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.
Sleeper
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To every happy fool.
And you move through my dreams
Like a trout moves through a pool.
Sure I will do anything,
But I blush at the reverie.
Sleeper come and go with me.
And she left me her suitcase,
And I still remember
The soft lines of her drunken face,
As she stood there in my doorway,
Like a cat up in a tree.
Sleeper come and go with me.
A small farm in Wisconsin
For a driftless man,
Supper on the table,
And a lover's tender hands,
Though she leaves my salt and woodsmoke,
For a job in the city.
Sleeper come and go with me.
I will take you with my children,
Through the clover, to the creek,
When Orion's gone a hunting
Through the fields our wishes seek,
Where we all can love each other
Like sugar in our tea.
Sleeper come and go with me.
Well the last wild fling is over
And a cold wind brings the dawn,
To rows of parking meters
And the shadow of a blond,
Who is standing by the wild rye
In a pointless dream.
Sleeper come and go with me.
It's another happy April
To every happy fool.
And you move through my dreams
Like a trout moves through a pool.
Sure I will do anything,
But I blush at the reverie.
Sleeper come and go with me.
Joan Baez's song "Sleeper" is a beautiful, yet melancholy ballad that delves into themes of love, loss, and nostalgia. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the passage of time and the fleeting nature of human relationships.
The song speaks to the transience of life, as evident in the line "And she always was a painter, and she left me her suitcase." It reflects on the memory of a loved one who has passed on, and how their presence is felt in small details like the "soft lines of her drunken face."
The song also speaks to the yearning for connection and companionship, with the line "Sleeper come and go with me." It is a plea to find someone to share life's simple pleasures with, such as a small farm in Wisconsin, supper on the table, and exploring nature with loved ones.
Overall, "Sleeper" is a poignant reflection on the beauty and fragility of life, and the importance of cherishing the people and moments that we hold dear.
Line by Line Meaning
It's another happy April
Spring has come bringing happiness to everyone around.
To every happy fool.
People are happy with the arrival of spring regardless if they are foolish or not.
And you move through my dreams
The person being addressed is present in the singer's dreams.
Like a trout moves through a pool.
The person moves through the artist's dreams gracefully and effortlessly.
Sure I will do anything,
The artist is willing to do anything for the person being addressed.
But I blush at the reverie.
However, the singer is embarrassed by the intensity of their own feelings.
Sleeper come and go with me.
The singer wants the person being addressed to join them on a journey of sorts.
And she always was a painter
A woman who was a painter is being described.
And she left me her suitcase,
The woman left her suitcase with the artist.
And I still remember
The artist still has vivid memories of the woman.
The soft lines of her drunken face,
One of the singer's memories of the woman is her face when she was drunk, which they remember fondly.
As she stood there in my doorway,
The woman was in the artist's doorway during this memory.
Like a cat up in a tree.
The woman was like a cat protected by doorways, as the cat is protected by the top of a tree.
Sleeper come and go with me.
The singer still wants the person being addressed to join them on their journey.
A small farm in Wisconsin
The singer has a small farm in Wisconsin.
For a driftless man,
The artist describes themselves as someone without a sense of direction.
Supper on the table,
The artist has prepared supper for themselves.
And a lover's tender hands,
The singer has a lover who is taking care of them.
Though she leaves my salt and woodsmoke,
The singer's lover is leaving them behind to pursue a job in the city.
For a job in the city.
The artist's lover is leaving to work in the city.
Sleeper come and go with me.
The artist still wants the person being addressed to join them even though they are likely gone with their lover already.
I will take you with my children,
The artist wants to take the person being addressed and their children with them on their journey.
Through the clover, to the creek,
The singer imagines a journey through a field of clovers towards a creek.
When Orion's gone a hunting
The artist imagines doing this journey at night when the stars are out, specifically when the Orion constellation is visible in the sky.
Through the fields our wishes seek,
During this journey, the singer hopes to search for what they desire through the fields.
Where we all can love each other
The singer hopes to create a situation where everyone involved can have feelings of fondness for each other.
Like sugar in our tea.
The singer imagines that everyone's happiness and affection during this journey will be as sweet as sugar in tea.
Well the last wild fling is over
The artist is transitioning from a wild period of their life.
And a cold wind brings the dawn,
The cold morning wind is oncoming after a night of transition.
To rows of parking meters
The singer is seeing rows of parking meters, often a symbol of banality and constraint.
And the shadow of a blond,
The singer sees the shadow of a blond person, though it is not clear who they are.
Who is standing by the wild rye
The blond person is standing next to wild rye.
In a pointless dream.
The artist feels that this dream is purposeless and lacks meaning.
Sleeper come and go with me.
The artist still wants the person being addressed to continue with them on their journey, despite the emptiness of existence that they observe.
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Max Alberts
A great tune from a great record. Needless to say, from one of the world's great singers. Thank you, Joan Baez.
Malhaditta
kra... mto otimo. parabens. vc merece.
naomio
Thanks for the upload, really enjoy this song.