seems like only yesterday
i left my mind behind
down in the gypsy cafe
with a friend of a friend of mine
who 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 fourletter word
outside a rattling storefront 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 fourletter 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 fourletter 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 it’s 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 fourletter word
strange it is to be beside you
many years the tables turned
you’d probably not believe me
if i told you all i’ve learned
and it is very very weird indeed
to hear words like forever fleets
of 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 fourletter word
Artist: Joan Baez
Year: 1969
Decade: 60s
Language: en
Word Count: 159