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
Finlandia
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song of peace, for lands afar and mine
This is my home, the country where my heart is
Hear are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine
Oh hear my song, thou God of all the nations
A song of peace for their land and for mine
Joan Baez's song "Finlandia" is a stirring call for peace and unity among all nations. In the opening verse, the singer acknowledges her deep love for her own country, but also recognizes that people in other lands share the same hopes, dreams, and aspirations. This awareness of the common humanity that unites us all is a central theme of the song, as the singer implores listeners to embrace a vision of world peace that transcends national borders.
The second verse emphasizes the beauty of the natural world, contrasting the sky and sunlight of the singer's own country with those of other lands. Yet even as she celebrates these differences, she acknowledges the universal qualities that connect all human beings - the common desire for warmth, light, and beauty. Ultimately, the song is a plea for understanding and compassion, urging all people to work together for a better future.
Overall, "Finlandia" is a powerful expression of the human yearning for peace, justice, and equality. Its message is as relevant today as it was when it was written over a century ago, and Joan Baez's rendition continues to inspire listeners all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
This is my song, O God of all the nations
I offer this song to you, God, who reigns over all nations.
A song of peace, for lands afar and mine
It's a peace song that is not only for my country but also for other countries.
This is my home, the country where my heart is
My country is where I belong and where my heart finds comfort.
Hear are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine
My hopes and dreams are tied to my country, which is a place of worship for me.
But other hearts in other lands are beating
There are people in other countries who also have dreams and aspirations.
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine
Their dreams and aspirations are as genuine and lofty as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
The atmosphere in my country is more serene and peaceful than the ocean.
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine
My country enjoys a lot of sunshine, even on foliage like clover and pine trees.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover
Just like my country, other nations also experience sunlight and have lush vegetation like clover.
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine
The skies in other countries are just as beautiful and serene as the skies in my country.
Oh hear my song, thou God of all the nations
God, please listen to my plea for peace not only for my country but for all the nations.
A song of peace for their land and for mine
Let this peace song resonate across borders, for the tranquility of all countries, including my own.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Bluewater Music Corp., Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Jean Sibelius, Katharine Von Schlegel, Paul Mickelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Thomas
The words that are sung are the words of the poem “This Is My Song,” also known as “Song of Peace,” and were authored by the poet Lloyd Stone.
They are not the words of "The Finlandia Hymn."
The music is from the hymn-like portion of Finlandia composed by Jean Sibelius in 1899-1900.
Finlandia (though musically called a "symphonic poem") had no words.
Lloyd Stone’s poem was first set to the music in 1934 and published as a choral anthem by the Lorenz Publishing Company.
The author of the words, Lloyd Stone, was a poet who was born in California and whose parents were from Missouri.
The Finnish composer Johan Julius Christian [Jean] Sibelius (08 Dec 1865 – 20 Sep 1957) composed Finlandia in 1899-1900.
Some people have posted “This Is My Song” but called it the “Finlandia Hymn.” Finns then protest that the words (Lloyd Stone’s words) aren’t the words of the “Finlandia Hymn.”
The words sung in Finland, which weren’t written until 1941 (long after Lloyd Stone’s words were set to the tune!) are by the Finnish poet Veikko
Koskenniemi. The “Finlandia Hymn” quickly became a popular anthem for Finland.
There is no relationship between the words of Lloyd Stone's poem and the words by the Finnish poet Veikko Koskenniemi, except for having been set to the same music.
[There are other words sung to the hymn-part of Finlandia; “Be Still, My Soul,” for example. The old hymn “Stille mein Wille (Be Still, My Soul)” by Catharina von Schlegel (1752)—translated by Miss Jane Borthwick in 1855—was set to Finlandia for the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal. One source claims a setting of “Be Still, My Soul” to Finlandia appeared in 1927, but I haven’t found it.]
Lloyd Stone was also an illustrator and composer.
Lloyd Stone’s words appear in at least 18 hymnals, and the words are always set to this music. The hymn is given the title of either "This Is My Song" or a "Song of Peace."
Its appearance in The Hymnal for Friends, published by the Friends General Conference (Philadelphia, 1955) is the earliest use of it in a hymnal I have found. Yale University Press published it in its Hymnal for Colleges and Schools the following year (1956). It then appeared in the Methodist
Hymnal of 1966.
Lloyd Shelbourne Stone was born 29 Jun 1912 in Fresno, California. His parents, Lowends Columbus Stone and Gurtha Emalaine Marr were born in Missouri. They had married in Texas County, Missouri, in February 1910, then moved to California.
Lloyd’s father, Lowends Stone was from a very large family (brothers: Virgil, Frederick, Russell, Oscar, and Curtis; sisters: Mildred, Grace, Mary, and Ruth). In California he got a job as a “well puller” and worked for the Associated Oil Co. of Coalinga, California, on the Shawmut Lease.
His mother was a seamstress.
Lloyd Stone attended Lindsay High School, Lindsay, California, graduating in 1930. He was president of his class in his Junior year. He then attended the University of Southern California.
He wrote “This Is My Song” before, or at about the time of, his graduation from USC.
In October 1936, at age 24, his name appears on the passenger list of the S. S. Lurline on its voyage from Los Angeles Harbor to
Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii.
An article in Esquire said:
"Lloyd Stone was born . . . on a California desert . . . He went to school . . . graduating from the University of Southern California as a music major . . .supposed to be a teacher . . . joined a circus bound for Honolulu instead . . . Quit the circus to design in a jewelry shop . . . later joined the staff at Kulamanu Studios as pianist-composer . . . '
From a Hawaiian newspaper, The Islander,
"Mr. Stone is probably among the most versatile contributors to the arts of whom Hawaii can boast. His poetry reflects Hawaii. He does not sing of the palms and the surf, but of the earthy human beauty which is the heritage of the islands. He finds his niche as an interpreter of that which lies beneath the lovely outward shell of Hawaii. He has made Hawaii his home. And Hawaii is fortunate."
The Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii passed a concurrent resolution in 1951 “bestowing the honor and title of poet laureate of Hawaii (Ka Haku-Mele O Hawaii) on Lloyd Stone.
WHEREAS, Lloyd Stone, of Honolulu, has so ably and beautifully recorded Hawaii in verse, poetry and art for posterity through: (1) eight books on Island Poetry which have wide circulation, (2) an annual Poetry Contest, (3) a weekly radio program on Poetry, (4) his teaching in the public schools of Hawaii, and (5) for his many other fine contributions to community activities, now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY the Senate of the Twenty-Sixth Legislature of the ...
He wrote many books of poetry while in Hawaii, illustrated his own works and those by others, and also created and sold greeting cards.
Most of the volumes were self-published. His works during the period 1943 to 1946 were published by Keith-Stone (a partnership between Max Keith and himself).
After spending many years in Hawaii, he returned to California. He served as state president of the California Federation of Chaparral Poets in 1982.
His father died in Lindsay on 30 Jan 1978. His mother lived to be 100, dying on 03 Dec 1987.
Lloyd Stone died, age 80, in Visalia, Tulare County, California, on 09 Mar 1993.
His two-line obituary in the Fresno Bee described him as “a retired teacher,” and made no mention of his poems, his being the poet laureate of
Hawaii, or his well-known “Song of Peace.”
Matti Simonaho
"There is no relationship between the words of Lloyd Stone's poem and the words by the Finnish poet Veikko Koskenniemi, except for having been set to the same music."
Our defense wars crystallized.
1809
Finland's First War 1809 Against Kingdom of Sweden: The Kingdom of Sweden (Dictatorship, Noblemen) lost the war. The King of Sweden under the pseudonym "Gustav IV Adolf" lost his crown . In 1818 he was replaced by Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, pseudonym Charles XIV Juhana. Norway was under Swedish Kings rule until 1905. Norway declared independence on 7 June 1905.
1918
Finland's Second War 1918: Against Against Kingdom of Sweden: In the Foundational Law of Finland in 1919: Democracy; "Let there be no noble values or other hereditary values in the republic". Democracy, of course, caused some grey hairs in the head of the Swedish King and the Noblemen (dictatorship). The "Civilian war in Finland" was an attempted coup using terrorism and violence. The parties were Finland, Russia, Sweden and Germany. The King and Noblemen lost that war too, even if Finnish and Russian diplomats were killed in terrorist attacks until the 1920s.
1939-1947
Finland's Third War 1939-1945 against the Kingdom of Sweden, Noblemen: It was an attempted coup with the Nazis. The parties were Finland, Russia, Sweden and the Nazis. In WWII, Sweden was not neutral: Sweden helped Nazies to Norway and Finland. Finland was forced to be one part of the Nazies Barbarossa -operation. If Finland would not have provided the Nazies with soldiers, all Finns would have been killed.
"Oh Finland, look, your day is coming
The threat of night has already been expelled
And in the brightness of the morning, a skylark sings
like the heaven itself would sing
The powers of the night are already overcome by the morning light
Sunny days are coming, O country of birth
Oh get up, Finland, lift it high
Get wreathed with great memories
Oh arise, Finland, you showed the world
You drove out slavery: The war in 1809 against Sweden
And you didn't bend over to oppression: The Nazies in Finland after 1918 (- 1945 )
It's morning, my country of birth"
Actually, there is a connection: http://www.mielipiteemme.fi/cgi-bin/Arviointiohjeita/index.pl?sivu=Treaty_of_peace_with_Finland_1947
bridnjuicy
THIS IS MY SONG
(Jan Sibelius - 1899 / Wds Lloyd Stone - 1934)
Finlandia
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is,
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
Pyynkuiskaaja
Too bad, that the lyrics sucks .... Finlandia tells the true story of our contry...
English translation by Keith Bosley
Finland, behold, thy daylight now is dawning
The threat of night has now been driven away
The skylark calls across the light of morning
The blue of heaven lets it have its way
And now the day the powers of night is scorning:
Thy daylight dawns, O Finland of ours!
Finland, arise, and raise towards the highest
Thy head now crowned with mighty memory
Finland, arise, for to the world thou criest
That thou hast thrown off thy slavery
Beneath oppression's yoke thou never liest
Thy morning's come, O Finland of ours
Leiroo
Thank you for this excellent interpretation of Finlandia! You give hope for so many more, I hope Ukraine comes out of it too. ❤❤❤
Richard Thomas
The words that are sung are the words of the poem “This Is My Song,” also known as “Song of Peace,” and were authored by the poet Lloyd Stone.
They are not the words of "The Finlandia Hymn."
The music is from the hymn-like portion of Finlandia composed by Jean Sibelius in 1899-1900.
Finlandia (though musically called a "symphonic poem") had no words.
Lloyd Stone’s poem was first set to the music in 1934 and published as a choral anthem by the Lorenz Publishing Company.
The author of the words, Lloyd Stone, was a poet who was born in California and whose parents were from Missouri.
The Finnish composer Johan Julius Christian [Jean] Sibelius (08 Dec 1865 – 20 Sep 1957) composed Finlandia in 1899-1900.
Some people have posted “This Is My Song” but called it the “Finlandia Hymn.” Finns then protest that the words (Lloyd Stone’s words) aren’t the words of the “Finlandia Hymn.”
The words sung in Finland, which weren’t written until 1941 (long after Lloyd Stone’s words were set to the tune!) are by the Finnish poet Veikko
Koskenniemi. The “Finlandia Hymn” quickly became a popular anthem for Finland.
There is no relationship between the words of Lloyd Stone's poem and the words by the Finnish poet Veikko Koskenniemi, except for having been set to the same music.
[There are other words sung to the hymn-part of Finlandia; “Be Still, My Soul,” for example. The old hymn “Stille mein Wille (Be Still, My Soul)” by Catharina von Schlegel (1752)—translated by Miss Jane Borthwick in 1855—was set to Finlandia for the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal. One source claims a setting of “Be Still, My Soul” to Finlandia appeared in 1927, but I haven’t found it.]
Lloyd Stone was also an illustrator and composer.
Lloyd Stone’s words appear in at least 18 hymnals, and the words are always set to this music. The hymn is given the title of either "This Is My Song" or a "Song of Peace."
Its appearance in The Hymnal for Friends, published by the Friends General Conference (Philadelphia, 1955) is the earliest use of it in a hymnal I have found. Yale University Press published it in its Hymnal for Colleges and Schools the following year (1956). It then appeared in the Methodist
Hymnal of 1966.
Lloyd Shelbourne Stone was born 29 Jun 1912 in Fresno, California. His parents, Lowends Columbus Stone and Gurtha Emalaine Marr were born in Missouri. They had married in Texas County, Missouri, in February 1910, then moved to California.
Lloyd’s father, Lowends Stone was from a very large family (brothers: Virgil, Frederick, Russell, Oscar, and Curtis; sisters: Mildred, Grace, Mary, and Ruth). In California he got a job as a “well puller” and worked for the Associated Oil Co. of Coalinga, California, on the Shawmut Lease.
His mother was a seamstress.
Lloyd Stone attended Lindsay High School, Lindsay, California, graduating in 1930. He was president of his class in his Junior year. He then attended the University of Southern California.
He wrote “This Is My Song” before, or at about the time of, his graduation from USC.
In October 1936, at age 24, his name appears on the passenger list of the S. S. Lurline on its voyage from Los Angeles Harbor to
Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii.
An article in Esquire said:
"Lloyd Stone was born . . . on a California desert . . . He went to school . . . graduating from the University of Southern California as a music major . . .supposed to be a teacher . . . joined a circus bound for Honolulu instead . . . Quit the circus to design in a jewelry shop . . . later joined the staff at Kulamanu Studios as pianist-composer . . . '
From a Hawaiian newspaper, The Islander,
"Mr. Stone is probably among the most versatile contributors to the arts of whom Hawaii can boast. His poetry reflects Hawaii. He does not sing of the palms and the surf, but of the earthy human beauty which is the heritage of the islands. He finds his niche as an interpreter of that which lies beneath the lovely outward shell of Hawaii. He has made Hawaii his home. And Hawaii is fortunate."
The Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii passed a concurrent resolution in 1951 “bestowing the honor and title of poet laureate of Hawaii (Ka Haku-Mele O Hawaii) on Lloyd Stone.
WHEREAS, Lloyd Stone, of Honolulu, has so ably and beautifully recorded Hawaii in verse, poetry and art for posterity through: (1) eight books on Island Poetry which have wide circulation, (2) an annual Poetry Contest, (3) a weekly radio program on Poetry, (4) his teaching in the public schools of Hawaii, and (5) for his many other fine contributions to community activities, now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY the Senate of the Twenty-Sixth Legislature of the ...
He wrote many books of poetry while in Hawaii, illustrated his own works and those by others, and also created and sold greeting cards.
Most of the volumes were self-published. His works during the period 1943 to 1946 were published by Keith-Stone (a partnership between Max Keith and himself).
After spending many years in Hawaii, he returned to California. He served as state president of the California Federation of Chaparral Poets in 1982.
His father died in Lindsay on 30 Jan 1978. His mother lived to be 100, dying on 03 Dec 1987.
Lloyd Stone died, age 80, in Visalia, Tulare County, California, on 09 Mar 1993.
His two-line obituary in the Fresno Bee described him as “a retired teacher,” and made no mention of his poems, his being the poet laureate of
Hawaii, or his well-known “Song of Peace.”
Matti Simonaho
"There is no relationship between the words of Lloyd Stone's poem and the words by the Finnish poet Veikko Koskenniemi, except for having been set to the same music."
Our defense wars crystallized.
1809
Finland's First War 1809 Against Kingdom of Sweden: The Kingdom of Sweden (Dictatorship, Noblemen) lost the war. The King of Sweden under the pseudonym "Gustav IV Adolf" lost his crown . In 1818 he was replaced by Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, pseudonym Charles XIV Juhana. Norway was under Swedish Kings rule until 1905. Norway declared independence on 7 June 1905.
1918
Finland's Second War 1918: Against Against Kingdom of Sweden: In the Foundational Law of Finland in 1919: Democracy; "Let there be no noble values or other hereditary values in the republic". Democracy, of course, caused some grey hairs in the head of the Swedish King and the Noblemen (dictatorship). The "Civilian war in Finland" was an attempted coup using terrorism and violence. The parties were Finland, Russia, Sweden and Germany. The King and Noblemen lost that war too, even if Finnish and Russian diplomats were killed in terrorist attacks until the 1920s.
1939-1947
Finland's Third War 1939-1945 against the Kingdom of Sweden, Noblemen: It was an attempted coup with the Nazis. The parties were Finland, Russia, Sweden and the Nazis. In WWII, Sweden was not neutral: Sweden helped Nazies to Norway and Finland. Finland was forced to be one part of the Nazies Barbarossa -operation. If Finland would not have provided the Nazies with soldiers, all Finns would have been killed.
"Oh Finland, look, your day is coming
The threat of night has already been expelled
And in the brightness of the morning, a skylark sings
like the heaven itself would sing
The powers of the night are already overcome by the morning light
Sunny days are coming, O country of birth
Oh get up, Finland, lift it high
Get wreathed with great memories
Oh arise, Finland, you showed the world
You drove out slavery: The war in 1809 against Sweden
And you didn't bend over to oppression: The Nazies in Finland after 1918 (- 1945 )
It's morning, my country of birth"
Actually, there is a connection: http://www.mielipiteemme.fi/cgi-bin/Arviointiohjeita/index.pl?sivu=Treaty_of_peace_with_Finland_1947
Makemot
'Be still My Soul' was arranged and published with Finlandia melody already in 1927 by Church of Scotland in their Revised Church Hymnary. Later it was published also in The Lutheran Hymnal by CPH in 1941.
Seppo Hovila
@Matti Simonaho Not funny.
Amy Schneidhorst
Thank you so much for this history!
Geri Golway
Thanks for the history....this melody of Sibelius wrings my being whatever words may embellish it.....goes somewhere beyond words...
Julie Boyette
I listen to this when I feel down, or need to feel connected to humanity. It's one of the most beautiful, innocent things I've ever heard.
RamblinRick
One of the very few popular singers who can sing a capella and do it well. I've been a Baez fan since the '60s. (yes, I'm that old)
Eniphesoj90
I've lived in Finland for three months now, and I LOVE it!