The one song Joan Baez couldn’t live without
The protest-driven counterculture of the 1960s forged future folk legends and lovers in Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Unfortunately, the latter has often been eclipsed by the legacy and fame of her former partner and folk peer, but her contribution to music has been no less important or innovative. Her soft form of folk blended pretty vocals with deliberate wavers and glistening guitars, often providing takes on classic compositions that far outdid the originals.
From her calming and contemplative cover of ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’ to a joyous rendition of ‘Guantanamera’ to a series of stunning originals, Baez further popularised folk and forged some of its most unforgettable compositions. Between her words of protest delivered across six languages and 25 albums, Baez’s tender folk musings have made their way into the hearts of many, including Jimi Hendrix and Lana Del Rey.
Perhaps it’s due to the comforting quality of her instrumentation, her vocal tones’ familiarity, and her compositions’ depth, but Baez’s music seems like the perfect accompaniment for an unexpected stranding on a desert island. It’s likely that her name would feature on the desert island picks of any devoted folk fan, and Baez herself is no exception. While curating her castaway playlist for an episode of BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Baez picked out her own track ‘Diamonds and Rust’.
Amidst picks by the likes of Van Morrison and Jackson Browne, Baez reminisced on first meeting Dylan, recalling his scruffiness, immediate songwriting prowess, and their short but creatively lucrative love affair. Their relationship spawned one of Baez’s biggest hits and artistic heights in ‘Diamonds and Rust’, which finds her addressing Dylan in the wake of their affair.
It’s a beautiful track that demonstrates Baez’s aptitude for poetic lyricism and glistening soundscapes, with a beauty that the songwriter herself recognises. Though she debated picking one of her earlier works, the folk artist eventually landed on ‘Diamonds and Rust’, finding that it was more faithful to her adult voice.
“I originally had written down my first album, but that was a totally different voice to me. That was a child’s voice,” she explained, “I think I would want to hear my own voice if I was stuck on the island for 25 years and lost my voice. I’d want to hear what it was like once.” Her words seem steeped in pride, comfort and nostalgia rather than ego about her own talents.
‘Diamonds and Rust’ is a track that seems more than worthy of a space on a desert island disc. Comforting and nostalgic, it’s the perfect accompaniment for staring aimlessly into the tide. Even to the songwriter herself, there are few sounds that would be more comforting in a time of need than Baez’s tender declarations of love.
Revisit ‘Diamonds and Rust’ below.
