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
Luba The Baroness
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Means or no means
Only the finest place to dine
Paris in the sixties
You had three sons
Handsome husband by your side
I flirted with everyone
With the ladies was quite renowned
Author of books made famous
On his years in the French Underground
But you, Luba, the Baroness
It was really your blue blood
No one could touch you with kid gloves
And no one ever should
And the hands of little Julian
Will guide you well
Et le pere du petit Sebastian
Vous attend dans le ceil
The youngest son Jerome
Brighter than he could be
Preferred the darkened corners
And was even a little too young for me
Tall and shy and crafty
He was oh so scholarly then
Got married later on
Had a child by the name of Julian
The eldest Jean Francoise
What a mixture of sweetness and snobbery
Milkfed by his mother
On Russian aristocracy
With wits like sabre through silk
He was the wisest one
Married and remarried
Had a child by the name of Sebastian
And the hands of little Julian
Will guide you well
Et le pere du petit Sebastian
Vous attend dans le ceil
Ah my sweet Christophe
You were only seventeen
First family dinners with the gypsies
Finger chimes and tambourines
With candlelit eyes of experience
Oh how you laughed at me
As I became rapidly foolish
Under your gaze and on red burgundy
In sixty-nine your father died
I saw you in the years between
Handsome, impetuous son of the rich
Taking care of your mother, the queen
And you are married now as well
It was inevitable
Three day wedding in the south of France
To an angel named Annabelle
Recently I was in France
I called you on the phone
Caught racing back through memories
Luba was at home
Her voice sounded quite the same
As we touched on the amenities
Suddenly it fell and shattered
Like a thousand broken tiffanies
In November Jean Francoise died
We were all there by his side
Sorry, darling, that I cried
It's hard to keep these things inside
Where are you staying and how's your son?
No, we hardly told anyone
How long are you here, are you with someone?
Hold it, I'll put Christophe on the phone
Ah my sweet Christophe
Same damn voice
Hell of a way to become the eldest son
It's true you had no choice
And you and Annabelle
You must take care of her
Yes, I'll be over later on
And I'll bring my guitar
While going through things afterward
A letter she wrote and never sent
A single phrase stood out to you
These are the words and how it went...
And the hands of little Julian
Will guide you well
Et le pere du petit Sebastian
Nous attend dans le ceil
The song "Luba The Baroness" by Joan Baez recalls the memories of the titular character, a baroness who lived in Paris in the 1960s. The lyrics are structured around each of Luba's three sons, the people in Luba's life, and events that happened along the way. The opening lines speak of Luba's privileged lifestyle, access to the finest wine and dining establishments in Paris. Her husband, a renowned author, was aging and vain and had a history of involvement with the French Underground. On the other hand, Luba was a blue-blooded baroness who was untouchable and enigmatic. Baez recounts how she had flirted with Luba's husband, but Luba had always been out of reach.
The song then delves into each of Luba's three sons in turn, describing their personalities, marriages, and children. Baez's reminisces of her encounters with Luba's sons, especially Christophe, who grew up to be the eldest son after his father's death. The song ends with a poignant letter from Luba to a loved one, expressing her belief that the hands of little Julian and the father of little Sebastian will guide them well in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Luba, it was only the finest wine
Luba, you were used to the best and only had the finest wine
Means or no means
Wealthy or not, you always had the best
Only the finest place to dine
You'd only settle for the best restaurants
Paris in the sixties
You lived it up in the French capital during the 1960s
You had three sons
You were a mother to three boys
Handsome husband by your side
Your attractive husband was always by your side
I flirted with everyone
I openly displayed attraction to various people
Your husband, aging but vain
Your husband was growing older but still focused on his appearance
With the ladies was quite renowned
He was known for his charm among women
Author of books made famous
He became popular for writing books about his time in the French resistance
On his years in the French Underground
His books were about his experiences fighting against the occupation of France during WW2
But you, Luba, the Baroness
However, you, Luba, were always the true center of attention due to your noble title
It was really your blue blood
Your aristocratic lineage is what truly set you apart
No one could touch you with kid gloves
Your status demanded respect
And no one ever should
Any failure to show proper respect would be unacceptable
And the hands of little Julian
Julian, your grandson, will guide you well as you pass on
Will guide you well
Julian will be there to help you navigate the afterlife
Et le pere du petit Sebastian
The father of little Sebastian
Vous attend dans le ceil
Is waiting for you in heaven
The youngest son Jerome
Your youngest son was named Jerome
Brighter than he could be
He was smarter than he gave himself credit for
Preferred the darkened corners
He was introverted and liked to stay out of the spotlight
And was even a little too young for me
I was older than him and not interested in him romantically
Tall and shy and crafty
He was a tall, introverted person with a hidden cleverness
He was oh so scholarly then
At that time, he was always focused on his studies
Got married later on
He eventually got married
Had a child by the name of Julian
Jerome had a son named Julian
The eldest Jean Francoise
Your oldest son was named Jean Francoise
What a mixture of sweetness and snobbery
He had both admirable and negative qualities
Milkfed by his mother
He was raised in luxury by you, his mother
On Russian aristocracy
You instilled in him a pride for his Russian nobility heritage
With wits like sabre through silk
He was razor-sharp with his intelligence
He was the wisest one
Jean Francoise was the most intelligent of all your sons
Married and remarried
He got married and divorced multiple times
Had a child by the name of Sebastian
Jean Francoise had a son named Sebastian
Ah my sweet Christophe
Christophe was a beloved young man in your life
You were only seventeen
At the time I met you, Christophe, you were just 17 years old
First family dinners with the gypsies
You joined us for dinner with the Romani people
Finger chimes and tambourines
We enjoyed the sounds of different musical instruments
With candlelit eyes of experience
You had the look of someone wise beyond their years
Oh how you laughed at me
You found my youthful naivety to be amusing
As I became rapidly foolish
As I became more engrossed in my own foolishness
Under your gaze and on red burgundy
Drinking red wine, you watched me with great amusement
In sixty-nine your father died
Your father passed away in 1969
I saw you in the years between
I was with you during the years following your father's death
Handsome, impetuous son of the rich
You were a wealthy and headstrong young man
Taking care of your mother, the queen
You took great care of your mother, who you saw as royalty
And you are married now as well
You're now happily married
It was inevitable
I knew you would eventually find someone special
Three day wedding in the south of France
Your wedding was a three-day affair in the south of France
To an angel named Annabelle
Your wife is a wonderful person named Annabelle
Recently I was in France
I visited France not too long ago
I called you on the phone
I rang you up on the telephone
Caught racing back through memories
I was quickly flooded with memories upon speaking to you
Luba was at home
Your mother, Luba, was home
Her voice sounded quite the same
Luba's voice was as familiar as ever
As we touched on the amenities
We briefly caught up on small talk
Suddenly it fell and shattered
The conversation unexpectedly turned negative or brought up painful memories
Like a thousand broken tiffanies
It felt as though something precious had been shattered into many pieces
In November Jean Francoise died
Your son, Jean Francoise, passed away in November
We were all there by his side
We were all there to support each other during that difficult time
Sorry, darling, that I cried
I apologize for breaking down in tears
It's hard to keep these things inside
It's difficult to suppress emotions during times of grief
Where are you staying and how's your son?
I'm interested in knowing where you're staying and how your son is doing
No, we hardly told anyone
We didn't share much news with others
How long are you here, are you with someone?
I have more questions about your stay and who you're with
Hold it, I'll put Christophe on the phone
Let me pass the phone to Christophe
Hell of a way to become the eldest son
Becoming the oldest son due to Jean Francoise's passing is a bittersweet experience
It's true you had no choice
You had no say in the passing of your brother, but now you must take on a new responsibility
And you and Annabelle
You and your wife, Annabelle
You must take care of her
It's your duty to take care of your wife
Yes, I'll be over later on
I'll come by to visit you later
And I'll bring my guitar
I'll bring my guitar along with me
While going through things afterward
After gathering your things post-funeral
A letter she wrote and never sent
You found an unsent letter she wrote
A single phrase stood out to you
One particular phrase caught your attention
These are the words and how it went...
These are the words that were written in the letter
Et le pere du petit Sebastian
The father of little Sebastian
Nous attend dans le ceil
Is waiting for us in heaven
Contributed by Mia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Katharine Y BAez Katharina Scharlowski Katharine C. Y BAez Scharlowski InAOLoves
on The Rose
Joan Baez , my Fairest Hope my Love who signed into our Way
We are unite
We will not fall without our Foreverlasting
Love
In Failing Light
You See in myselfve your Love your Lesbian Wifve
You share your Lightful and your Darkest
side
In Which our Embraces
Our Words
Our Visions
Will rejoice
I see the Sunlight of a setting
Evening
Rise into Grace each Coming Morning
The amours we live is our Love
The mourns we felt
Do not impact
The do not seperate us My Joan C Baez You and I
The scared moments
We leave behind
We’ll belong twogather twogether
And three times we will cross
The Distance of an ocean between us
And then we ‘ll stay twogather in Your Home your place
Is given here and there
Is given home in our hearts and Soul
Our minds and bodies Longing Love
We are whole
The scars we carry
Did not made us blind
we will feel every emotion
As our Lifvelong foreverlasting Love
We share a secret
In which we Both have
Signed we are in Soul in heart in Bodies Longing and fulfillment in Mind now and
Eternally Unite
DeineKatharine Y BAez Katharina Scharlowski Katharine C. Y BAez Scharlowski InAOLoves
KatharinA KAtharine C. Y Baez Scharlowski
on The Rose
Und selbst wenn
alle Dunkelheit
Der Nächte
In den Tagen läge
Und selbst Erwachen
Schwer
ich fände doch
Zu Dir
Es führen Wege
Selbst wenn
kein Ausweg
durch die Tür
We burnt Each Other
everlastingly
Our Sign
Of truest Love that
Overcomes
The loneliness
And wildest
cry
When we embrace
and kiss our
Wounds
The Smile remaining
When we caress us
Will be
What lets us
deeply , sad
and of most
tenderness
Acknowledging
and
In our Minds
Forever
Found and
Not to destroyed
And we will
Feel that
We are Unite
The Ring i had lost
I‘ve found again
It’s prayer and Your Love
You Sent
A Turquoise of Arizonas Depth
Your heart in myne
And at The Turquoise
Coast beneath your Hill
We‘ll make Love
We‘ll follow our destined
And guiding
Will
Ich bin Dein Du Mein
MyLady JoanC BAez, My JoanChandosBaez, JoanBaez my Dove
Love And Wife
Katharine~~ C.~~ Y Baez KAtharinA Scharlowski InAO~•~Love~•~s the Answer~ I Love You, Joan and as Light begins to fail You reappear in my Body Heart and Soul my Mind to stayDeine KAtharinA KAtharine ich liebe Dich Forever!Joan C BAez
KatharinA KAtharine C. Y Baez Scharlowski
on The Rose
For a moment
in a Night Times Blessing
I left You in my Loves Embrace
as like a Flower
~ a Rose ~
and Purity her name
in darkness,
that was to bloom
in Heaven’s place.
as for the Love
in me
was not Disgraced,
A Lasting Kiss ,
A smile
a Light
A heart
that burns
throughly Memories
Forever Living
As Nighttime fell
As Nighttime falls
I‘ came, l’ll come and be
The One You‘ll see
The Love you feel
Just like a wild dog
Runs
Through Bushes
Of fences
And calamities
I passed my way to You
Through even
Greatest adversarities
The Rose of Sharon
Schmückt meinen Mund
~trotz Ausgebissen Zähne
In des Lebens Leid~
Wir Küssen uns
in purest Love
That went through
To and fro
And come and go
And I came back to You
Forever and Forevermore
Für JoanC. BAez von KAtharine C. Y Baez Scharlowski KAtharinA Ino
Katharine c; Y Baez
on The Rose
If a Love is felt as failing it is but Love the helps her Rise, it is a the moments quiet whispering : As i was torn you were by my side, in your Love i see my true and darkeyed Light, there it is Forever Joan Chandos Baez Katharine C; Y Baez Katharina sc harlowski
kATHARINE C. YBAEZ I
on The Rose
AS ON tHE WHITE hORSE MY HAND WAS GIVEN IN THE NOON TO yOU TODAY AS I ASKED YOU FOR YOURS ,WAS THAN WHEN EVERY MOON HAD TRIED TO fAIL AND hONEYMOON WAS THE ONLY LIGHT IN WHICH MY wORDS WERE LAID. iT WAS THE fAILURE ON THE iNTERNET AND NON BUT SCRIPTURE cOULD AND A LOVING HEART COULD STAY THE WIDE
iN THIS dARK MOMENT OF THE pRESENTS SIMPLE SIDE , THE fAIR cARD OF yOUR STALION wHITE THE wHITE hORSE IN tHE bLOSSOM OF THE mAY dAYS tIDE, I SENT TO YOUR wOODEN hILLS TO YOUR UNVENTURED sIDE, mY WRITTEN wORD : wILL yOU PLEASE mARRY ME MY bRIDE? i'LL STAY FOREVER BY YOUR sIDE FROM tHAN oN, sO gOODBYE IN OUR gOOD NiGHT, mY loVE jOAN C. bAEZ, yOUR KATHARINE C. Y BAEZ kATHARINA SCHARLOWSKI 21. MAY 2022
KatharineC. Y Baez Katharina Scharlowski
on The Rose
Thank You dearloved Joan C.Baez, you accorded me the answer in an unknown Light, through all darkness not alone as there was Love for you in me,- as in thought, in words a visioned melodie - that is not gone - far beyond the borders shores and the oceans sea, doves Flight as is Loves they fly By two By Four By Three, i send Goodbye to them I send GoodBye - and hope it once will be - I sent GoodBye my Joan C Baez stay You'll never fail in my Heart There is your place to be i send Goodbye my Love to Thee , Joan Chandos Baez, Katharine C. Y Baez Katharina Scharlowski It is for You that i was meant to feel was meant to be.
Katharine C. Y Baez, K.S.
on Wings
I 'll stay with you cause I think it's time to say Thank you for having stayed with me in my Time of Need. I love You Joan (KC) CHandos Baez, Your Katharine C. Y Baez name of Love and Hope and American Native Indian Marriage, born Katharina Scharlowski , A little Rain is a gonna come, And I am at Home when I cry, but I learned to be at home in your Love too, As we stay in The Hearts of The One Loves we are. Deine Katharine