Joan Baez, born on January 9th, 1941, is an American folk singer and a song… Read Full Bio ↴Joan Baez, born on January 9th, 1941, is an American folk singer and a songwriter who is of mixed Mexican and Scottish descent. Baez rose to prominence in the early '60s with her stunning renditions of traditional balladry.

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

We Shall Overcome
Joan Baez Lyrics

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WE SHALL OVERCOME Words and Music by Zilphia Hart., Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan
And Pete Seeger

(La melodia sembra sia stata tratta da un canto di pescatori siciliani del 17'
Secolo, trasportata in Germania dove Ã¨ diventata un inno protestante, e da qui
Alle congregazioni â??biancheâ?? protestanti degli Stati Uniti del sud. E' stata
Pubblicata per la prima volta come Inno negro in una versione modificata, nei
Primi anni dello scorso secolo. Usata, nella forma attuale, negli anni '40 come

Inno â??sindacaleâ?? dai lavoratori degli Alimentari e del Tabacco del
Sud-Carolina, e successivamente dai lavoratori delle scuole popolari del
Tennessee. E' usata tradizionalmente per chiudere tutti I congressi
Integrazionisti).

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall all be free,
We shall all be free,
We shall all be free, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

We are not afraid,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid, TODAY

Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,

I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

Overall Meaning

"We Shall Overcome" is a famous Civil Rights Movement anthem that is regarded as a significant song of the movement. It served as a rallying cry for protesters who sought to end racial discrimination and segregation. The song portrays the persistence and hope of oppressed people in their quest for freedom, peace, and equality. The lyrics are repetitive, intended to encourage people to join together in a united front.

The opening verse of the song, "We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday," sets the tone for the rest of the song. It implies that the struggle for equality is ongoing, but the oppressed people have hope that they will be victorious someday. The second verse, "Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday," emphasizes that the fight for justice is not only external but also internal. It highlights that equality should be desired, not just for the sake of eliminating injustice but to positively influence personal morals and values.

The song's refrain "We shall live in peace, we shall all be free" inspires people to pursue a peace-filled society where everyone enjoys equal social and political, and economic rights unconditionally. The message of the song is straightforward and easy to pass on to people, making it a powerful protest song.

Line by Line Meaning

We shall overcome,
We will triumph,

We shall overcome, some day.
We will succeed in the future.