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.
Guantanamera
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace mas que el mar
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
The song "Guantanamera" tells the story of a sincere man who comes from a place where palms grow. He wants to share his heartfelt verses with the world before he dies. The chorus features the repetition of the phrase "guajira Guantanamera", which is a nod to the traditional rural music of Cuba. The first verse sets the scene by establishing the singer's sincerity and connection to the land, foreshadowing his desire to share his heartfelt words with others.
The second verse uses colorful imagery to describe the singer's verse. The "verde claro" and "carmin encenidido" colors of his verse evoke natural elements like trees, flowers or sunsets. The "ciervo herido" in the third verse is a metaphor for the singer's own struggles, as he searches for refuge in the rough terrain of the mountains. Finally, in the fourth verse, the singer declares his desire to unite with the poor and underprivileged, choosing the simple pleasures of a wild mountain stream over the vastness of the ocean.
Overall, "Guantanamera" is a song about sincerity, connection to nature, and the longing for shared experiences with one's fellow humans. It captures the spirit of traditional Cuban music while also exploring universal human emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
This is an introduction to the song and its title, Guantanamera, which is a nod to the people of Guantanamo, Cuba, and the traditional music of the region known as Guajira music.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
I am an honest man who speaks the truth.
De donde crece la palma
Where the palm trees grow, which could be referring to anywhere in Latin America since there are palm trees throughout the region.
Y antes de morirme quiero
Before I die, I want to fulfill a certain desire or goal.
Echar mis versos del alma
To share my innermost thoughts and emotions through my poetry.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
My poetry is bright and fresh, like the color green.
Y de un carmin encenidido
And it also has a passionate, fiery quality to it, like the color red.
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
My poetry is like a wounded deer, searching for safety and shelter in the wilderness.
Que busca en el monte amparo
Seeking refuge and protection in the mountains.
Con los pobres de la tierra
With the impoverished people of the earth.
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
I want to share my fate and fortune with those who are less fortunate than I am.
El arroyo de la sierra
The stream in the mountains.
Me complace mas que el mar
I find more pleasure and contentment in the simple, natural things like a mountain stream than in grand, sweeping vistas like the vast ocean.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Peter Seeger, Julian Orbon, Hector Angulo, Jose Fernandez Diaz, Fernandez Diaz Jose
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ratan Rosk
For beautiful people to sing Along :
Guantanamera
Guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira Guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crecen la palma.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crecen la palma.
Y antes de morir me quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo.
The words mean "I am a truthful man from the land of the palm trees.
And before dying, I want to share these poems of my soul.
My poems are soft green. My poems are also flaming crimson.
My poems are like a wounded fawn seeking refuge in the forest.
The last verse says:'Con los pobres de la tierra'. With the poor people of this earth I want to share my fate. The streams of the mountains please me more than the sea."
(Background)
Por los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Por los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Y el arroyo de la sierra
Me complace más que el mar
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Darya Smith
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmin encenidido
Mi verso es un cierro herido
Que busca en el monte amparo
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace mas que el mar

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Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Zlatko Perinić
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero,
De donde crece la palma,
Yo soy un hombre sincero,
De donde crece la palma,
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro,
Y de un carmin encenidido,
Mi verso es de un verde claro,
Y de un carmin encenidido,
Mi verso es un cierro herido
Que busca en el monte amparo.
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Con los pobres de la tierra,
Quiero yo mi suerte echar,
Con los pobres de la tierra,
Quiero yo mi suerte echar,
El arroyo de la sierra,
Me complace mas que el mar.
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Michael Wright
This is the most beautiful version of Guantanamera that I have ever heard. Joan Baez has a beautiful soul!
Stephen Haws
Nice, but I prefer the Sandpipers' version.
Roy Dickinson
Agreed that was terrific
Olfa HAMDI
professeur agrég
Ratan Rosk
For beautiful people to sing Along :
Guantanamera
Guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira Guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crecen la palma.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crecen la palma.
Y antes de morir me quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo.
The words mean "I am a truthful man from the land of the palm trees.
And before dying, I want to share these poems of my soul.
My poems are soft green. My poems are also flaming crimson.
My poems are like a wounded fawn seeking refuge in the forest.
The last verse says:'Con los pobres de la tierra'. With the poor people of this earth I want to share my fate. The streams of the mountains please me more than the sea."
(Background)
Por los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Por los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Y el arroyo de la sierra
Me complace más que el mar
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Maribel Vasquez Barria
Una voz magica.Preciosa.
Bruce Gillit
When I get to heaven, I want to sing along with Joan Baez. She has rhe voice of Angel. I have loved her songs since I was in high school in the '70s. Such a sweet soul.
Michael Barron-Wike Architect AIA
One of the classic folk songs of her era and all others! This woman moves the spirit and raises the soul to a whole other reality. God Bless You, Joan Baez.......
Patricia Rodiño Pijuan
Una gran mujer con una voz impresionante y bella
Mario Ferraz Soares
Linda, doce, delicada, encantadora, apaixonante, inesquecível .A mais bela voz de todos os tempos!