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
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comin' for to carry me home!
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home!
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home!
Swing low, sweet chariot,
If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Jess tell my friends that I'm acomin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!
I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Comin' for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
Comin' for to carry me home!
The lyrics to Joan Baez's song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," are based on a spiritual from the era of American slavery. This spiritual illustrates the hope that slaves had for freedom and deliverance from their oppression through religious imagery. The "sweet chariot" is referencing the chariot sent by God to carry the slaves to heaven, a place of rest and eternal peace. The lyrics are filled with hope and faith in the power of God to overcome their struggles.
As the song continues, the lyrics express the singer's view of the afterlife. They see themselves gazing over the Jordan River, which is often used as a symbol of crossing from this life into the next. There, they see a band of angels coming for them, referencing the belief in heavenly beings sent by God to help guide souls to their final resting place. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the idea that the chariot is coming to carry them to their ultimate destination of rest and peace.
In the final verse, the lyrics express the ups and downs of life's journey but ultimately emphasize that despite those struggles, the soul is bound for heaven. The singer expresses their unwavering faith in God and the ultimate deliverance to a better place. Overall, the song provides a message of hope, faith, and deliverance to those who are in challenging circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Swing low, sweet chariot,
I am calling on the angels to transport me to heaven after I die.
Comin' for to carry me home!
The angels are coming to take me to heaven.
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
I saw the promised land of heaven on the other side of the Jordan River.
Comin' for to carry me home!
The angels are still coming to take me to heaven.
A band of angels comin' after me,
A group of angels are coming to guide me to heaven.
Comin' for to carry me home!
The angels are still coming to take me to heaven.
If you get there before I do,
If someone else reaches heaven before I do.
Comin' for to carry me home,
The angels will still come for me and take me to heaven.
Just tell my friends that I'm acomin' too,
Tell my friends that I will also be joining them in heaven.
Comin' for to carry me home.
The angels will still come for me and take me to heaven.
I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
I have good and bad days in life.
Comin' for to carry me home,
Regardless of the ups and downs in life, I know I will still be carried to heaven.
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
My soul is connected to heaven and longing to go there.
Comin' for to carry me home!
The angels are still coming to take me to heaven.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOAN C. BAEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Crowe
These people like Joan Baez, Richie Havens and many others who performed in Woodstock `69 were not only great musicians, but also, and perhaps most importantly, were brave people. Remember the speech Baez made prior her performance. Uplifting, encouraging ! It seems that she holds my hand when I'm afraid to walk further and continue on my path .
MunkdGuru
ONE OF THE BEST WOODSTOCK PERFORMANCE She really did her best on this song
DhangoMicheli
Joan Baez's voice it's one the most beautiful, touching, pure and inspiring voice that I ever heard. The video doesn't pay her justice. Or to the festival.
syada7
wow...her voice just leaves u breathless
anhishere
She had me at the first note... love Joan Baez.
Vic Avelino
incredible! she's amazing!
cosmic rose
swing low... an old gospel song and ms. baez did it justice ~amen!
bigbadfitter
Imagine the guts it took to stand before 500,000 people and just plain sing.
Tony Philpott
Three words: Purity. Clarity. Sincerity.
Bruno Chevalier
40 années plus tard... on ne peut que dire merci Joan!