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
Birmingham Sunday
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong
On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun
And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one
At an old Baptist church there was no need to run
The clouds they were grey and the autumn wind blew
And Denise McNair brought the number to two
The falcon of death was a creature they knew
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
The church it was crowded, but no one could see
That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three
Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Young Carol Robertson entered the door
And the number her killers had given was four
She asked for a blessing but asked for no more
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground
And people all over the earth turned around
For no one recalled a more cowardly sound
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
The men in the forest they once asked of me
How many black berries grew in the Blue Sea
I asked them right back with a tear in my eye
How many dark ships in the forest?
The Sunday has come and the Sunday has gone
And I can't do much more than to sing you a song
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong
And the choirs keep singing of freedom
The lyrics of “Birmingham Sunday” by Joan Baez tell the story of the tragic bombing that occurred at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963. The first stanza sets the stage for the song; the singer invites the listener to come to her side so she can sing a soft, gentle song about this horrific event that impacted her deeply. The second stanza introduces Addie Mae Collins, one of the four young African American girls who were killed in the bombing. The third stanza tells of another victim, Denise McNair, and invokes the image of the “falcon of death.” The fourth stanza brings in Cynthia Wesley, and the fifth stanza introduces Carol Robertson, the final victim. The sixth and final stanza describes the aftermath of the bombing, how the whole world heard the news and was horrified by the cowardice of those who committed such a heinous act.
Throughout the song, the refrain of “and the choirs kept singing of freedom” contrasts the hopeful, peaceful music of the church choir with the violence and hatred that occurred that day. It is a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives, and a call to continue fighting for justice and equality.
Overall, “Birmingham Sunday” is a poignant and haunting song that captures the tragedy of this horrific event. By weaving together individual stories and images, Joan Baez creates a vivid picture of what happened and draws the listener in to share her sorrow and outrage.
Line by Line Meaning
Come round by my side and I'll sing you a song
Let's sit together, and I'll sing this song to you.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong
I'll sing it gently and tenderly, without offending anyone.
On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine
On that particular Sunday, blood was spilled as if it were abundant wine.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite the tragic events, the choirs did not cease their song in pursuit of freedom.
That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun
The morning was so eerie, making it difficult to catch a glimpse of the sun.
And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one
The first victim was Addie Mae Collins.
At an old Baptist church there was no need to run
As the tragedy unfolded, there was no need to run because the church is a sanctuary.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite the tragedy, the choir continued singing for freedom.
The clouds they were grey and the autumn wind blew
The weather was dreary, the clouds were grey, and the autumn wind was blowing briskly.
And Denise McNair brought the number to two
Denise McNair became the second victim.
The falcon of death was a creature they knew
The people there knew that death had come to them.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite tragedy, the choir persisted in their song for freedom.
The church it was crowded, but no one could see
The church was full, but there was no way of seeing the imminent danger.
That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three
Cynthia Wesley was the third victim.
Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me
Cynthia Wesley's prayers and emotions would put ours to shame.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite the tragedy, the choir continued their pursuit of a song for freedom.
Young Carol Robertson entered the door
Carol Robertson walked into the church.
And the number her killers had given was four
The killers determined that Carol Robertson would be the fourth victim.
She asked for a blessing but asked for no more
Carol Robertson only asked for a blessing, nothing more.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite the tragedy, the choir continued singing for freedom.
On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground
The ground shook with a sudden, violent noise on that tragic Sunday.
And people all over the earth turned around
The noise was so loud that it caught people's attention around the world.
For no one recalled a more cowardly sound
The sound was cowardly and shameful, unlike anything ever heard before.
And the choirs kept singing of freedom
Despite tragedy, the choir persisted in their song for freedom.
The men in the forest they once asked of me
Men in the forest once asked me a question.
How many black berries grew in the Blue Sea
They asked how many blackberries grow in the ocean.
I asked them right back with a tear in my eye
I asked them a question, and I was crying.
How many dark ships in the forest?
I asked how many dark ships are lost in the forest.
The Sunday has come and the Sunday has gone
The tragic Sunday has come and gone.
And I can't do much more than to sing you a song
All I can do is sing this song for you.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong
I'll sing it tenderly and without offending anyone.
And the choirs keep singing of freedom
Despite tragedy, the choir persisted in their song for freedom.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD FARINA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Dixon
I was a young soldier in Louisiana when the church was bombed, and did not pay attention. Then I heard Joan sing this song and my heart broke, as it does each time I listen to it. I could look away, but I - all of us - must not forget, must never stop our work and prayers to stop violence against our African American brothers and sisters. George Floyd was killed by a policeman nearly two weeks ago, and I'm not giving up hope that our country will finally say ENOUGH! Thank you Joan for breaking our hearts.
Spadecaller
Well said, my friend.
Non Partisan
@Spadecaller Yes, well said. Beautiful words from the heart.
Kathy Zinn
Hauntingly beautiful. thank you, Joan. We must never forget those little girls,
Tracy-Ann Ralphs
I have never heard this song before, but I am teaching "The Help" as my setwork and came across a reference to this song. As a South African, I know only too well the atrocities that have been committed on people. It is such a privilege for me to be able to teach the children about love, acceptance and tolerance, but also to make them aware of the past.
Bill B
This video should be played in every classroom across America. It is an extraordinary history lesson of a time in America when the struggle for human rights and dignity were met with violence and hatred. We should never forget those times because if we do, it can and will happen again and again. No words and no voice ever told it better than Richard Farina and Joan Baez. I was 17 yrs old when this happened and those four precious angels are still in my heart after all these years.
Kel Bell
Could not stop playing this song as a child. Memory remains. Never forget.xx
existingiswhat
yes.
t spez
My folks had this album.
akaimurasaki1
i listened to this in my english class and fell in love with it instantly. it shows that someone cared about showing what was happening and that it was a tragic thing but made it so beautiful