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
Las Madres Cansadas
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y en nuestros brazos sus criaturas reposarán,
Cuando el sol se pone, sobre el campo,
Amor y música les brindaremos,
Y las madres cansadas ya descansarán.
Y el campesino con su arado y su tractor
En la frente la extraña frescura sentirá
Derramadas por los comerciantes
Y los agricultores ya descansarán
Los trabajadores dolientes de la tierra,
Otra vez el himno tan resonante cantarán,
¡Ya no seremos los pobres!
¡Ya no viviremos en esclavitud!
Y los trabajadores luego cantarán.
Cuando los soldados sus garitas dejarán,
Y en las trincheras sus uniformes quemarán,
O mi general, tus fieles tropas,
Ya se habrán olvidado de ti,
¡Y la gente del mundo ya descansará!
The lyrics to Joan Baez's song Las Madres Cansadas, which translates to "Tired Mothers," showcase a longing for a peaceful world where mothers can rest, children can play, farmers can feel refreshed, and workers can sing freely. The first verse speaks of tired mothers who will finally rest and have their children repose in their arms. The following verse describes how even the farmers, who work the land with heavy machinery, will feel the strange freshness in their forehead from the tears of sadness shed by merchants and farmers. The third verse is about workers who will once again sing a resonant hymn and declare that they will no longer be poor and will live free from slavery. The final verse talks about a future where soldiers will lay down their arms and burn their uniforms in trenches, and even the loyal troops of generals will have forgotten them.
Overall, these lyrics paint a picture of a world where peace and freedom reign, and everyone, including mothers, children, farmers, and workers, can rest easy. The song speaks to a longing for a better world, a world where people can live free from oppression and strife. It highlights the struggles of the everyday person, and how their desire for peace can bring real change.
Line by Line Meaning
Cada madre agobiada ya descansará,
Every burdened mother will finally rest
Y en nuestros brazos sus criaturas reposarán,
And their children will find comfort in our arms
Cuando el sol se pone, sobre el campo,
As the sun sets over the fields
Amor y música les brindaremos,
We will provide them with love and music
Y las madres cansadas ya descansarán.
So the tired mothers can finally rest.
Y el campesino con su arado y su tractor
And the farmer with his plow and his tractor
En la frente la extraña frescura sentirá
Will feel a strange freshness on their foreheads
De las lágrimas de pena
From the tears of pain
Derramadas por los comerciantes
Shed by the merchants
Y los agricultores ya descansarán
So the farmers can finally rest
Los trabajadores dolientes de la tierra,
The suffering workers of the land
Otra vez el himno tan resonante cantarán,
Will sing that same resounding hymn again
¡Ya no seremos los pobres!
No longer will we be poor!
¡Ya no viviremos en esclavitud!
No longer will we live in slavery!
Y los trabajadores luego cantarán.
And the workers will sing once again.
Cuando los soldados sus garitas dejarán,
When the soldiers abandon their posts
Y en las trincheras sus uniformes quemarán,
And burn their uniforms in the trenches
O mi general, tus fieles tropas,
Oh, my general, your faithful troops
Ya se habrán olvidado de ti,
Will have forgotten about you
¡Y la gente del mundo ya descansará!
And the people of the world will finally rest!
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@albert-tr2li
What a beautiful song, thank you!
@leonardobuguenocarrasco8695
Espectacular nuestra Joan Baez ...gran voz ...colosal interpretación en una voz armónica preciosa canción ....¡Viva Joan Baez....siempre su voz ....!
@juancarloscruzbolanos2653
Cuando se le hará justicia al campo en toda Latinoamérica!
@humbertohpc
!! mas prefiro a versão em espanhol que ela também compôs.
@tommy0814
Cada madre agobiada ya descansará,
Y en nuestros brazos sus criaturas reposarán,
Cuando el sol se pone, sobre el campo,
Amor y música les brindaremos,
Y las madres cansadas ya descansarán.
Y el campesino con su arado y su tractor
En la frente la extraña frescura sentirá
De las lágrimas de pena
Derramadas por los comerciantes
Y los agricultores ya descansarán
Los trabajadores dolientes de la tierra,
Otra vez el himno tan resonante cantarán,
¡Ya no seremos los pobres!
¡Ya no viviremos en esclavitud!
Y los trabajadores luego cantarán.
Cuando los soldados sus garitas dejarán,
Y en las trincheras sus uniformes quemarán,
O mi general, tus fieles tropas,
Ya se habrán olvidado de ti,
¡Y la gente del mundo ya descansará!
@user-zg7mp5fq8c
VIVA LATIN AMERICA^^