Copper Kettle
Joan Baez · Other Songs - Joan Baez
Get you a copper coil
Cover with new made corn mash
And never more you'll toil
Chorus:
You just lay there by the juniper
While the moon is bright
Watch them jugs a-fillin
In the pale moonlight
Build your fires of hickory
Hickory or ash or oak
Don't use no green or rotten wood
They'll catch you by the smoke
(Chorus)
My daddy he made whiskey
My granddaddy did too
We ain't paid no whiskey tax
Since Seventeen Ninety Two
(Chorus)
Copper Kettle
Joan Baez's "Copper Kettle" stands as a defining anthem of the 1960s folk revival, capturing the spirit of social justice and communal solidarity. Originally recorded in 1963, the song reflects Baez's deep engagement with the Civil Rights Movement and her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. The track features a distinctive arrangement that blends acoustic guitar with a driving rhythm section, creating an urgent and uplifting soundscape characteristic of the era's protest music. Its lyrics advocate for unity and the sharing of resources, themes that resonated deeply with the youth culture of the time. As a staple of Baez's extensive discography, "Copper Kettle" remains a powerful example of how folk music served as a vehicle for political expression and cultural change during a pivotal period in American history.