Lyrical Baez

Joan Baez was a mega-star in the 60's and a friend of Bob Dylan. She was born in Staten Island, New York. Her father, Albert Baez, was born in 1912 in Puebla, Mexico. Joan's grandfather, the Reverend Alberto Baez, left Catholicism to become a Methodist minister and moved to the U.S. and preached in Brooklyn. Joan's dad studied to become a minister but turned to the study of mathematics and physics. He was the inventor of the x-ray microscope and author of one of the most widely used physics textbooks in the U.S. The Baez family converted to Quakerism during Joan's early childhood, and she has continued to identify with the tradition, particularly in her commitment to pacifism and social issues. Her mother, Joan Bridge Baez, or "Big Joan", was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, a daughter of an Episcopal priest. Her mom and dad met at a high-school dance in Madison, New Jersey, and quickly fell in love. Her parents moved to California. Joan remembers that her family moved about the USA like gypsies and her sister Mimi also sang. Martin Luther King's invited Joan to sing in Missisippi during outrageous times. Joan did not consider her reputation as an artist --- she followed her heart and always did what felt right. She was jailed many times in Oakland, California for her protest against the draft. She travelled to each war zone for over 40 years. Her son now plays in her band at the age of 60+. Joan never considered the power of her fame until she saw how music could connect hearts to her crusade for peace. Her faith and beliefs never wavered.---2008 was a landmark year for Joan Baez, it marked 50 years since she began her legendary folk singing at Boston's famed Club 47. She remains a musical force of nature whose influence is incalculable - marching on the front line of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr., inspiring Vaclav Havel in his fight for a Czech Republic, singing on the first Amnesty International tour in 2008, standing alongside Nelson Mandela when the world celebrated his 90th birthday in London's Hyde Park. She brought the Free Speech Movement into the spotlight, took to the fields with Cesar Chavez, organized resistance to the war in Southeast Asia, then forty years later saluted the Dixie Chicks for their courage to protest war. Her early recordings fed a host of traditional ballads into the rock era. Joan un-self-consciously introduced Bob Dylan to the world in 1963. She travelled to England and they sang duets. Joan's affection for Dylan allowed her to let go of his enigma style. Awakened to the truth that his passion did not include politcal causes kept them friends not mates. She influenced and sang hand-picked lyrics from songwriters that touched her soul. Woody Guthrie, Dylan, Phil Ochs, Richard Farina, and Tim Hardin, to Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle and many more. Her new collection of songs reflects the momentous times in which Joan delights as the grand-mother of FOLK. Her own words, "these words speak to the essence of who I am in the same way as the songs that have been enduring the backbone of my repertoire for the past 50 years," Day After Tomorrow is the name of the CD she recorded in 2008 - Her march for the rights of people continues to inspire. "I've never had a humble opinion. If you've got an opinion, why be humble about it?" Joan Baez


"GOD IS GOD" Written for Baez by Steve Earle
I believe in prophecy.
Some folks see things not everybody can see.
And,once in a while,they pass
the secret along to you and me.

And I believe in miracles.
Something sacred burning in every bush and tree.
We can all learn to sing
the songs the angels sing.

Yeah, I believe in God, and God ain't me.

I've traveled around the world,
Stood on mighty mountains and
gazed across the wilderness.
Never seen a line in the sand
or a diamond in the dust.

And as our fate unfurls,
Every day that passes
I'm sure about a little bit less.
Even my money keeps telling me
it's God I need to trust.

And I believe in God, but God ain't us.

God,in my little understanding,
don't care what name I call.
Whether or not I believe
doesn't matter at all.

I receive the blessings.
That every day on Earth is
another chance to get it right.
Let this little light of mine
shine and rage against the night.

Just another lesson
Maybe someone's watching
and wondering what I got.
Maybe this is why I'm here on Earth,
and maybe not.
Chorus:
But I believe in God, and God is God.DAY AFTER TOMORROW - Lyrics reflect her stand for non-violence - lyrics by Tom Waits
I close my eyes
Every night
And I dream that I can hold you
They fill us full of lies
Everyone buys
About what it means to be a soldier
I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel
About all the blood that's been spilled
Look out on the street
Get me back home
On the day after tomorrow

You can't deny
The other side
Don't want to die
Any more than we do
What I'm trying to say,
Is don't they pray
To the same God that we do?
Tell me, how does God choose?
Whose prayers does he refuse?
Who turns the wheel?
And who throws the dice
On the day after tomorrow?

Mmmmmmm...
I'm not fighting
For justice
I am not fighting
For freedom
I am fighting
For my life
And another day
In the world here
I just do what I've been told
You're just the gravel on the road
And the one's that are lucky
One's come home
On the day after tomorrow

And the summer
It too will fade
And with it comes the winter's frost, dear
And I know we too are made
Of all the things that we have lost here
I'll be twenty-one today
I've been saving all my pay
And my plane will touch down
On the day after tomorrow
IMAGINE this DARING DOG skating to TUNES of BAEZ!