In the 1960s, a rising star and a renowned folk singer-turned-activist found themselves entangled in a brief but deeply influential romance. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez’s relationship not only shaped their personal lives but also left a lasting mark on the folk music scene. As Dylan’s fame skyrocketed, he moved ahead—both professionally and emotionally—leaving Baez in his rearview. From the remnants of their love, however, came one of Baez’s most iconic songs: Diamonds and Rust.
A Song Born from Heartbreak
Written in November 1974 and released the following year, Diamonds and Rust is a deeply personal reflection on reconnecting with a former lover who had become a stranger. The song captures the raw emotions of nostalgia, longing, and lingering resentment, painting an intimate portrait of two of the most significant folk musicians of their era.
Baez: Dylan’s First True Champion
At the height of the 1960s folk revival, Joan Baez had already established herself as a force in the music world when she crossed paths with a scruffy, enigmatic songwriter named Bob Dylan. Recognizing his talent, she began performing his songs, bringing them to a wider audience and giving Dylan an early platform.
“People would say, ‘What are you doing with that ragtag scrubby-looking welk?’ and she’d tell them in no uncertain terms, ‘You be quiet and listen to his songs,’” Dylan reminisced in a 2015 MusiCares speech.
Baez immortalized those early days in Diamonds and Rust:
You burst on the scene already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon, the original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
Drifting Apart and a Surprise Call from the Past
By the mid-1960s, the dynamic between Baez and Dylan had begun to shift. As Dylan’s stardom soared, their relationship unraveled. Baez, disillusioned by the music industry’s chaos, distanced herself, while Dylan’s fast-paced career took him further away. After his career-defining U.K. tour, the two went their separate ways—both romantically and professionally.
Nearly a decade later, Baez unexpectedly heard from Dylan again. She captured the moment in her lyrics:
Here I sit, hand on the telephone, hearing a voice I’d known
A couple of lightyears ago, heading straight for a fall
Where are you calling from? A booth in the Midwest
In a 2010 interview with the Huffington Post, Baez revealed that she hadn’t initially set out to write about Dylan, but after that fateful phone call, the song naturally evolved into a reflection of their past romance.
A Final Word for Dylan
During the call, Dylan had phoned Baez from a Midwestern payphone to read her the lyrics of his song Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts. According to Baez, he insisted the call wasn’t about nostalgia—a claim she met with cutting skepticism in her song’s final lines:
Now you’re telling me you’re not nostalgic
Well, give me another word for it
You who are so good with words and keeping things vague
Cause I need some of that vagueness now, it all came back too clearly
Yes, I loved you dearly, but if you’re offering me diamonds and rust, I already paid
Although their relationship had its share of heartache, Baez later expressed that she had long since forgiven Dylan. In her 2023 documentary, I Am Noise, she reflected on their time together without resentment. Dylan, too, has spoken highly of Baez over the years, acknowledging the impact she had on his early career.
“I love that song Diamonds and Rust,” Dylan admitted in the 2009 documentary Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound. “To be included in something that Joaney had written, I mean to this day, it still impresses me.”
