Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word
Joan Baez
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Seems like only yesterday I left my mind behind Down in the gypsy cafe With a friend of a friend of mine She sat with a baby heavy on her knee Yet spoke of life most free from slavery With eyes that showed no trace of misery A phrase in connection first with she occurred That love is just a fou letter word Outside a rambling store-front window Cats meowed to the break of day Me, I kept my mouth shut To you I had no words to say My experience was limited and underfed You were talking while I hid To the one who was the father of your kid You probably didn't think I did, but I heard you say That love is just a four letter word I said goodbye unnoticed Pushed forth into my own games Drifting in and out of lifetimes Unmentionable by name Searching for my double, looking for Complete evaporation to the core Though I tried and failed at finding any door I must have thought that there was nothing more absurd than That love is just a four letter word Though I never knew just what you meant When you were speaking to your man I can only think in terms of me And now I understand After waking enough times to think I see The holy kiss that's supposed to last eternity Blow up in smoke, its destiny, falls on strangers, travels free Yes, I know now, traps are only set by me And I do not really need to be assured That love is just a four letter word Strange it is to be beside you Many years and tables turned You'd probably not believe me If I told you all I've learned And it is very, very weird indeed yo hear words like forever plead Those ships run through my mind, I cannot cheat It's like looking in the teacher's face complete I can say nothing to you but repeat what I heard That love is just a four letter word
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Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Song Composition"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word" is a song written by Bob Dylan, and most notably performed by Joan Baez.
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Release DateJoan Baez first recorded the song and released it on her 1968 album "Any Day Now."
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Unreleased OriginalDespite being the writer of the song, Bob Dylan himself never officially released a studio version of "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word."
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Live PerformancesJoan Baez often performed this song in her live concerts and the song has become one of her signature tunes.
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Song Creation StoryBaez has often recounted that she was in the room when Dylan completed the writing of this song, and that Dylan dismissed it as an unfinished draft saying it wasn't much, unconcerned about leaving it behind.
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Dylan's RecordingDylan did record a version of the song during the sessions for his album "Another Side of Bob Dylan," but it was not included in the final album.
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InterpretationThe enigmatic lyrics of the song have been interpreted in many ways by fans and critics, reflecting both humanistic and cynical views of love.
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Critical Response"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word" is celebrated for its poetic and complex lyrics, typical of Dylan's work.
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Grammy NominationBaez's version was nominated for a Grammy award in 1969 for Best Folk Performance.
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PopularityDespite being a "deep cut" and never being a chart-topping single, the song is one of the most beloved tracks in Joan Baez's discography and is often cited as a favorite among her fans.
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Live Performances TogetherBoth Dylan and Baez have performed the song in duet during the Rolling Thunder Revue tour in the mid-1970s.
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Song's CoverMany other artists have also covered "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word," including Steppenwolf and Stoney LaRue.
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Citation
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"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/13608358/Joan+Baez/Love+Is+Just+a+Four-Letter+Word>.
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