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
Lowlands
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cowhides and wool and live cargo
Twenty young Wild Geese ready fledged to fly
Sailing for the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Sailing for the lowlands low
Piery keeps log for his father
Crew all from Bannow, Fethard and the Hook
Sailing for the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Sailing for the lowlands low
Ready with priming we'd our galliot gun
Muskets and pikes in good order
We should be riddled captives would be none
Death or else the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Death or else the lowlands low
A pirate approached us many leagues from shore
We fought and we sunk him in good order
He'll go a-roving plundering no more
Sailing for the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Sailing for the lowlands low
We smuggled out the Wild Geese weapons safe ashore
Then we unloaded our cargo
A fair wind is blowing we're headed for Dunmore
Sailing from the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Sailing from the lowlands low
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
Sailing from the lowlands low
In Joan Baez's song "Lowlands," the lyrics depict a journey of a group of men sailing from Dunmore Michelmas to the lowlands low, likely to England or Scotland. They carry with them cowhides, wool, and live cargo, including twenty young Wild Geese ready to fly. The Wild Geese were a group of Irish soldiers who left Ireland to serve in foreign armies before and after the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. The sailors are from various towns in Ireland, including Bannow, Fethard, and The Hook. They are well-prepared for any threats that may come their way, as they have muskets and pikes in order and are ready with priming for their galliot gun.
The song depicts the sailors battling against pirates who attempted to attack them while many leagues from shore. They fought and sunk the pirate ship, preventing them from "roving" and plundering any more. The men then smuggled out the Wild Geese's weapons safely ashore and unloaded their cargo. After a successful journey, they sailed back home with a fair wind blowing towards Dunmore.
Line by Line Meaning
We sailed out of Dunmore Michelmas gone by
We left Dunmore during Michaelmas, long ago.
Cowhides and wool and live cargo
We had with us cowhides, wool, and live cargo.
Twenty young Wild Geese ready fledged to fly
We had twenty young Wild Geese with us, ready to fly.
Sailing for the lowlands low
We were sailing towards the lowlands.
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
We were headed to the lowlands.
Sean Rouse the skipper from the church of Crook
Our skipper was Sean Rouse from the Church of Crook.
Piery keeps log for his father
Piery was keeping a log for his father.
Crew all from Bannow, Fethard and the Hook
Our crew was from Bannow, Fethard, and The Hook.
Ready with priming we'd our galliot gun
We had our galliot gun ready with priming.
Muskets and pikes in good order
Our muskets and pikes were in good order.
We should be riddled captives would be none
We were prepared to fight to the death, rather than be taken captive.
Death or else the lowlands low
We would either die in the fight or continue on to the lowlands.
A pirate approached us many leagues from shore
A pirate approached us when we were many leagues from shore.
We fought and we sunk him in good order
We fought and sank the pirate in an efficient manner.
He'll go a-roving plundering no more
The pirate will no longer be able to go around plundering.
We smuggled out the Wild Geese weapons safe ashore
We smuggled the Wild Geese's weapons safely ashore.
Then we unloaded our cargo
After that, we unloaded our cargo.
A fair wind is blowing we're headed for Dunmore
We have a fair wind and we are heading towards Dunmore.
Sailing from the lowlands low
We are now sailing from the lowlands.
The lowlands low, the lowlands low
We are still sailing from the lowlands.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Johnny909
Voice like an angel, she makes Dylan's sometimes cynical poetry sound like a hymn!
@bobbyhawthorne
I was 21, just out of college. Chased a girlfriend to LA. Broke up. Rented a room in a house. No TV. Pre-iPod, but I had a radio and headphones, and one night — absurdly stoned — I stumbled upon this song. It seemed to last two days, and it totally blew me away. Still does.
@camelia516
This performance is mesmerizing. So inspired. For me, it is one of the most exquisite works ever recorded. Spiritual. Thank you for providing the full length version.
@berkshiresnow
This song leaves me in tears. It touches every emotion. What a voice and rendition
@PaulOnBooks
Glorious performance of a great song. I can listen to this over and over - float away on Joan Baez's voice.
@tb30486
I have been listening to this song for the last 40 years and trying to figure out why it means so much to me. In the end, it is not, to me, about Joan or about Sarah...it is about purity. It is about that quality of truth and connectedness that transcends the "sheet metal memories of Cannery Row" and the "magazine husband who just had to go". It is about the rare and incorruptible and incandescent essence of the women in his life who saw their true course, That, I can believe in!
@dimsylsodium
A truly masterly performance. I was not aware that there was a cover of this paticular Bob Dylan classic. But what an interpretation by Joan Baez. Simply beautiful. Many thanks for sharing. I shall have to add "Any Day Now" to my collection!
@eulessgirl1
Her voice is so beautiful.
@bigmack1952
Could you imagine listening to a 45 year old song in 1968 it would have been 1923. What a timeless beautiful song.
@andrewhickin3803
I was at school in the 60s and knew her only for her 'protest songs'. She is an enduring talent and I have only discovered her via YouTube. Fabulous interpretation of this song. Diamonds and Rust is also excellent.