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.
Copper Kettle
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get you a copper coil
Cover with new made corn mash
And never more you'll toil
Chorus:
You just lay there by the juniper
Watch them jugs a-fillin
In the pale moonlight
Build your fires of hickory
Hickory or ash or oak
Don't use no green or rotten wood
They'll catch you by the smoke
(Chorus)
My daddy he made whiskey
My granddaddy did too
We ain't paid no whiskey tax
Since Seventeen Ninety Two
(Chorus)
The song Copper Kettle by Joan Baez talks about making moonshine, which was a common practice during the time when the song was written. The lyrics give specific instructions on how to make moonshine, starting with getting a copper kettle and a copper coil, which are necessary to distill the alcohol. The corn mash used in making the whiskey is also essential as it will prevent the maker from toiling anymore. The chorus talks about laying by the juniper while watching the jugs fill in the pale moonlight. This line suggests that the process of making moonshine is not only playful but done at night and can be a group activity.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of using quality wood in the process, as bad wood could lead to getting caught by the smoke. This line is a veiled warning to the moonshiners to stay discreet and avoid attracting unwanted attention. The last verse speaks of the lineage of moonshiners in the family as Baez talks about how her father and grandfather made whiskey, and they have not paid whiskey tax since 1792. This line could also be interpreted as a comment on the general distrust of the American government as a whole, as moonshining was illegal during this time.
Line by Line Meaning
Get you a copper kettle
Acquire a vessel made of copper
Get you a copper coil
Obtain a device made of copper used for cooling and condensing
Cover with new made corn mash
Fill the kettle with freshly made mixture of corn mash
And never more you'll toil
You won't have to work hard anymore
Chorus:
Refrain, repeated several times throughout the song
You just lay there by the juniper
Relax near a bushy plant called juniper
While the moon is bright
During a time when the moon is shining brightly
Watch them jugs a-fillin
Observe the jugs being filled with the distilled liquid
In the pale moonlight
Illuminated only by the soft light of the moon
Build your fires of hickory
Construct the fire using the wood from hickory trees
Hickory or ash or oak
Alternative options for the type of wood used in the fire
Don't use no green or rotten wood
Do not under any circumstances use wood that is green or rotten
They'll catch you by the smoke
Your illegal activity will be discovered by the smoke rising from the fire
My daddy he made whiskey
My father brewed his own whiskey
My granddaddy did too
And so did my grandfather before him
We ain't paid no whiskey tax
We have not paid any taxes on the whiskey we make
Since Seventeen Ninety Two
Since the year 1792
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FRANK A BEDDOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hunterkimble
When I was a 10-year-old boy in 1972, my mother gave me a cassette tape of Ms. Baez singing English and American folksongs; our family had just attended at folk music concert at Wolf Trap Farm Park, and that's when she knew/understood I loved GOOD music in all forms. I must have played that tape at least a thousand times and just let the beautiful music and voice wash over me. It became part of who I am and I am SO HAPPY that I've found this song once again. THANKS - and wiping away a tear or two . . .
@zymelin21
I guess I never will see Joanie again. Last time was 18 august 1970, Yes. I ripped this tune off her fast as I could, and always preceeded with the Irish "At the foot of the hill there is a neat little still, where the smoke curls up to the sky", all well and good, but this song tells you how to make it. Play close attention!!
@trudistillwell4385
This was thoroughly enjoyable,!,
Thanks.
Wayback playback! Thanks so much this was one of my lullabies!! daddy used to sing and strum the 4-string tenor guitar.
I may just go get me some copper coil 😉
🌬🔥⚗⚱.....
Miss you large pa,Dad.
You too Granddad!
Thanks for the love and cool memories 😎 ❤ 😘
@DalokiMauvais
Love the photographs you chose.
@winterbird7006
So excellent, Gary! I am watching final four and routing for North Carolina. Nothing could be fina'. Ha to take a break to listen to this fabulous song.
@peterlewicke7869
I love this song, and every day it seems better.
@rayanwilson2048
As a young woman I listened to this song and thought back to my ancestors, the Ogdens, my Tutu's ohana. Bootleggers 😊.
@charlesballiet7074
great song for a late evening
@CopperKettle
I love this performance of the song, and took my nickname from it some 20 years ago. I wrote a page in Wikipedia about the song 10+ years ago. Cheers from Yekaterinburg, Russia
@gdcat777
What's with the squiggly lyrics? Its irritating.