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.
Lincoln Freed Me Today
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So's my kids and so's my wife
I've been working on the Colonel's farm
Ain't been mistreated, ain't done no harm
I'll be a slave to my grave
No need of me being free
Recollect when I was just fourteen
I'm older now, lot wiser too
If I was free what would I do
The Colonel's been right good to me
He's taken care of my family
The Colonel rode the buggy in from town
Hitched the horse and called us all around
Said he couldn't keep us here no more
I saw a tear as he walked toward the door
Oh dear God, what did he say?
Now I am free to go my way
The lyrics to Joan Baez's song "Lincoln Freed Me Today" touches on the complex emotions behind slavery and freedom. The singer, who has been a slave all his life and has resigned himself to being one till death, is faced with a newfound freedom that he isn't sure he wants. He has grown accustomed to the routine and the life he has known, and he struggles with the enormity of what it means to suddenly have the choice to do whatever he wants.
Baez's lyrics also speak to the complicated relationship between slave and slave-owner. Though the singer was a slave and had his freedom taken from him, he recognizes the Colonel's kindness in taking care of his family. The complex emotional relationship between slave and slave-owner is highlighted through these lyrics - the singer has gratitude towards the Colonel, but realizes that he would never have chosen that life for himself.
Overall, "Lincoln Freed Me Today" is a poignant tribute to the complexities of freedom and slavery, and the depth of emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Been a slave most all my life
I have been living as a slave for the greater portion of my life
So's my kids and so's my wife
My wife and children are also slaves
I've been working on the Colonel's farm
I have been working at the farm owned by the Colonel
Ain't been mistreated, ain't done no harm
I have not been mistreated or caused any harm
I'll be a slave to my grave
I will continue to be a slave until I die
No need of me being free
I do not have any need to be free
Recollect when I was just fourteen
I remember when I was only fourteen
Freedom used to be my biggest dream
At that time, my biggest dream was to be free
I'm older now, lot wiser too
Since then, I have grown older and wiser
If I was free what would I do
I wonder what I would do if I were free
The Colonel's been right good to me
The Colonel has been very good to me
He's taken care of my family
He has taken care of my family as well
The Colonel rode the buggy in from town
The Colonel arrived in his buggy from town
Hitched the horse and called us all around
He parked the buggy and called us over
Said he couldn't keep us here no more
He told us he could no longer keep us as slaves
I saw a tear as he walked toward the door
I noticed a tear in his eye as he walked towards the door
Oh dear God, what did he say?
I was worried and asking God what he had said
Now I am free to go my way
Finally, I have been freed to live my life as I please
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Stephen Clarke
I've loved this song ever since I first heard it on Joan's 1972 album, "blessed are...". Such powerful lyrics that express the complex response of both slave and slave-owner to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Saskia Cornell
It's been a long time since I've heard this song. So wonderful to hear it again. Saskia
Alan Batterman
I happen to be a history buff. It was palmspringssteve who made the error. One more bit of historical information. At the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, Roger Taney was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He also had that position for the Dred Scott Decision. The Taney Court would never have allowed Lincoln to free the slaves by executive order,
Alan Batterman
No. It was palmspringssteve who made the statement attributing the freeing of the slaves to the Emancipation Proclamation. Incidentally, the Emancipation Proclamation came January 1, 1863, when the war was not going well for the Union.
Alan Batterman
Nor would the Taney Court likely allow the freeing of the slaves by statute. It would require a Constitutional Amendment. And, after the Civil War ended--by which time Taney was dead and Salmon P. Chase was Chief Justice--such an Amendment, the 13th, was passed.
Alan Batterman
Chase; who also served as US Senator from Ohio, Governor of Ohio, and Secretary of the Treasury; was strongly anti-slavery. Nonetheless, slavery was abolished by Constitutional Amendment rather than by executive order or statute.
Alan Batterman
The Emancipation Proclamation had no effect on the border states that did not secede. And on any territory held by the Confederacy. Only on Confederate territory occupied by the Union. It took the defeat of the Confederacy and the 13th Amendment to free the slaves.