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
Lonely Moon
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You long to be free,
But in this Godforsaken land
You find no home, no family
On the many roads that you've wandered
Since the day of your birth.
You've become one of the last,
Lonely and wretched.
Your hair is matted,
Your face and hands are dirty,
And the years that you've toiled
Must number somewhere near thirty.
The deepening of a sadness
Broke finally into madness.
You are truly one of the last,
Lonely and wretched.
Your eyes are wild and frightening
At the same time they are blessed
And I wonder if God died,
Turned his back or only just rested.
And you walked out on the seventh day
Through the big gates and on your way
To become one of the last,
Lonely and wretched.
For once you were a child.
Your cheeks were red,
You were well fed.
You laughed and played
Till you got teary,
Ran to your mother
When you were weary.
But somewhere you were forsaken
Alone I'll not bear the blame
And somehow all was taken,
Your mind, your body, your name.
Forgive us our unkindness,
Our desertion and our blindness,
With you, all the last,
Lonely and wretched.
Forgive us, all the last,
Lonely and wretched
The song "Lonely Moon" by Joan Baez tells the story of a person who has been dealt a difficult hand in life. The first stanza introduces us to a character who is tired and poor, longing to be free, but unable to find a home or family in this "Godforsaken land." This person has wandered many roads since birth and has become one of the last, lonely and wretched. The second stanza paints a picture of someone who has aged and worked hard, with matted hair, dirty hands and face, and a deep sadness that has finally broken into madness. Despite this, their eyes are both wild and blessed, leaving the singer to question whether God has died, turned his back, or merely rested. The third stanza takes us back to a memory of the person as a happy child, well-fed and playing until they were tired and ran to their mother for comfort. However, something happened along the way, and now the person is left alone, the last of the lonely and wretched. The final plea is for forgiveness from those who have deserted and been unkind to this person.
The song touches on themes of homelessness, poverty, mental illness, and abandonment. It portrays the harsh reality of life for many people who are struggling and shows the impact that neglect and cruelty can have on a person's mental health. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels responsible for the person's situation and pleads for forgiveness, leading the listener to consider their own role in the struggles of those around them.
Line by Line Meaning
You're tired and you're poor,
You're exhausted and impoverished,
You long to be free,
You have a strong desire for freedom,
But in this Godforsaken land
But in this place that seems to have been abandoned by God,
You find no home, no family
You can't find a place to belong, no people to call family,
On the many roads that you've wandered
In all the different paths you've taken,
Since the day of your birth.
Since you were brought into this world,
You've become one of the last,
You've become one of the few remaining,
Lonely and wretched.
Isolated and miserable.
Your hair is matted,
Your hair is tangled and unkempt,
Your face and hands are dirty,
Your face and hands are covered in dirt,
And the years that you've toiled
And the many years you've worked hard,
Must number somewhere near thirty.
Certainly amounting to nearly thirty.
The deepening of a sadness
The increasing intensity of a feeling of sorrow,
Broke finally into madness.
Resulted in insanity in the end.
You are truly one of the last,
You are truly one of the few remaining,
Lonely and wretched.
Alone and unhappy.
Your eyes are wild and frightening
Your eyes have an untamed and scary look,
At the same time they are blessed
At the same time, they have a special quality of goodness,
And I wonder if God died,
And I question whether God passed away,
Turned his back or only just rested.
Abandoned you or simply took a break.
And you walked out on the seventh day
And you departed on the Sabbath,
Through the big gates and on your way
Passing through the enormous gates and continuing on,
To become one of the last,
To become one of the remaining few,
Lonely and wretched.
Disconnected and miserable.
For once you were a child.
At one point, you were a child.
Your cheeks were red,
Your cheeks had a pinkish color,
You were well fed.
You were adequately nourished.
You laughed and played
You amused yourself and enjoyed life,
Till you got teary,
Till you cried a little,
Ran to your mother
You went to your mom,
When you were weary.
When you were tired.
But somewhere you were forsaken
But somehow, someone abandoned you,
Alone I'll not bear the blame
I refuse to be held responsible for your loneliness,
And somehow all was taken,
And somehow, you lost everything,
Your mind, your body, your name.
Your sanity, your physical health, and your identity.
Forgive us our unkindness,
Please forgive us for being unkind,
Our desertion and our blindness,
Our abandonment and our inability to see,
With you, all the last,
Together with you, the few remaining,
Lonely and wretched.
Disconnected and miserable.
Forgive us, all the last,
Please forgive us, the remaining few,
Lonely and wretched
Alone and unhappy.
Contributed by Caleb R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gilfavor1river
There is several words of brilliance, in this song, as Paddington Brown says this is not poetry it is pure unadulterated LOVE she is singing a massive deep love song , to Bob and when she sings certain lines and her voice and how she drops down to lower notes I am emotionally knocked out, always brings tears with its magnificent unbelievable emotion , I love music amd a million songs , but some do something to you, that hit a deep spot. And these peope with the genius to write the words and music amaze me, especially about someone we think we know.
Now another song that I would call a massive love song is "Let Her Cry" by Hootie and the Blowfish, not the same song style but the same power of love song , listen to the lyrics, and see what heart wrenching things the singer is telling in this music story.
Last but not least , it is 2023,\.
WHERE HAS THE DEEP QUALITY AND EMOTIONAL UPLIFTING MUSIC GONE???
I appreciate new styles but the feel is dying , the tune is going , there is no structure , songs are like Ads sometimes, so YOUTUBE thanks for a spot I can get lost in with my earphones.
Words with meaning and put to good music and with feelings from the heart.
And it is an older song and to David Vergari, you sir are spot on the mark, this song really does move people, deeply. Genius in fact.
@reizadessyaprianty7870
Well, I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the Midwest
Ten years ago I bought you some cuff links
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes, the girl on the half-shell
Could keep you unharmed
Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling all around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there
Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
'Cause I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes, I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid
@zognowak2842
I saw her about 10 years ago in Durham NC, where I was sitting on the 3rd row. She was fantastic, but she didn't do this song for the entire regular concert. On her first encore, she still didn't sing it so I stood and called for "Diamonds and Rust".....Her second encore ended the same way, and on her third encore, she looked and pointed at me and said "this is for you". :) I still get goose bumps thinking about this.
@seansmith1303
What a cool story. :)
@zognowak2842
@@seansmith1303 Thanks. I'll always remember that.
@emptyface4095
How lucky you are...
@rukanthsameera8563
amazing
@paulkeith61
Since she wrote it for Bob Dylan she probably did not want to sing it. It was over.
@magistra137
This is one of the most poignant and poetic songs. I love the juxtaposition of quoting him telling her that her poetry wasn’t good while she is weaving one of the most beautiful love songs, both in poetry and melody. To me, this is just one of those pieces of magic that the world blesses us with sometimes. Thank you, Joan.
@poom641
Seems to have come from the heart for sure, occasionally hearing this song brings tears to my eyes
@camillesolange182
It was too good for him! She was too good for him too :-)
@user-ok9ft1iv4x
I call her the Queen of American Folk Music!