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
La Ballata Di Sacco E Vancetti
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me"
Blessed are the persecuted
And blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the merciful
The step is hard that tears away the roots
And says goodbye to friends and family
The fathers and the mothers weep
The children cannot comprehend
But when there is a promised land
The brave will go and others follow
The beauty of the human spirit
Is the will to try our dreams
And so the masses teemed across the ocean
To a land of peace and hope
But no one heard a voice or saw a light
As they were tumbled onto shore
And none was welcomed by the echo of the phrase
"I lift my lamp beside the golden door"
Blessed are the persecuted
And blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the merciful
And blessed are the ones who mourn
The first stanza of the song La Ballata Di Sacco E Vancetti is a direct reference to the poem "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, which is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The poem was written in 1883 as part of a fundraising effort for the construction of the statue and speaks to America's identity as a refuge and melting pot for immigrants. However, the following stanzas of the song reveal a darker reality for those who actually made the journey to America. The line "But no one heard a voice or saw a light" is a stark contrast to the romanticized version of America as a beacon of hope.
The second stanza contains a reference to the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew. The first three lines echo Jesus' Beatitudes, which describe the qualities that are blessed by God. The final line "And blessed are the ones who mourn" offers a unique interpretation of the Beatitudes, suggesting that those who mourn or have suffered are also blessed.
Overall, the song speaks to the conflicted and complex nature of America's identity as a nation of immigrants. It acknowledges the promise of the "promised land" but also highlights the struggles and injustices faced by those who sought a better life in America.
Line by Line Meaning
Give to me your tired and your poor
Bring me your exhausted and financially struggling individuals
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
Your crowds of people who long to live a life free of oppression and confinement
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
The undesirable waste of your overpopulated land
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me
Allow these individuals without a home, who have faced tumultuous circumstances to come to me
Blessed are the persecuted
Those who face hardships and discrimination are praised
And blessed are the pure in heart
Those who have innocent intentions and morals are praised
Blessed are the merciful
Those who show compassion towards others are praised
And blessed are the ones who mourn
Those who feel sorrow and grief are praised
The step is hard that tears away the roots
It is difficult to uproot oneself from the foundation that they have established
And says goodbye to friends and family
Saying farewell to loved ones is a painful process
The fathers and the mothers weep
Parents cry with sadness
The children cannot comprehend
The young ones cannot fully understand what is happening
But when there is a promised land
After they have been given hope for a better future
The brave will go and others follow
The courageous will lead the way for others to come
The beauty of the human spirit
The admirable quality of the human soul
Is the will to try our dreams
Is our determination to pursue our aspirations
And so the masses teemed across the ocean
Crowds of people flocked across the sea
To a land of peace and hope
To a country that promised tranquility and optimism
But no one heard a voice or saw a light
No one received a warm welcome or encouraging words
As they were tumbled onto shore
As they were roughly thrown onto the ground next to the water
And none was welcomed by the echo of the phrase
No one was greeted with the repetition of the well-known expression
"I lift my lamp beside the golden door"
"I welcome you with open arms to the prosperous land"
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ENNIO MORRICONE, JOAN BAEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Manuel Salgado
"The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti, Part 2"
Father, yes, I am a prisoner
Fear not to relay my crime
The crime is loving the forsaken
Only silence is shame
And now I'll tell you what's against us
An art that's lived for centuries
Go through the years and you will find
What's blackened all of history
Against us is the law
With its immensity of strength and power
Against us is the law!
Police know how to make a man
A guilty or an innocent
Against us is the power of police!
The shameless lies that men have told
Will ever more be paid in gold
Against us is the power of the gold!
Against us is racial hatred
And the simple fact that we are poor
My father dear, I am a prisoner
Don't be ashamed to tell my crime
The crime of love and brotherhood
And only silence is shame
With me I have my love, my innocence,
The workers, and the poor
For all of this I'm safe and strong
And hope is mine
Rebellion, revolution don't need dollars
They need this instead
Imagination, suffering, light and love
And care for every human being
You never steal, you never kill
You are a part of hope and life
The revolution goes from man to man
And heart to heart
And I sense when I look at the stars
That we are children of life
Death is small
Herny Lobo
Here's to You Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph
Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph
Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph
Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph
Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph (here's to you)
Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts
The last and final moment is yours
That agony is your triumph
Here's to you
Christian Bourgeois
La reine en sa matière ! Pas seulement une voix, mais aussi une personnalité !
catherine frey
magnifique chanson et magnifique chanteuse Merci à vous Joan Baez pour cette interprétation j'en ai des frissons MERCI MERCI
Jean-Luc Chapelon
Immense chanteuse !
Elle donne le frisson surtout quand elle chante une si belle chanson . Merci Mr Morricone.
Sean Barron
A beautiful rendition. I never knew she had such range until I heard this. And a fitting tribute to Ennio Morricone, a Maestro whose work is now done.
Mata Pöze
She had 3 octaves range. She could sing colorature. Youshould listen to her singing bachianas Brasileiras V from Villa Lobos.
Luca Leonetti
Unica ...una voce "falsamente"popolare ,in realtà classica ,quasi lirica ....unica ❤️🙏✨✨✨
Nicola Vivarelli
The greatest female voice of ever...perfect for this great Song ! Thanks Joan ..
Luisa Gomez
Joan Baez très belle voix j'écoute toujours inoubliable cette chanteuse 👏👏👏
SILVIA TITO
Magnífica interpretación.
Manuel Salgado
"The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti, Part 2"
Father, yes, I am a prisoner
Fear not to relay my crime
The crime is loving the forsaken
Only silence is shame
And now I'll tell you what's against us
An art that's lived for centuries
Go through the years and you will find
What's blackened all of history
Against us is the law
With its immensity of strength and power
Against us is the law!
Police know how to make a man
A guilty or an innocent
Against us is the power of police!
The shameless lies that men have told
Will ever more be paid in gold
Against us is the power of the gold!
Against us is racial hatred
And the simple fact that we are poor
My father dear, I am a prisoner
Don't be ashamed to tell my crime
The crime of love and brotherhood
And only silence is shame
With me I have my love, my innocence,
The workers, and the poor
For all of this I'm safe and strong
And hope is mine
Rebellion, revolution don't need dollars
They need this instead
Imagination, suffering, light and love
And care for every human being
You never steal, you never kill
You are a part of hope and life
The revolution goes from man to man
And heart to heart
And I sense when I look at the stars
That we are children of life
Death is small