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
Portland Town
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was born in Portland town
Yes I was, yes I was,
Yes I was.
I was born in Portland town,
Got married in Portland town,
Yes I did, yes I did,
Got married in Portland town,
Had children one, two, three,
Yes I did, yes I did,
Yes, I did.
They sent them away to war,
Ain't got no kids no more,
No I ain't, no I ain't,
No, I ain't.
I was born in Portland town,
I was born in Portland town,
Yes I was, yes I was,
Yes, I was.
Joan Baez's "Portland Town" song sings of the singer's connection to the town of Portland. The song's first stanza emphasizes that the singer was born in Portland town. The use of repetition emphasizes the significance of this detail to the singer. The second stanza talks about the singer's marriage in Portland town, essentially signifying that Portland holds significant personal milestones in the singer’s life. The third stanza speaks of how the singer has had three children but they have been sent to war, resulting in no children left. The stanza emphasizes the emotional pain associated with war and how it has affected the singer personally.
The final stanza reinforces the idea of the singer's attachment to Portland town. The repetition of the first stanza reinforces the idea that Portland will always be the singer's home. The use of repetition for the first and last stanzas draws the listener's attention to the idea of identity and belonging, emphasizing that the singer’s identity is tied to Portland.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in Portland town
The singer was born and raised in Portland.
Yes I was, yes I was, Yes I was.
The singer confirms that she was indeed born in Portland.
Got married in Portland town,
The singer got married in Portland.
Yes I did, yes I did, Yes, I did.
The singer affirms that she did indeed get married in Portland.
Had children one, two, three,
The singer had three children.
Yes I did, yes I did, Yes, I did.
The singer confirms that she did indeed have three children.
They sent them away to war,
The singer's children were sent to fight in a war.
Ain't got no kids no more,
The singer's children did not return from the war.
No I ain't, no I ain't, No, I ain't.
The singer confirms that she no longer has any children.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DERROLL LEWIS ADAMS, JOHN STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cengizhan Seven
Joan, s voice Best with this song.
Donna LeeAh
First time I've heard this from Joan. I lived in Portland now across the bridge. I'm surprised to find this. Pictures are spot on. As a youth my Grandfather put a "chamber Pot" under Longfellow chair. Lol he got in so much trouble. Hehehe we know why we are, way we are with humor. Miss you Grampy.
Jim Hoffman
my fav version of this often covered anti war tune
folkfingerstylefreddy
I love Joan, but if this was a recording, the guitar is out of tune, very poor
Dan Nájera
Jim Hoffman Lol 😝
Jim Hoffman
perhaps u could make a recording of this tune and become famous like joan
Gary Larson
Hi folkfingerstylefreddy. This song was a live recording from her 1963 concert tour where all songs were just her singing with acoustic guitar. You may be right - I'm no guitar expert so I can't say what was right or wrong about the guitar and the recording of it. Since the song is about a man who "had children one, two, three" and then "they sent them away to war, ain't got no kids no more", maybe the music mirrors the jangled feelings of the singer.