrics suggest that despite facing difficulties, those who persevere and embody certain qualities will ultimately be blessed.
The third stanza, "The step is hard that tears away the roots, And says goodbye to friends and family, The fathers and the mothers weep, The children cannot comprehend, But when there is a promised land, The brave will go and others follow," speaks to the struggles of leaving one's homeland for a new life. The lyrics reference the sacrifices made, the pain of leaving loved ones behind, and the bravery required to start anew.
The final stanza, "The beauty of the human spirit, Is the will to try our dreams, And so the masses teemed across the ocean, To a land of peace and hope, But no one heard a voice or saw a light, As they were tumbled onto shore, And none was welcomed by the echo of the phrase, 'I lift my lamp beside the golden door'," speaks to the disappointment and disillusionment that many immigrants faced when they arrived. The lyrics criticize the lack of welcome and support for immigrants and highlights the false promises of a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Give to me your tired and your poor
I welcome those who may be exhausted and impoverished
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
Those who are struggling and seeking freedom are welcome
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
I accept those who are considered undesirable or unwanted from your overcrowded land
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me
Bring me those who have nowhere to go and are struggling in difficult circumstances
Blessed are the persecuted
Those who suffer for their beliefs are blessed
And blessed are the pure in heart
Those who have sincere and moral intentions are blessed
Blessed are the merciful
Those who show compassion are blessed
And blessed are the ones who mourn
Those who grieve are comforted and blessed
The step is hard that tears away the roots
Leaving behind one's home and roots is painful and difficult
And says goodbye to friends and family
Saying farewell to loved ones is heart-wrenching
The fathers and the mothers weep
Parents are saddened to see their children leave
The children cannot comprehend
Children may not fully understand why they must leave
But when there is a promised land
When there is hope for a better future
The brave will go and others follow
Those who are courageous will take the first step and inspire others to follow
The beauty of the human spirit
The admirable quality of the will to pursue our ambitions
Is the will to try our dreams
Our desire to pursue our aspirations despite the odds
And so the masses teemed across the ocean
Countless people crossed the ocean to find a better life
To a land of peace and hope
To a country that symbolizes peace and hope
But no one heard a voice or saw a light
There was no welcoming signal or gesture as they arrived
As they were tumbled onto shore
They were roughly and uncaringly thrown on shore
And none was welcomed by the echo of the phrase
No one heard the famous phrase
"I lift my lamp beside the golden door"
Which symbolizes the country's openness to immigrants
Blessed are the persecuted
Those who suffer for their beliefs are blessed
And blessed are the pure in heart
Those who have sincere and moral intentions are blessed
Blessed are the merciful
Those who show compassion are blessed
And blessed are the ones who mourn
Those who grieve are comforted and blessed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ennio Morricone, Joan Baez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gentile2154
Amazing !!!
Lyrics:
Father, yes, I am a prisoner
Fear not to relay my crime
The crime is loving the forsaken
Only silence is shame
And now I'll tell you what's against us
An art that's lived for centuries
Go through the years and you will find
What's blackened all of history
Against us is the law
With its immensity of strength and power
Against us is the law!
Police know how to make a man
A guilty or an innocent
Against us is the power of police!
The shameless lies that men have told
Will ever more be paid in gold
Against us is the power of the gold!
Against us is racial hatred
And the simple fact that we are poor
My father dear, I am a prisoner
Don't be ashamed to tell my crime
The crime of love and brotherhood
And only silence is shame
With me I have my love, my innocence,
The workers, and the poor
For all of this I'm safe and strong
And hope is mine
Rebellion, revolution don't need dollars
They need this instead
Imagination, suffering, light and love
And care for every human being
You never steal, you never kill
You are a part of hope and life
The revolution goes from man to man
And heart to heart
And I sense when I look at the stars
That we are children of life
Death is small.
@chiaramileto4870
🇮🇹. Onore a voi, Sacco e Vanzetti, simbolo della libertà
@faridomar4450
La musique sublime de Morricone + la voix divine de Joan Baez = magnifique hommage aux innocents Sacco et Vanzetti
@ericbenard2170
Leur innocence, d'après des études nouvelles, est grandement remise en question
@lacibal3634
saw the movie as a teenager 14 years old and the music left a mark for the rest of my life
@danielpires9520
I hás a very similar history, but i was 13 nothing remained the same after that.
Cheers, Compa, we will win.
@EdeaZoR
Same but younger. Was like 5-6. Legacy from my mom. Develop an intense sens of justice and tolerance.
@ilminatoreristorantepizzer1686
Musica e voce inimitabili. Altri due italiani giustiziati ingiustamente. Grazie maestro Morricone e Joan. Brano emozionante per musica e voce. Pelle d'oca e brividi a non finire. Grazie infinite. Ennio 1952.
@TheSOFRANA
La composition de ce grand musicien qu'était Ennio Morricone ajoute au tragique de cette histoire bouleversante. Et la voix de Joan Baez est tellement adaptée, qu'on la sent portée vers des sommets rarement atteints.
@asteroideb54
Je suis tellement émue quand à la re-découverte de cette chanson que j'en ai la chair de poule.......les choix musicaux de mon adolescence me reviennent comme un boomerang dans mon coeur et ma tête......je pleure d'émotion
@warrenginmartini
"Deep! Deep! Deep! Deep! Deep emotion!"
- Bruce Springsteen when asked about Ennio Morricone