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
Water is Wide
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
I lean'd my back against an oak
Thinking it was a mighty tree
But first it bent and then it broke
So did my love prove false to me
Thinking the sweetest flow'are to find
I prick'd my finger to the bone
And left the sweetest flow'are behind
O love is handsome and love is kind
Gay as a jewel when it is new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
The song "Water is Wide" by Joan Baez is a heart-wrenching ballad about a love that is lost. The opening lines of the song - "The water is wide, I cannot get o'er. Neither have I wings to fly" - are metaphorical, alluding to the distance between the two lovers that cannot be bridged. The singer begs for a boat that can carry both of them across, so that they can reunite once again. The imagery of the "water" in this song is used to represent the distance and separation between the two figures. The singer also uses the metaphor of a tree to explain the fickleness of love. The oak tree, which is typically thought of as sturdy and strong, breaks just like her love has proven to be false.
The singer then speaks of finding sweet flow'ares, which can be interpreted as love that is fleeting and temporary. The idea that love is something that is beautiful and precious when it starts but fades as time goes by is also a recurring theme in the song. Ultimately, the singer concludes that love is something that is fickle and can be gone in an instant. She longs for a simple solution to cross the distance between her and her lover so that they can be reunited once again.
Line by Line Meaning
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
I am faced with an obstacle that I cannot overcome; the problem is too significant for me to solve on my own
Neither have I wings to fly
I don't have the capability to avoid or escape the issue, just like I'm not capable of flying
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
If I had the right resources or support, both my loved one and I would come out of this difficult situation together
I lean'd my back against an oak
Thinking it was a mighty tree
But first it bent and then it broke
So did my love prove false to me
I believed in someone I trusted, like how I believed the oak tree was sturdy, but eventually came to realize that they weren't reliable or true to their word
I put my hand in some soft bush
Thinking the sweetest flow'are to find
I prick'd my finger to the bone
And left the sweetest flow'are behind
I went after something desirable, thinking it would lead to happiness, but ended up sacrificing too much and being hurt in the process
O love is handsome and love is kind
Gay as a jewel when it is new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew
Love can be wonderful and exciting at the beginning, but over time, it can lose its spark and passion, and eventually fade away like the morning dew
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
Neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that can carry two
And both shall cross my true love and I
Amidst these challenges, I still long to be with my loved one; if only we had help and support, we could overcome this obstacle and be together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEAN-PAUL CABRIERES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
breffnipark
What a beautiful version of this beautiful Irish Folk song.
filipgrabia
Love this song and Joan`s voice.
Joeelowell
I don't understand how anyone with an ear that can hear could possibly have given this the thumbs down. A true Philistine I suppose.
GhostRights
Joan Baez: "Peace, love, and understanding."
Commenter: "Everyone who disagrees with me sucks!"
Sarah Neu
As a singer with a fast vibrato I’m here to tell you, we’re not everyone’s cup of tea.
Roger Crawford
You havent heaer Judith Duram sing this song
city zen
A hater who despises what he thinks Joan stands for. Oh, he loves trump.
leonard turner
Joan shows her real talent here, magical
John Castellenas
She can sing a old song and bring the words to life again.Thank you for the video.
marygawin
My mother used to hum and sing this song on her free high spirited hours...missing her voice. Thank you, Scout4Me1's channel for sharing...