Joan Baez - The Dangling Conversation Lyrics

It's a still life watercolor
Of a now-late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room

And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference, like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar

In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives

And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our place with book markers
That measure what we've lost

Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm
Couplets out of rhyme
In syncopated time

And the dangled conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives

Yes, we speak of things that matter
With words that must be said
"Can analysis be worthwhile?"
"Is the church really dead?"

And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow, I cannot feel your hand
You're a stranger now unto me

Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
In the borders of our lives

Just bought an old scratched vinyl of Joan Baez's Greatest Hits and this is my favorite track. Thanks for posting.

so beautiful

Wonder why she changed the lyric from "is the theatre really dead?" to "Is the church really dead?"

I grew up in the 60s, enjoyed the great music from that era, including Joan's. I always found her very attractive too.

what a voice!!!

joan at her best,,

wrote by Paul Simon

Re: comment by Gloiven Anderon - I can't find a reference anywhere on the net to a version on this song by Cat Stevens. Are you sure about this, as it doesn't appear to be on any of his albums or as a live version on YT .

so nice

It's a still life water color,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtained lae
And shadows wash the room.
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
The borders of our lives.

And you read your Emily Dickinson,
And I my Robert Frost,
And we note our place with bookmarkers
That measure what we've lost.
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm,
Couplets out of rhyme,
In syncopated time
And the dangled conversation
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives.

Yes, we speak of things that matter,
With words that must be said,
"Can analysis be worthwhile?"
"Is the theater really dead?"
And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow,
I cannot feel your hand,
You're a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation.
And the superficial sighs,
In the borders of our lives.

And we note our place with bookmarkers, that measure what we've lost.......  

you should hear the Cat Stevens Version.

Simon and Garfunkel do it better imo.

Wonder if she related to this because of her thing with Dylan.

You're so wrong! It's totally so opposite Baez is soooo much darker!!!

@Dunkleosteus9 Still, a good riff.

her voice is so earthy and hearty and oh so wonderful! and i love simon and garfunkel. Baez gives a wonderful rendition.

whogivesaflyinfock h

It's good, but too happy. It loses S&G original intent, I think.

There's no disputing that Baez has a great voice, and sings this song very well. But, what I think ruined this cover was that the accompaniment was upbeat and didn't match the serious tone of the lyrics. The Simon and Garfunkel version of this song does a very good job of using a somber guitar to set the mood. Also, her decision to change the lyrics from Paul Simon's original version was creative but didn't add anything to the song as a whole.

Ms. Centrum04: Poets can do that you know..and, it was a slightly different time, or not.When you dear, have lived a life like this-you can ask:"How dare she?"In 1960, that's what
they said when blacks sat at lunch counters, to protest segregation.They dared because.....

this was the first Baez album I ever bought (SF in '67)...
"Joan",
still one of my very favorites.

Beautiful.I have this on an old LP.I haven't listened to it in years.Thank you for reminding me of a magical time as a young bride over 30 years ago

such a lovely voicexxxx

lovely version

How dare she change the line "Is the theater really dead"?

Shame on her.

Exactly what I thought, they rise completely different topics

Joan, You have an angelic voice. I've loved you since I was a child.

is church really dead? :)

this girl has a lovely voice!!

Love this song, beautiful and very true lyrics, as it happens so often in life

This ... this is a voice comparable to the Beatles