All In Green Went My Love Riding
Joan Baez · Other Songs - Joan Baez
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The merry deer ran before.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
The swift sweet deer
The red rare deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
The cruel bugle sang before.
Horn at hip went my love riding
Riding the echo down
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The level meadows ran before.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
The lean lithe deer
The fleet flown deer.
Four fleet does at a gold valley
The famished arrow sang before.
Bow at belt went my love riding
Riding the mountain down
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The sheer peaks ran before.
Paler be they than daunting death
The sleek slim deer
The tall tense deer.
Four tell stags at a green mountain
The lucky hunter sang before.
All in green went my love riding
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
My heart fell dead before.
All In Green Went My Love Riding
Joan Baez's 1964 recording of "All In Green Went My Love Riding" stands as a quintessential example of her folk revival style, blending traditional Appalachian balladry with her signature acoustic guitar work. The song, often associated with the broader folk tradition of the early 1960s, captures a narrative of rural life and lost love through simple, evocative storytelling. Baez's delivery is characterized by her clear, emotive voice, which became a defining feature of her career and helped popularize folk music as a mainstream art form. While the specific album placement varies in different releases, the track remains a staple of her discography, reflecting the era's focus on social consciousness and traditional song forms. It exemplifies her ability to preserve and reinterpret folk material, making it a significant work in the canon of American folk music.