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
Wild Mountain Thyme
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the leaves are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Blooms around the purple heather
Will you go lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
Will you go, lassie go?
If my true love will not go
I will surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie go?
I will build my love a bower
By yon clear an crystal fountain
And in it I will pile
All the flowers of the mountain
Will you go lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie go?
Joan Baez’s song “The Wild Mountain Thyme” is a beautiful, romantic call to adventure. The lyrics describe the arrival of summer and the beginning of a fruitful season. The trees are blooming and wild mountain thyme is growing all around the purple heather. In this setting, the singer invites her lover, Lassie, to join her in picking wild mountain thyme.
The lyrics describe a magical, dreamy world where the singer builds a tower by a pure and crystal fountain and lays all the flowers of the mountain on top. The invitation to Lassie to join her in this endeavor is repeated twice, emphasizing the importance of the journey and the unity between the singer and Lassie.
The final lines, “If my true love won’t come with me, then I would surely find another,” suggest a sense of independence and resilience, while still maintaining the original spirit of adventure and romance. Overall, “The Wild Mountain Thyme” is a beautiful depiction of the joys of summer and the power of partnership in life’s adventures.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the summertime is comin'
The summer season is on its way
And the trees are sweetly bloomin'
The trees are blossoming with sweet smells
And the wild mountain thyme
Wild thyme grows in the mountains
Grows around the purple heather
The thyme grows among the purple flowering heather plant
Will you go? Lassie, will you go?
Do you want to go pick the thyme with me, Lassie?
And we'll all go together
We'll all go collectively
To pick wild mountain thyme
To collect wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
The thyme is growing all around the flowering heather plant
I will build my love a tower
I'll raise a tower for my love
By yon pure and crystal fountain
Next to the clear, clean fountain
Yes and on it I will lay
And on it, I'll place
All the flowers of the mountain
All the mountain flowers
Will you go? Lassie, will ya go?
Do you want to join me, Lassie?
If my true love won't come with me
If my true love won't come along
Then I would surely find another
I would find someone else for sure
To pick wild mountain thyme
To go collect wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Grows amid the purple flowering heather plant
Will you go? Lassie, will ya go?
Will you join me, Lassie?
And we will all go together
We will all go collectively
To pick wild mountain thyme
To collect wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
It's growing all around the flowering heather plant
Will you go?
Will you come?
Will you go?
Will you come?
Lassie will you go?
Lassie, will you come?
Lyrics © Public Domain
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rach-sy8ry
Oh the summertime is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
I will build my love a tower
Near yon' pure crystal fountain
And on it I will build
All the flowers of the mountain
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
If my true love she were gone
I would surely find another
To pluck wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Let us go, lassie, go
@MrAlfonso214
The Wild Mountain Thyme
For the summertime is comming.
And the leaves are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Blooms around the purple heather
Chorus: Will you go lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie go?
If my true love will not go
I will surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme,
All around the purple heather
Chorus....
I will build my love a bower
By yon clear an crystal fountain
And in it I will pile
All the flowers of the mountain
Chorus...
El Tomillo Salvaje Montaña
Para el verano se acerca
Y las hojas están floreciendo dulcemente
Y el tomillo salvaje de montaña
Florece alrededor del brezo púrpura
Coro: ¿Vas a ir Lassie, vete?
Y vamos a ir todos juntos
Para tirar el tomillo de montaña salvaje
Todo alrededor del brezo púrpura
¿Quieres ir, Lassie ir?
Si mi verdadero amor no va a ir
Seguramente encontraré otro
Para tirar el tomillo salvaje de montaña
Todo alrededor del brezo púrpura
Coro
Yo construiré mi amor un bower
Por yon despejar una fuente de cristal
Y en él apilaré
Todas las flores de la montaña
Coro
@gregcoles6555
This gorgeously graceful song was played at my beautiful wife Chris's funeral 5 years ago in May 2018, at the exit from the church. She absolutely loved Joan Baez music. For the hippy air, the most kind eyes and soft calming voice my wife carried, this was so very appropriate, not as a farewell, merely adieu for now . Miss her enormously
@eluneyaudiovisual2143
thank you for joan baez, for existing
@patearly9492
One of the coolest songs by one of the coolest artists. God bless everyone
@freudian1976
I do not know why, but this song always helps me writing. Not only my dissertation (on Joan), but also my novels, poetry, stories. I know all of Joan's work, but her version of this beautiful song always opens up a dam of creativity within me. I put this song on a continuous loop and just keep on writing...
@peternolan4107
One of the most beautiful songs ever.
@annberrios9759
celebrating 46 years of loving this song
@davidgrimoldby8663
Beautiful. I can understand why her fans didn't like her sharing the platform with Bob Dylan. Perfect enunciation and diction. You wouldn't know that she is American. The voice is so clear. Not many singers are anything like the same class. Judy Collins perhaps, but apart from her I can't think of anyone else in the same league.
@wilkiepup1
When we were young and times were kinder. I still have this album. This is a great album.
@dongkyujang7155
She has an angelic voice.
Greetings from S.Korea.
@socratesgoulas9036
What a voice!!! Multi instrument!!!!
Greetings from Hellas!