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
Stephanie's Room
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"You've loved me exquisitely."
"I tried to."
"Can we be best of friends now?"
"I never lied to you."
"And can I love you forever?"
"But will you?"
I wish there was some new way
To sing about a full moon
Poured down on us like a thousand rivers
In Stephanie's room
And you said you'd remember always
The shadows on the hills below us
But will you?
You never once tried to sell me
A bill of goods I wouldn't buy
But I'm seasoned and I know a pirate
By the devil in his eye
And the only thing you ever stole from me
Was laughter and some love I made
To fill you
White snow in the morning
Kind of frightened me
But you'd go sailing anyway
Things are different at sea
You know I'll never try and change your habit
As sure as you know if your ship sinks
It'll kill you
And all the lovely ladies who came before me
Are very much the same
As the others soon to follow
In your merry little game
I guess I just want to be remembered
Especially and frequently
Like Stephanie
Five red tail hawks are circling
Above us in the sky
You said they'd bring good luck
And then you said goodbye
You smiled and said, "I'll see you
Sooner than you think."
But will you?
© 1976, 1977 Gabriel Earl Music (ASCAP)
The song "Stephanie's Room" by Joan Baez seems to be a conversation between two people who had a romantic relationship but trying to transition into being friends. The first few lines, "You've loved me exquisitely. I tried to. Can we be the best of friends now?" shows that there is still some level of affection between them, but one party is trying to move on. The conversation then continues with both parties expressing their emotions towards each other. The line "But will you?" is repeated throughout the song and seems to be a reflection of the uncertainty that one or both of them may have about their future.
The song takes its title from Stephanie’s room, where the moonlight floods without obstruction. This sets the stage for a romantic moonlit meeting. The songwriters used imagery such as the moon and the view of the hills below to create a romantic and serene atmosphere. The lyrics carry a sense of longing, wonder, and anxiety, expressed through lines like "I wish there was some new way to sing about the full moon," and "But will you?" The lyrics show a relationship that has come to an end, leaving both parties uncertain about their future. The hawks flying above symbolize good fortune that one of them would experience.
Line by Line Meaning
You've loved me exquisitely.
You have loved me in a very beautiful way.
I tried to.
I have attempted to.
Can we be best of friends now?
Can we become good friends now?
I never lied to you.
I have never told you a lie.
And can I love you forever?
Can I continue loving you for eternity?
"Sure," she said and smiled / "But will you?"
"Yes, you can," she replied while smiling. "But will you?"
I wish there was some new way / To sing about a full moon
I desire a fresh means of describing a full moon
Poured down on us like a thousand rivers / In Stephanie's room
It seemed like a thousand water streams fell on us while we were in Stephanie's room.
And you said you'd remember always / The shadows on the hills below us / But will you?
You promised to always remember the shadows on the hills below us. But will you?
You never once tried to sell me / A bill of goods I wouldn't buy
You never attempted to sell me something I didn't want or need.
But I'm seasoned and I know a pirate / By the devil in his eye
I am experienced and can recognize a dishonest person by their wicked eye.
And the only thing you ever stole from me / Was laughter and some love I made / To fill you
The only thing you ever took from me was the joy and love I gave to you.
White snow in the morning / Kind of frightened me / But you'd go sailing anyway / Things are different at sea
The snow on the ground made me nervous in the morning, but you weren't bothered and went sailing because things can be different at sea.
You know I'll never try and change your habit / As sure as you know if your ship sinks / It'll kill you
You understand that I'll never attempt to change your ways, just like you know that if your ship sinks, it could be fatal.
And all the lovely ladies who came before me / Are very much the same / As the others soon to follow / In your merry little game
All the beautiful women that came before me are similar to the others who will come after me in your playful lifestyle.
I guess I just want to be remembered / Especially and frequently / Like Stephanie
I suppose I just want to be remembered often and distinctively, just like Stephanie.
Five red tail hawks are circling / Above us in the sky / You said they'd bring good luck / And then you said goodbye
Five hawks are flying overhead, you mentioned they'd bring good luck and then said farewell.
You smiled and said, "I'll see you / Sooner than you think." / But will you?
You smiled and stated "I'll see you before you realize." However, is that going to be the case?
Lyrics © GABRIEL EARL MUSIC
Written by: JOAN C. BAEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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