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
Wildwood Flower
Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
The meadow so bright with it's emerald hue
And the pale and the leader and eyes look so blue
I will dance, I will sing and my laugh shall be gay
I will charm every heart, in his crown I will sway
I woke from my dream and all idols was clay
He told me to love him and promised to love
And cherish me over all others above
My poor heart is wondering no misery can tell
He left me no warning, no words of farewell
He told me to love him and called me his flower
That was blooming to cheer him through life's weary hour
How I long to see him and regret the dark hour
He's gone and neglected his frail wildwood flower.
The lyrics to Joan Baez’s song “Wildwood Flower” depict a woman’s reflection on lost love and the pain of abandonment. The first verse paints a vivid picture of the woman’s physical appearance, twining her “raven black hair” with “roses so red and lilies so fair.” She marvels at the beauty of the meadow around her and the blue eyes of the man who once promised her love. The second verse, in contrast, is darker, as she awakens from the dream of love to find that it was all “idols” and “all portions of love then had all flown away.”
The third verse reveals the specifics of the woman’s lost love. The man promised to cherish her over all others and told her she was his flower that would cheer him through life’s weary hours. However, he left without warning or farewell, leaving the woman wondering what happened and causing her to regret the dark hour in which he neglected his “frail wildwood flower.” The song captures the emotions of heartbreak and loss, describing the pain and confusion of a relationship that has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I will twine with my mingles of raven black hair
I will weave my raven black hair with red roses and white lilies
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
I will adorn my black hair with red roses and white lilies
The meadow so bright with it's emerald hue
The meadow is bright and green like emerald
And the pale and the leader and eyes look so blue
My face is pale and my eyes look blue, like a leader
I will dance, I will sing and my laugh shall be gay
I will dance, sing and laugh happily
I will charm every heart, in his crown I will sway
I will charm everyone's heart and be the queen of their affection
I woke from my dream and all idols was clay
I woke up from my dream where all my idols turned to clay
And all portions of love then had all flown away
All the love I had previously felt was gone
He told me to love him and promised to love
He asked me to love him and promised to love me in return
And cherish me over all others above
He promised to cherish me above everyone else
My poor heart is wondering no misery can tell
My heart is left questioning and in pain, unable to explain the misery
He left me no warning, no words of farewell
He left me suddenly with no warning or goodbye
He told me to love him and called me his flower
He asked me to love him and called me his flower
That was blooming to cheer him through life's weary hour
I was the one blooming to cheer him through his weary times
How I long to see him and regret the dark hour
I now long to see him again and regret the past troubles
He's gone and neglected his frail wildwood flower.
He's gone and left his frail wildwood flower, forgetting the love they once had.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOAN C. BAEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charmainehale2453
Joan Baez to me has the most beautiful singing voice, and her guitar playing is excellent I have loved her voice from the first time I heard her sing in the 60's and it's always a joy to hear her sing.
@edejan
Boy that's some masterful guitar picking. I had this on LP and played it to death. Joan Baez was the best of her time, both vocally and instrumentally, as well as in the pieces she chose.
@l.campos8333
Yes, my friend. Here she is, again and again reminding us of what a talent,what a gifted musician she is. Joan Baez`s style on guitar is legend , as well as her singing and composing. And deserves the legend and the recognition and all the tributes she may receive. God bless you forever, dearest Joan Baez. Com amor e gratidão , from Brasil.
@carolcoombe1824
Well, you are the first person in fifty years that I have heard dissing Baez. She sang, she spoke, she did, and she was. Her voice went through phases with time, all of them beautiful, as she was. I could not have asked for a greater talent to walk with me through my life, and I am grateful for all she did, gave, and was. Her voice was stunningly wonderful, a gift to all of us. Love. Peace.
@evankerry
To my ears Baez always came off as a trained singer not a folk singer. Her voice, though beautiful, doesn't do her repertoire the justice it deserves.
@l.campos8333
I couldn´t agree more. And I can´t remember one, a simgle one song sang by her that I didn´t like. So beautifull! She is a genius with folk, with traditional, protest, ballads, gospell, jazz, love songs , or whatever she chooses to sing, to play or to compose. She is simply an uttermost talented soul and a great and rare heart and intelligence at the service of mankind. She´s a precious gift that was given to us. Today, more than ever, we need Love On Action which is who Joan is. Gratitude and deep respect forever, Joan Baez. Amor e gratidão, from a brasilian and world citizen
@l.campos8333
@evankerry Here she is, again and again reminding us of what a talent,what a gifted musician she is. Joan Baez`s style on guitar is legend , as well as her singing and composing. And deserves the legend and the recognition and all the tributes she may receive. God bless you forever, dearest Joan Baez. Com amor e gratidão , from Brasil.
@joenovak3448
I have loved Joan Baez for over fifty years. She is one of the best singers of traditional love ballads whom I have heard. And, she is a fine guitarist.
@l.campos8333
Yes, my friend. Here she is, again and again reminding us of what a talent,what a gifted musician she is. Joan Baez`s style on guitar is legend , as well as her singing and composing. And deserves the legend and the recognition and all the tributes she may receive. God bless you forever, dearest Joan Baez. Com amor e gratidão , from Brasil.
@nixieNICLA
Love this upbeat version of a fab song.... there's some sweet top notes from this lady...