☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a woman in a foreign country who has experienced changes in the world.
- It's about memories falling like candies from a jar and uncontrolled fantasies flying too far.
- It talks about a blue-eyed son who denies the truths and the questions of why we believe a stone idol is better than a savior who is annoying at home.
- It is a tribute to the art of singing and the importance of songs that can reveal and inspire injustices.
- The text ends with the invitation to go to the port, where the spirits of the past are visited and the winds of days gone by blow through the hair.
Interpretation
"Winds of the Old Days" by
Joan Baez is a song about a woman who finds herself in a foreign land. She sings about various topics, both humble and important. Over the years, she has experienced changes in the world and learns that a certain prince has returned to the stage.
The lyrics describe how the main character drifts in uncertain waters but is caught by a friend. There are memories that fall like candies from a jar and uncontrollable fantasies that fly too far. The main character longs for the harbor where the grapes of summer hang low on the branches and the spirits of her past will accompany her. The winds of old days will blow through her hair.
There is also mention of a blue-eyed son who denies the truths wrapped in a secret. The sixties are over, so we should set him free. Questions are raised about why the main character has judged so self-righteously over the years and why we believe that a stone idol is better than a savior who is a nuisance at home. The main character thanks the singer for the best songs and for setting some wrongs right. He was a wild gift in a lost bus, but he descended and sang for us.
The lyrics end with the invitation to go to the harbor where most sour grapes have disappeared from the branches. The spirits of Johanna will visit you there, and the winds of old days will blow through your hair.