Joan Baez, born on January 9th, 1941, is an American folk singer and a song… Read Full Bio ↴Joan Baez, born on January 9th, 1941, is an American folk singer and a songwriter who is of mixed Mexican and Scottish descent. Baez rose to prominence in the early '60s with her stunning renditions of traditional balladry.

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

Gacela Of The Dark Death
Joan Baez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I want to sleep the dream of the apples
To withdraw from the tumult of cemeteries
I want to sleep the dream of that child
Who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas
I don't want to hear again that the dead do not lose their blood
That the putrid mouth goes on asking for water
I don't want to learn of the tortures of the grass
Nor of the moon with the serpent's mouth that labors before dawn

I want to sleep a while
A while, a minute, a century
But all must know that I have not died
That there is a stable of gold in my lips
That I am the small friend of the west wind
That I am the immense shadow of my tears

Cover me at dawn with a veil
Because dawn will throw fists full of ants at me
And wet with hard water my shoes
So that the pincers of the scorpion slide
For I want to sleep the dream of the apples
To learn a lament that will cleanse me of the earth

For I want to live with that dark child
Who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joan Baez's song "Gacela of the Dark Death" reflect a longing for escape from the anguish and suffering of life. The singer wants to retreat into sleep, specifically the "dream of the apples," which suggests a peaceful, idyllic state. The line "to withdraw from the tumult of cemeteries" further emphasizes this desire for an escape from death and all its trappings. The singer also mentions a child who "wanted to cut his heart on the high seas," which could represent a desire for adventure and risk-taking, even in the face of mortality.

However, the singer is also deeply troubled by the knowledge of death and its horrors. They don't want to hear about the dead losing their blood or the torture of the grass, which could refer to the pain of living things being trampled or uprooted. The image of the moon with a serpent's mouth "that labors before dawn" is both eerie and unsettling, suggesting that even when we escape into the darkness of night, we can never fully escape our fears and anxieties.

Despite this yearning for escape, the singer insists that they have not died and that they have a powerful voice and presence ("a stable of gold in my lips"). The final lines of the song suggest a desire for redemption and renewal, with the singer wishing to learn a lament that will "cleanse me of the earth" and live with the "dark child" who is unafraid to face death head-on. Overall, the song captures the human struggle to reconcile the desire for escape with the inherent fear and pain of living.

Line by Line Meaning

I want to sleep the dream of the apples
I desire to experience a peaceful slumber and dream of a world filled with love and positivity, free from the chaos and pain of reality.

To withdraw from the tumult of cemeteries
I seek to escape the noise and unrest of graveyards, where the souls of the deceased restlessly exist.

I want to sleep the dream of that child
I yearn to imagine the world through the innocent eyes of a child who dreamed of freedom and adventure without any limits.

Who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas
The child desired a life of unrestricted exploration, where he could discover the world and become master of his own fate, even if it meant sacrifice and danger.

I don't want to hear again that the dead do not lose their blood
I reject the cruel notion that death erases the human essence, as if life never mattered, and that the departed do not bleed as if their lives were never worth living.

That the putrid mouth goes on asking for water
I am tired of hearing the moaning pleas of the hopeless and helpless, asking for mercy and relief in a world where suffering and pain are inevitable.

I don't want to learn of the tortures of the grass
I refuse to accept the idea that all living things must struggle and suffer in order to survive, as if life itself was designed to inflict pain and agony on all living beings.

Nor of the moon with the serpent's mouth that labors before dawn
I am unwilling to bear witness to the eerie sight of the moon looming in the sky with a serpentine maw, as if it were a herald of doom and despair preceding the arrival of dawn.

I want to sleep a while
I long for a brief escape from reality where I can rest and recharge my mind and soul in preparation for the journey ahead.

A while, a minute, a century
Whether I desire a short reprieve, a fleeting moment of rest, or a longer-term peace, I will take what I can get to find relief from the tumults of life.

But all must know that I have not died
Regardless of how much I may seek rest and peace, I must remind the world that I still live and have not surrendered my vitality or spirit.

That there is a stable of gold in my lips
I carry within me a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge that is priceless and beyond compare, like an unbreakable vault of hidden jewels located within my mouth.

That I am the small friend of the west wind
I am a humble and loyal companion of the western breeze, which brings with it the whispers of the unknown, the secrets of the universe, and the promise of adventure and change.

That I am the immense shadow of my tears
I am a towering specter composed of my own sorrows, regrets, and disappointments that continue to haunt me, even as I seek respite from their harsh embrace.

Cover me at dawn with a veil
As the dawn approaches, I ask to be protected and shielded from the painful and harsh realities of the world by a comforting and insulating veil.

Because dawn will throw fists full of ants at me
The rising sun will bring with it a swarm of biting and stinging insects that will attack me while I am at my most vulnerable and exposed state.

And wet with hard water my shoes
The water that drenches my footwear is cold and difficult to walk through, as if designed to make my journey more challenging and difficult to endure.

So that the pincers of the scorpion slide
I ask that my shoes become slippery and treacherous so that the dangerous and piercing pinches of scorpions that I must inevitably face are less able to take hold.

For I want to sleep the dream of the apples
Once again, I long for a moment of peace and respite from the turbulent and painful world around me by seeking to lose myself in the dream of a simpler, sweeter life.

To learn a lament that will cleanse me of the earth
Through my restful dreams, I seek to discover a way to find comfort and solace in the face of pain and turmoil, and to find a way to reconcile myself to the world around me.

For I want to live with that dark child
I long to live life with the same unbridled curiosity and courage that the mysterious and rebellious child who inspired my dreams held in abundance, seeking adventure and discovery wherever he may find it.

Who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas
This fearless and daring young soul was willing to risk everything in the pursuit of his dreams, even if it meant cutting out his own heart to prove his devotion and determination to the world around him.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SCHICKELE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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@v.i.p.matthew

1y↑7

I want to sleep the dream of the apples,
to withdraw from the tumult of cemetries.
I want to sleep the dream of that child
who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas.

I don't want to hear again that the dead do not lose their blood,
that the putrid mouth goes on asking for water.
I don't want to learn of the tortures of the grass,
nor of the moon with a serpent's mouth
that labors before dawn.
I want to sleep awhile,
awhile, a minute, a century;
but all must know that I have not died;
that there is a stable of gold in my lips;
that I am the small friend of the West wing;
that I am the intense shadows of my tears.

Cover me at dawn with a veil,
because dawn will throw fistfuls of ants at me,
and wet with hard water my shoes
so that the pincers of the scorpion slide.
For I want to sleep the dream of the apples,
to learn a lament that will cleanse me to earth;
for I want to live with that dark child
who wanted to cut his heart on the high seas.