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
El Preso Numero Nueve
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Esta encerrado en la celda con el cura del penal
Y antes del amanecer la vida le han de quitar
Porque mató a su mujer y a un amigo desleal
Dice así al confesar
Los maté si señor
Y si vuelvo a nacer
Yo los vuelvo a matar
Padre no me arrepiento
Ni me da miedo la eternidad
Yo se que allá en el cielo
El ser supremo nos juzgará
Voy a seguir sus pasos
Voy a buscarla hasta el más alla
Ay
El preso numero nueve era un hombre muy cabal
Iba en la noche del pueble muy contento en su jacal
Pero al mirar a su amor en brazos de su rival
Ardió en el pecho el rencor y no se pudo aguantar
Al sonar el clarín se formo el pelotón
Iban al paredón solo alcanzo a decir
Padre no me arrepiento ni me da miedo la eternidad
Yo se que allá en el cielo el ser supremo nos juzgará
Voy a seguir sus pasos voy a buscarla hasta el más alla
Ay
"El Preso Numero Nueve" by Joan Baez is a song that tells the story of a prisoner who is about to be executed for killing his wife and a disloyal friend. The prisoner confesses to the crime and shows no remorse, saying that he would do it all over again if given the chance. He is resigned to his fate and believes that he will be judged by a higher power in the afterlife.
The song touches on themes such as love, jealousy, revenge, and the inevitability of death. It also raises questions about morality, the justice system, and the role of religion in the face of punishment. The character of the prisoner is complex and multi-dimensional, as he is both a victim and a perpetrator of violence, and his motivations and emotions are left open to interpretation.
The chorus of the song, in which the prisoner declares his lack of remorse and his determination to be reunited with his love in the afterlife, is particularly haunting and powerful. It showcases Baez's remarkable vocal range and emotional depth, as well as her ability to convey complex emotions through simple but evocative lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
El preso numero nueve ya lo van a confesar
The prisoner number nine is about to confess
Esta encerrado en la celda con el cura del penal
He is locked up in the cell with the prison's priest
Y antes del amanecer la vida le han de quitar
Before dawn they will take his life
Porque mató a su mujer y a un amigo desleal
Because he killed his wife and an unfaithful friend
Dice así al confesar
He says this when confessing
Los maté si señor
I killed them, yes sir
Y si vuelvo a nacer
And if I were to be born again
Yo los vuelvo a matar
I would kill them again
Padre no me arrepiento
Father, I do not repent
Ni me da miedo la eternidad
Nor am I afraid of eternity
Yo se que allá en el cielo
I know that up in heaven
El ser supremo nos juzgará
The supreme being will judge us
Voy a seguir sus pasos
I will follow his steps
Voy a buscarla hasta el más alla
I will search for her even beyond
El preso numero nueve era un hombre muy cabal
The prisoner number nine was a very noble man
Iba en la noche del pueble muy contento en su jacal
He was very happy in his small home on the village's night
Pero al mirar a su amor en brazos de su rival
But when he saw his love in his rival's arms
Ardió en el pecho el rencor y no se pudo aguantar
The resentment burned his chest and he could not handle it
Al sonar el clarín se formo el pelotón
When the bugle sounded, the firing squad formed
Iban al paredón solo alcanzo a decir
They were going to the wall, he only managed to say
Ay
Oh
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Antonio Cantoral Garcia, Roberto Cantoral Garcia
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arrascaetadora7560
Pues yo digo,se de lo que hablo y escribo, todo lo contrario:
tu lucha es tu lucha
para nada es la propia,
o por lo menos de ninguna manera como la has llevado;
bajo los puentes levantados
mucha agua corre
y es bien diferente.
@JulioGonzalez-lm8xj
Siempre me causó admiración el notable registro de voz de joan..mas que cantar trinaba..era digo porque sus mayores éxitos se encuentran justamente en sus inicios..y ese tiempo fue espectacular..
@teresamadrid4076
Me fascina esta Bellísima Melodía y en la voz de la INIGUALABLE Joan Baez,es otro cosa!!!! Simplemente ESPECTACULAR 🎉🎉🎉
@nadinedeberry6735
This is so beautiful. Awesome voice.
@manoeldesousamartinsmartin8493
Saludo los Hermanos
Desde Brasil
GRACIAS
@jazzugo
Me compré este album con 14 años. 40 años despues, sigue poniéndome la piel de gallina como en aquel entonces.
@lizdeadhead
I purchased the album maybe 15-20 years ago. It gave me chills in my early 20s and still does!
@saijapalmutie9893
I love Joan singing in espanol and the way how she sings these yayauaas🎉❤
@davidhart2788
My favorite album of all time. I've loved Joanie since I was a kid.
@peterkosterman4380
God himself sent one of his angels down to earth to let us enjoy her heavenly voice!
@OtisFan1
I had the vinyl album, the first she released under her name, simply "Joan Baez" in 1960. I lost it in a move, so it's great that all of those songs are now available on YouTube. Thanks for posting. As was the style in the late sixties, hippie era, I had long, almost black hair, and was very flattered when people said I looked a little like Joan. If only I'd had her voice!