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. On July 28, 2019, following dates across Europe, Baez performed her final concert at Madrid's Teatro Real. In January 2021, Baez received a 2020 Kennedy Center Honor.
Seven Bridges Road
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are stars
In the Southern sky
Southward as you go
There is moonlight
And moss in the trees
Down the Seven Bridges Road
Now I have loved you like a baby
And I have loved you in a tame way
And I have loved you wild
Sometimes there's a part of me
Has to turn form here and go
Running like a child from these warm stars
Down the Seven Bridges Road
There are stars in the Southern sky
And if ever you decide
You should go
There is a taste of time sweetened honey
Down the Seven Bridges Road
The Seven Bridges Road is a beautiful, picturesque road in the South which Joan Baez and Jeffrey Shurtleff use as a metaphor for the ups and downs of a relationship. The Southern stars and moonlight create an idyllic atmosphere, while the moss in the trees evokes a sense of ancient history and timelessness. The song describes love in all its aspects - from the innocent love of a baby to the passionate and untamed love of wild animals.
The song also touches on the theme of running away from problems or conflicts in a relationship. The singer admits that sometimes they have to run away like a child from warm stars, which could be argued to represent the problems or challenges in a relationship. However, there is always the hope that if they do go, there is a sweetness to the journey, down the Seven Bridges Road, that they will never forget.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven Bridges Road
The title of the song
There are stars
Referring to the stars in the sky in the southern hemisphere
In the Southern sky
Referring to the sky in the southern hemisphere where the stars are visible
Southward as you go
As one moves southward, the stars in the southern sky become more visible
There is moonlight
Referring to the moonlight in the southern hemisphere
And moss in the trees
Referring to the vegetation in the southern hemisphere
Down the Seven Bridges Road
Referring to the path that leads one to the southern hemisphere
Now I have loved you like a baby
Expressing the love one has for someone as pure and innocent as a baby
Like some lonesome child
Expressing a sense of loneliness in love
And I have loved you in a tame way
Expressing the love one has had for someone in a mild and restrained manner
And I have loved you wild
Expressing the love one has had for someone in a passionate and uninhibited manner
Sometimes there's a part of me
Acknowledging that there are times when one feels a certain way
Has to turn form here and go
Feeling the need to move on from a certain place or situation
Running like a child from these warm stars
Feeling the urge to move away from a situation that is comfortable
Down the Seven Bridges Road
Referring to the path leading away from the comfortable situation
And if ever you decide
Addressing the person one loves
You should go
Acknowledging that the person one loves might have to leave
There is a taste of time sweetened honey
Referring to the sweetness of memories that are left behind
Down the Seven Bridges Road
Referring to the path that leads one away from the sweetness of memories left behind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Steve Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidwatts5792
I'm amazed that this has so few hits; it's one of my Joan B favorites
@maijaliepa119
🦋SoSoooo Beautiful🦋 ThankU🦋BlessingsBlessedBE🦋❄️🦋❄️🦋❄️🦋❄️🦋🌲🦅
@wintercame
Why is this never mentioned in her top 10? Maybe because she was so prolific. This is one of my faves. Thank you! Now to discover Jeff's only album, State Farm. 🔥🎆
@Endorill
There is also a Seven Bridges Rd in New Jersey. I used to drive to college listeniing to this.