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
Milanese Waltz / Marie Flore
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stepping out of a crowd was the daughter of someone with flowers for me, we were friends at a glance
She spoke no English but sat by my side in the car
And pointed out places en route to the village of Arles
Marie, Marie Flore came to table that night as I dined in an ancient hotel
The room was all fitted with things from the seventeenth century and they suited her well
She would eat nothing but sat in her chair like a queen
Marie, Marie Flore came to hear me that night when I sang for the people of Arles
She stood back in the shadows of a ruined arena, her frame in my mind was never too far
In the rush that did follow, I found she was holding my hand
And ushering me through an evening the elders had planned
Marie, Marie Flore, I will always remember your eyes, your smile, and your grace
The gold that flowed with your laughter remain to enlighten the image I have of your face
For I have seen children whose faces are wiser than time
And you, my Marie, are most certainly one of that kind
Marie, Marie Flore, all the odds say I'll see you again, by plan or by chance
But if not, you'll be there when I'm dreaming of rain over Paris, or sun in the south end of France
Marie, Marie, Marie Flore...
The lyrics of "Milanese Waltz / Marie Flore" by Joan Baez describe a brief encounter with a young girl named Marie Flore in the south of France. The singer met her when she stepped out of a crowd carrying flowers for him, and although she spoke no English, she communicated through gestures and showed him the way to the village of Arles. Later, he dined with her in an ancient hotel, and she sat like a queen in her chair, seeming to understand his French despite her inability to speak it. Lastly, he saw her again at a performance he gave in the village, where she stood back in the shadows of a ruined arena before holding his hand and guiding him through an evening.
Overall, the song is about the profound impact that fleeting connections with strangers can have on our lives, even when they cannot last. The singer may never see Marie Flore again, but her image remains burned into his memory, and he is grateful for the brief moment they shared together. The song is a tribute to the beauty and importance of such connections, which are all too easy to take for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Marie, Marie Flore was a small girl of ten whom I met in the south end of France
I met a young girl named Marie Flore who was only ten years old in the southern part of France.
Stepping out of a crowd was the daughter of someone with flowers for me, we were friends at a glance
She was the daughter of someone, and she gave me flowers as a gift. We became instant friends as soon as we met.
She spoke no English but sat by my side in the car
Even though she didn't speak any English, she chose to sit by me in the car.
And pointed out places en route to the village of Arles
She showed me the way to the village of Arles while we were on our journey.
Marie, Marie Flore came to table that night as I dined in an ancient hotel
The same evening I had dinner at an old hotel, Marie Flore joined me at the table.
The room was all fitted with things from the seventeenth century and they suited her well
The seventeenth-century decoration in the room fit her style really well.
She would eat nothing but sat in her chair like a queen
Even though Marie Flore didn't eat anything, she sat like a queen in her chair.
And laughed at my French but seemed always to know what I mean
She laughed when I spoke French, but she always knew what I meant.
Marie, Marie Flore came to hear me that night when I sang for the people of Arles
Marie Flore attended my singing performance for the people of Arles that night.
She stood back in the shadows of a ruined arena, her frame in my mind was never too far
Even though she stood in the shadows of a ruined arena, I could never forget her presence.
In the rush that did follow, I found she was holding my hand
During the ensuing rush, I discovered that she was holding my hand.
And ushering me through an evening the elders had planned
She helped me navigate through an evening that the elders had organized.
Marie, Marie Flore, I will always remember your eyes, your smile, and your grace
I will never forget the beautiful eyes, smile, and grace of Marie Flore.
The gold that flowed with your laughter remain to enlighten the image I have of your face
The beautiful sound of your laughter will always be associated with the beautiful image of your face.
For I have seen children whose faces are wiser than time
I have met children who seem to have the wisdom beyond their age.
And you, my Marie, are most certainly one of that kind
Marie Flore is definitely one of those children.
Marie, Marie Flore, all the odds say I'll see you again, by plan or by chance
Although the chances may be slim, I hope to see Marie Flore again, intentionally or randomly.
But if not, you'll be there when I'm dreaming of rain over Paris, or sun in the south end of France
Even if I never see Marie Flore again, she will always be with me in my dreams of rainy Paris or sunny southern France.
Marie, Marie, Marie Flore...
The song concludes with the repetition of Marie Flore's name.
Contributed by Camilla I. 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