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. On July 28, 2019, following dates across Europe, Baez performed her final concert at Madrid's Teatro Real. In January 2021, Baez received a 2020 Kennedy Center Honor.
Boulder To Birmingham
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Called 'Boulder to Birmingham'"
I don't want to hear a love song
I got on this airplane just to fly
And I know there's life below me
But all that you can show me
Is the prairie and the sky
I don't want to hear your sad stories
About heartache and desire
The last time I felt like this
I was in the wilderness
And the canyon was on fire
And I stood on the mountain, in the night
And I watched it burn, I watched it burn
I watched it burn
And I'd rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I'd hold my life in his saving grace
I'd walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
Well, you really got me this time
And the hardest part is knowing I'll survive
I've come to listen for the sound
Of the trucks as they rolled on
Out on Highway 95
Pretending it's the ocean
Coming down to wash me clean, to wash me clean
You know what I mean
And I'd rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I'd hold my life in his saving grace
I'd walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
The song "Boulder to Birmingham," written by Emmylou Harris and performed by Joan Baez, embodies a sense of longing and pain. The singer is seeking to escape from love, and seems to be in a state of emotional turmoil. The opening lines indicate that the character is on an airplane, presumably flying away from a past love story. She is not interested in love songs or stories of heartbreak, instead only seeing the prairie and the sky. The lyrics convey a sense of loneliness and detachment from the rest of the world.
The singer then establishes a scene from her past, where she stood on a mountain and watched it burn, and claims that she will search for salvation in the bosom of Abraham. This biblical allusion suggests that she is seeking spiritual comfort to heal her emotional wounds. Despite the uncertainty and pain that she is experiencing, the singer declares that she will walk from Boulder to Birmingham if she thought she could see the face of someone who loves her. The song's chorus repeats that sentiment.
This song has been interpreted in many different ways, with some suggesting that it is a reflection on the death of Harris's former lover and bandmate, Gram Parsons. However, Harris has suggested that she was also dealing with her own emotional pain and separation from a previous partner at the time. Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of longing and the idea that the singer is willing to go to great lengths if it means being reunited with a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to hear a love song
I am not interested in listening to a song about love
I got on this airplane just to fly
I boarded this airplane only to go for a flight
And I know there's life below me
I am aware that there is life beneath the airplane
But all that you can show me
However, all you can reveal to me
Is the prairie and the sky
Are open fields and the blue sky
I don't want to hear your sad stories
I don't want to be told any depressing stories
About heartache and desire
Of heartbreak and longing
The last time I felt like this
When I last felt like this
I was in the wilderness
I was in a remote area
And the canyon was on fire
And there was a wildfire in the valley
And I stood on the mountain, in the night
And I stood on a hill, illuminated only by the moonlight
And I watched it burn, I watched it burn
And I observed it burn, I observed it burn
And I'd rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would find solace in the protective arms of Abraham
I'd hold my life in his saving grace
I would rely on his divine mercy to save me
I'd walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
I would travel a great distance from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face
If I believed I could see your face, I would make that journey
Well, you really got me this time
You have truly affected me this time
And the hardest part is knowing I'll survive
The most difficult aspect is that I am sure I'll survive
I've come to listen for the sound
I have arrived to hear the noise
Of the trucks as they rolled on
Of the trucks as they passed by
Out on Highway 95
On the road known as Highway 95
Pretending it's the ocean
Falsely imagining it as the ocean
Coming down to wash me clean, to wash me clean
Flowing down to purify me, to purify me
You know what I mean
You understand what I'm trying to say
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Bill Danoff, Emmylou Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliot Brown Music
"You really got me this time, and the hardest part is knowing I'll survive" - those are the most poignant lyrics ever written.. because they come from being there :'(
Pasha Zio
Yeah, Elliot, they come from being there, and it hurts
Stephanie B
I’ve been there myself and this is both a beautiful and devastating lyric
Rachel Watkins
I love both versions of this song. I think this is the first version I heard when I was a little girl. Joan does Emmylou proud. As a kid, when I just looked at the title of the song before hearing it, I thought it was about someone pushing a boulder to Birmingham. :)
Margaret Ross
Me too. Actually, Boulder was where Emmylou sang her first concert with Gram Parsons on the road trip where she fell in love with him. Birmingham was her birthplace.
William Philip
Look up Elisabeth Andreassen, a swedish singer doing this one, I've been a Emmylou fan for ever. But I'm going to put this one Elisabeth, slightly ahead.
Ray Holden
The chorus always gives me goose bumps.
Joan Mcmahan
Joan did an amazing job on this. Emmy Lou is the only one that puts the feeling of sadness and mourning that no one else can put express.
strawberryseason
Memories. I used to listen to this album, "From Every Stage," all the time in high school. It made me a Baez fan. And I love Emmylou Harris, too.
ReNova Recovery Institute
Just beautiful. I love Emmy Lou's version so delicate and personal, but Baez brings a power to the song that is unforgettable.