Joan Baez picks the favourite song she’s ever written
The American folk scene that emerged in the 1960s was defined by Joan Baez, who started her career as a musician when she was just 18. Baez impressed an audience at Newport Folk Festival in 1959, spurring her to write and perform more music. The following year, she released her self-titled debut album, which contained 13 traditional folk songs, such as ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Silver Dagger’.
Describing the album’s creation, Baez once told Rolling Stone: “It took four nights. We were in some big, smelly ballroom at a hotel on Broadway, way up by the river. We couldn’t record on Wednesday nights because they played bingo there. I would be down there on this dirty old rug with two microphones, one for the voice and one for the guitar. I just did my set; it was probably all I knew.”
However, in 1963, Baez released Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2, which contained her first Bob Dylan cover, with whom she was romantically involved. The pair inspired each other, with Baez helping Dylan’s music to gain popularity. They would perform together, as well as write songs about each other.
Dylan once explained his infatuation with Baez, via Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound, stating: “She had a very unusual way of playing the guitar. I have never heard anyone play it the way Joaney did, I tried to practice it, but I never could get that style down.”
He added: “She had that heart-stopping soprano voice, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.”
“I always liked singing and playing with her. I thought our voices really blended well; we could sing just about any kind of thing and make it make sense. To me, it always sounded good, and I think it sounded good to her too,” he elucidated.
However, their relationship eventually came to an end in 1965. Naturally, their parting was the subject of several songs, most notably Baez’s ‘Diamonds and Rust’ from her 1975 album of the same name. The song contains lines that are unmistakable about Dylan, such as, “Well you burst on the scene/ Already a legend/ The unwashed phenomenon/ The original vagabond”.
The song references a phone call Baez received from Dylan after their relationship ended, leading her to reflect on her time with the singer, suggesting that it was far from perfect. It’s an incredible song; thus, it’s no surprise that even she picked it as one of her all-time favourites during an appearance on BBC’s Desert Island Discs.
She explained: “I underestimated the gift [her talent] for many years. The gift is really enormous. There’s nothing egotistical about saying that because it is a gift.”
Subsequently, she selected ‘Diamonds and Rust’ as one of her favourite songs, regardless of the uneasy memories it brings.
Revisit the song below.
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