Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word

Joan Baez

About Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word

"Love is Just a Four-Letter Word" is a song written by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Joan Baez, who has recorded and performed the song numerous times throughout her career.


Year:
2003
3:32
375 

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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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Joan Baez

Joan Baez ( /ˈbaɪ.ɛz/) (born January 9, 1941 as Joan Chandos Báez) is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace, and environmental justice. more »

12 fans

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.
Release Date
Joan Baez first recorded the song and released it on her 1968 album "Any Day Now."
Unreleased Original
Despite being the writer of the song, Bob Dylan himself never officially released a studio version of "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word."
Live Performances
Joan Baez often performed this song in her live concerts and the song has become one of her signature tunes.
Song Creation Story
Baez 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.
Dylan's Recording
Dylan 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.
Interpretation
The enigmatic lyrics of the song have been interpreted in many ways by fans and critics, reflecting both humanistic and cynical views of love.
Critical Response
"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word" is celebrated for its poetic and complex lyrics, typical of Dylan's work.
Grammy Nomination
Baez's version was nominated for a Grammy award in 1969 for Best Folk Performance.
Popularity
Despite 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.
Live Performances Together
Both Dylan and Baez have performed the song in duet during the Rolling Thunder Revue tour in the mid-1970s.
Song's Cover
Many other artists have also covered "Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word," including Steppenwolf and Stoney LaRue.

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