Dylan himself appears to have never recorded the song.
Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I left my mind behind
Down in the gypsy café
With a friend of a friend of mine
Who sat with a baby heavy on her knee
Yet spoke of life most free from slavery
With eyes that showed no trace of misery
A phrase in connection first with she occurred
That love is just a four-letter word
Outside a rambling store-front window
Cats meowed to the break of day
Me, I kept my mouth shut
To you I had no words to say
My experience was limited and underfed
You were talking while I hid
To the one who was the father of your kid
You probably didn't think I did, but I heard
You say, that love is just a four-letter word
I said goodbye unnoticed
Pushed forth into my own games
Drifting in and out of lifetimes
Unmentionable by name
Searching for my double, looking for
Complete evaporation to the core
Though I tried and failed at finding any door
I must have thought that there was nothing more absurd
Than that love is just a four-letter word
Though I never knew just what you meant
When you were speaking to your man
I can only think in terms of me
And now I understand
After waking enough times to think I see
The holy kiss that's supposed to last eternity
Blow up in smoke, it's destiny
Falls on strangers, travels free
Yes, I know now, traps are only set by me
And I do not really need to be assured
That love is just a four-letter word
Strange it is to be beside you
Many years the tables turned
You'd probably not believe me
If I told you all I've learned
And it is very, very weird indeed
To hear words like forever, fleets
Of ships run through my mind, I cannot cheat
It's like looking in the teacher's face complete
I can say nothing to you but repeat what I heard
That love is just a four-letter word
The song "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word" by Joan Baez captures the complexity of love and how it can be perceived differently by different people. The lyrics are vivid, poignant, and insightful. The song kicks off with Baez reminiscing about a moment when she was with a group of friends, including a woman who had a baby on her lap. The woman spoke about life with such freedom and happiness, a phrase from the conversation being that love is just a four-letter word. As the song progresses, Baez reflects on her own experiences with love and how it has shaped her perspective.
Baez's lyrics convey the message that love is complex, a mixture of joy, hope, pain, and disappointment. In the second verse, Baez recalls sitting with someone who she realized was unattainable and who was speaking to the father of her child. She realizes then that love is just a four-letter word that can be thrown around trivially, without much meaning attached to it. However, towards the end of the song, she conveys the impression that the experience of love cannot be undermined, and despite the pain, it is still one of the most treasured feelings sought by everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like only yesterday
It feels like not so long ago
I left my mind behind
I stopped worrying and let go
Down in the gypsy café
In a bohemian hangout
With a friend of a friend of mine
In the company of an acquaintance
Who sat with a baby heavy on her knee
Who had a child resting on her lap
Yet spoke of life most free from slavery
But talked about living without being controlled
With eyes that showed no trace of misery
Looking happy and content
A phrase in connection first with she occurred
She said something that stuck with me
That love is just a four-letter word
She dismissed love as nothing special
Outside a rambling store-front window
Through a shop window
Cats meowed to the break of day
Cats made noise all night
Me, I kept my mouth shut
I stayed silent
To you I had no words to say
I had nothing to say to you
My experience was limited and underfed
I lacked knowledge and experience
You were talking while I hid
You spoke, and I avoided speaking
To the one who was the father of your kid
To your child's father
You probably didn't think I did, but I heard
You likely didn't realize I was listening, but I was
You say, that love is just a four-letter word
You repeated her sentiment about love
I said goodbye unnoticed
I left without being noticed
Pushed forth into my own games
Started doing my own thing
Drifting in and out of lifetimes
I experienced ups and downs
Unmentionable by name
Too difficult to describe
Searching for my double, looking for
Looking for someone like me
Complete evaporation to the core
Complete disappearance of self
Though I tried and failed at finding any door
Despite searching in vain for a way out
I must have thought that there was nothing more absurd
I saw love as ridiculous
Than that love is just a four-letter word
I agreed with her that love is insignificant
Though I never knew just what you meant
I never understood your relationship
When you were speaking to your man
When you talked to your partner
I can only think in terms of me
I can only relate it to myself
And now I understand
I get it now
After waking enough times to think I see
After experiencing enough to realize
The holy kiss that's supposed to last eternity
The supposedly eternal love
Blow up in smoke, it's destiny
Disintegrate and fade away, it's inevitable
Falls on strangers, travels free
Ends up with someone else, spreads widely
Yes, I know now, traps are only set by me
I understand now that I create my own problems
And I do not really need to be assured
I don't need reassurance
That love is just a four-letter word
That love is unimportant
Strange it is to be beside you
It's strange to see you again
Many years the tables turned
Our situations have changed over time
You'd probably not believe me
You might not trust me
If I told you all I've learned
If I shared everything I know now
And it is very, very weird indeed
It's extremely unusual
To hear words like forever, fleets
To hear about eternal love and armies
Of ships run through my mind, I cannot cheat
Thoughts of boats keep coming to mind, I can't ignore them
It's like looking in the teacher's face complete
It's like finding the solution to a problem
I can say nothing to you but repeat what I heard
I can only echo my previous sentiment
That love is just a four-letter word
That the concept of love is meaningless
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TranceBallettryyoursoul
Back in the 60's and 70's I was in love with Joan but she didn't know it!
@JollyXRoger1
the greatest Bob Dylan song to never have been recorded by him!
@relars52
She sure can sing like a bird. Her recordings of Dylan songs were spot-on, but her career encompasses so much more than that. She is an Icon.
@JSCPYLON
One of the most beautiful songs ever made....Period
@VANIDADES9
Joan Baez has lived her life by just one Light, regardless of the consequences....
@eulessgirl1
A powerful performance and it has not diminished with time. As always, your selection of images add to the mix. Love it!
@wincanton2
What great singer, one of the best ever...& a nice person as well....
@123thof
One of Dylan's great love epics. It's like a premonition of "Blood on the Tracks."
@nikkiejanee1972
"you were talking while i hid, to the one who was the father of your kid" i think he was writing about sara again it would be nice if dylan wrote a song for joan...i think she deserved one beautiful song in her honor
@peerman2006
That's what Dylan said when Joan sang it for him. He had forgotten that he wrote it!