Satisfied Mind
Joan Baez feat. Lilly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"If I had his money, I could do things my way?"
Little they know that it's so hard to find
One rich man in a hundred with a satisfied mind.
Once I was waitin' for fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for to get a start in life's game
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
Money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's grown cold
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind
When my life is ended, my time has run out
My trials and my loved ones, I'll leave them no doubt
But one thing's for certain, when it comes my time
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
In Joan Baez's song Satisfied Mind, the singer is exploring the concept of true happiness and inner peace. She is pointing out that while many people believe that wealth and success are the keys to happiness, this is often not the case. The first verse illustrates that money cannot buy happiness and that finding contentment in one's life is rare. The second verse describes the singer's personal experience with losing everything and becoming poor; however, this experience has allowed her to appreciate what really matters in life, giving her a sense of fulfillment that surpasses what material possessions could provide.
Furthermore, the third verse emphasizes that the most important things in life cannot be bought with money. Money cannot bring back youth, friends, love, or happiness. The last verse emphasizes the idea of living with no regrets and finding peace in one's final days. The idea of a "satisfied mind" is central to the song, and the singer is encouraging listeners to strive for this sense of contentment in their own lives rather than chasing after material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times have you heard someone say
It is a common saying among people that if they had the wealth of someone else, they could live their life more satisfyingly.
Little they know that it's so hard to find
However, they don't realize the rarity of finding a rich man who is satisfied with his life.
One rich man in a hundred with a satisfied mind.
Only a few rich men in the world are actually satisfied with their life, probably one in a hundred.
Once I was waitin' for fortune and fame
At one point, I was waiting for fate to turn around and bring me fame and fortune.
Everything that I dreamed for to get a start in life's game
I was hoping to achieve everything I ever dreamed of to start my life successfully.
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
But suddenly I faced a situation where I lost all my money at once.
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind
However, in spite of the financial loss, I gained more riches by being content with what I have.
Money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Wealth cannot help to recover the youthfulness that is lost with aging.
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's grown cold
Money also cannot get you a friend to keep you company when you're lonely or rekindle a love that has faded away.
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Even the wealthiest person in the world may feel like a poor beggar at some point in time.
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind
When compared to a person who is content with whatever he has, the wealthy man may feel poor.
When my life is ended, my time has run out
When it is time for me to leave this world for eternity.
My trials and my loved ones, I'll leave them no doubt
My family and friends that I have known till then will have no doubts about me.
But one thing's for certain, when it comes my time
But there is one thing that is definitely certain when my time is up.
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
I will be content with the life that I have lived and leave this world with a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
And I will die happy knowing that I had a satisfied mind.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Red Hays, Jack Rhodes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martina Nocci
As I walked over the London bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair pretty maid
Was lamenting for her Geordie.
Oh, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many
He was born on king's royal breed
And lost to a virtuous lady.
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
Go bridle me my poney,
I will ride to London court
To plead for the life of Geordie.
Ah, my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf,
He never hurted any,
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
And he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born,
The third lies in my body,
I'd freely part with them every one
If you'd spare the life of Geordie.
The judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said fair maid I'm sorry
He said fair maid you must be brave
For I cannot pardon Geordie.
Oh, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many,
Stole sixteen of king's royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.
ADELE D'ALESSANDRO
As I walked out over London bridge
one misty morning early
I overheard a fair pretty maid,
was lamenting for her Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
'tis not the chain of many
he was born of king's royal breed
and lost to a virtuous lady
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London's court
to plead for the life of Geordie
Ah my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf
he never hurted any
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny
Two pretty babies have I born
the third lies in my body
I'd freely part with them every one
if you'd spare the life of Geordie
The judge looked over his left shoulder
he said fair maid sorry
he said fair maid you must be gone
for I cannot pardon Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
'tis not the chain of many
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
RN Healer
I have loved Joan's version of this beautiful song since I hard her sing it in the 60s. It's a sad and haunting tune. She has always had such a lovely voice, and still does.
Leif Grahamsson
Utterly beautiful version of the song. So underrated.
Leif Grahamsson
@The Folk Revival Project Thank you so much for the information
The Folk Revival Project
Have you ever heard any old traditional recordings of the song?
The melody here appears to be based on a recording from the 1940s of an elderly woman called Louisa (or "Louie") Hooper from Somerset, England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRgiScaKmJU&list=PLVDpl8vHMkO_jCNcNKLGD7FHIyuv4XUoX
I featured that recording (and another traditional version) in this video I just uploaded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=293fUgqyHAw&t=1046s
Martina Nocci
As I walked over the London bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair pretty maid
Was lamenting for her Geordie.
Oh, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many
He was born on king's royal breed
And lost to a virtuous lady.
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
Go bridle me my poney,
I will ride to London court
To plead for the life of Geordie.
Ah, my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf,
He never hurted any,
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
And he sold them in Bohenny.
Two pretty babies have I born,
The third lies in my body,
I'd freely part with them every one
If you'd spare the life of Geordie.
The judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said fair maid I'm sorry
He said fair maid you must be brave
For I cannot pardon Geordie.
Oh, my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many,
Stole sixteen of king's royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.
The Folk Revival Project
Have you ever heard any old traditional recordings of the song?
The melody here appears to be based on a recording from the 1940s of an elderly woman called Louisa (or "Louie") Hooper from Somerset, England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRgiScaKmJU&list=PLVDpl8vHMkO_jCNcNKLGD7FHIyuv4XUoX
I featured that recording (and another traditional version) in this video I just uploaded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=293fUgqyHAw&t=1046s
Mario Ferraz Soares
Fantástica, inesquecível, inigualável.E sem dúvida a melhor voz do mundo!. A música dela toca na alma.a melodia faz sonhar! eu passaria toda a noite , falando sobre Joan Baez.Ela é de demais!
efisio casu
Great voice!
ADELE D'ALESSANDRO
As I walked out over London bridge
one misty morning early
I overheard a fair pretty maid,
was lamenting for her Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
'tis not the chain of many
he was born of king's royal breed
and lost to a virtuous lady
Go bridle me my milk white steed,
go bridle me my pony,
I will ride to London's court
to plead for the life of Geordie
Ah my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf
he never hurted any
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny
Two pretty babies have I born
the third lies in my body
I'd freely part with them every one
if you'd spare the life of Geordie
The judge looked over his left shoulder
he said fair maid sorry
he said fair maid you must be gone
for I cannot pardon Geordie
Ah my Geordie will be hanged in a golden chain
'tis not the chain of many
Stole sixteen of the king's royal deer,
and he sold them in Bohenny.
The Folk Revival Project
Have you ever heard any old traditional recordings of the song?
The melody here appears to be based on a recording from the 1940s of an elderly woman called Louisa (or "Louie") Hooper from Somerset, England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRgiScaKmJU&list=PLVDpl8vHMkO_jCNcNKLGD7FHIyuv4XUoX
I featured that recording (and another traditional version) in this video I just uploaded:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=293fUgqyHAw&t=1046s