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
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tearing through these quarters in the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm and a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls who already have been sold
"Arise, arise", he cried so loud in a voice without restraint
Come out, he gifted kings and queens and hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among you now whom you can call your own
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine alive with fiery breath
I dreamed I was amongst the ones who put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger so alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass and bowed my head and I cried
The lyrics of "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," a song by Joan Baez, are open for interpretation, but they most likely refer to the plight of modern society, through the lens of a dream involving St. Augustine. The first verse portrays a pitiful St. Augustine, wandering aimlessly throughout the city. Despite his golden coat, Augustine is searching for the souls of those already sold- showing the paradoxical vulnerability of the leader. The second verse shows him as more assertive, citing the community's lack of a martyr as a call to arms. Finally, the third verse shows Augustine boldly confronting those who "put him out to death" before the poet can wake up from the dream engulfed with terror and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine alive as you our me
Joan Baez saw St. Augustine alive, but he could have easily been anyone, including her or her audience, experiencing immense misery and suffering.
Tearing through these quarters in the utmost misery
St. Augustine was desperately searching for the souls that have been sold, and it seemed that he was running through decrepit, sorrowful city or town.
With a blanket underneath his arm and a coat of solid gold
The holy man (St. Augustine) had a simple yet valuable coat of gold and possibly a blanket, perhaps to warm a desolate, impoverished person that he crossed paths with.
Searching for the very souls who already have been sold
St. Augustine's troubled quest was for the souls that people had already given up on, and this made his journey even harder.
"Arise, arise", he cried so loud in a voice without restraint
St. Augustine's exclamation was imperative enough to rouse kings and queens from their castles to heed his tearful appeal.
Come out, he gifted kings and queens and hear my sad complaint
The souls of these kings and queens that St. Augustine is trying to reach are as valuable and important as others, and they need to hear his grieving plea.
No martyr is among you now whom you can call your own
The land has lost true passion and love for sacrificing everything for their beliefs and values since nobody now is capable of becoming a martyr.
So go on your way accordingly, but know you're not alone
St. Augustine reassures those who listen to him that they have a portion in his struggle, and they're not alone.
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine alive with fiery breath
The holy man's presence was difficult to ignore, and he seemed to possess otherworldly energy.
I dreamed I was amongst the ones who put him out to death
Joan Baez's subconscious feels as if she contributed to St. Augustine's fate, condemning him to death.
Oh, I awoke in anger so alone and terrified
After experiencing this troubling nightmare, Joan Baez can't shake it off. She wakes up in rage, frightened, and alone.
I put my fingers against the glass and bowed my head and I cried
Baez feels helpless, and the only thing she can do is cry while touching her bedroom window.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nvjq
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
Simon Byrne
"I put my fingers against the glass and bowed my head and cried". It's a prayer. Thank you Bob and Joan.
George Coventry
Beautiful. A great Bob Dylan song. I think he was talking about his own youthful idealism, and how he himself lost and destroyed it....so he was Saint Augustine in this song and he was among the ones who put Saint Augustine to death. I think most of Bob's songs are really about his own internal battle with himself "I fought with my twin, that enemy within, till both of us fell by the way"...and they're about the people (usually the women) that he's been closest to. Joan does it wonderfully. She always clearly got the value in his songs.
philomena Vincent
If
Neal Hurwitz
50 years now... I love this album. Love Joan--- met her in 1967.
Edmilton Santos
Ótimo muito bom!!!
Gaye Crispin
I love this ....
nvjq
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
Alexander Kartun-Giles
Beautiful
Morgteck
Dylan would, of course, have known about Saint Augustine, and would have been inspired by him. He's well aware of stuff like that, and you can find Biblical and religious references all through his songs. But the person the song is really about is the young Bob Dylan. His is the "voice without restraint" that cries "Arise!" That young self eventually perishes, as happens with all of us as we get older. He weeps at the end in regret for having helped cause the death of his youthful self.
Alexander Grande
the beauty of folk music is that it can mean anything and nothing at all.
I can picture my departed father as St Augustine . "I dreamed I was amongst the ones who put him out to death" resembles the hell I put him through as a rebellious teen..