And Now I Present: Diamonds and Rust

I heard the song "Diamonds and Rust" by Joan Baez for the first time recently. It's brilliant. Know how with some songs, you sort of hear it, and then later you actually listen to it? When I heard this song, I went right down the road with it and never missed a word.

Something that strikes me about this...the imagery in here is so different than today. There are generations now that can't picture any of it or probably get the full effect of this song because of their flimsy cultural literacy. Something that bothers me about the 60's generation radicals, is that they were probably the last generation to get a good education.

When I listen to this song, I think of what it's like in your early 20's and the world is very new... risk is so much more fun, and there is something of a rush achieved out of heartbreak and mystery. It scrawls "I was here" somewhere inside you. And throughout your life, the sunlight gets on it from time to time. Yeah...that good :)



Well I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall

As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust

Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed

Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there

Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid