Diamonds & Rust ( song ) - wikipedia Diamonds & Rust ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2014 ) `` Diamonds & Rust '' Song by Joan Baez from the album Diamonds & Rust Released July 1975 Recorded January 1975 Genre Folk rock Length 4 : 39 Label A&M Songwriter ( s ) Joan Baez Producer ( s ) David Kershenbaum and Joan Baez Diamonds & Rust track listing `` Diamonds & Rust '' `` Fountain of Sorrow '' `` Diamonds & Rust '' is a song written, composed, and performed by Joan Baez. It was written in November 1974 and released in 1975. In the song, Baez recounts an out - of - the - blue phone call from an old lover, which sends her a decade back in time, to a `` crummy '' hotel in Greenwich Village circa 1964 or 1965 ; she recalls giving him a pair of cuff - links, and summarizes that memories bring `` diamonds and rust ''. Baez has stated that the lyrics refer to her relationship with Bob Dylan. The song, which was a top - 40 hit for Baez on the U.S. pop singles chart, is regarded by a number of critics, as well as by Baez fans, as one of her best compositions. It served as the title song on Baez 's gold - selling album Diamonds & Rust, which was released in 1975. Contents 1 Variations 2 Bob Dylan 3 Charts 4 Popular covers 5 References 6 External links Variations For her 1995 live recording Ring Them Bells, Baez performed the song as a duet with Mary Chapin Carpenter. In that performance, she changed the end lines : `` And if you 're / offering me diamonds and rust / I 've already paid, '' to : `` And if you... well I 'll take the diamonds. '' The line `` I bought you some cuff links, you brought me something '' was changed to `` I bought you some cuff links, you brought troubles. '' And on 25 February 2009, in Austin, she sang it, `` And if you... well I 'll take the Grammy. '' In 2010, she recorded it as a duet with Judy Collins on Collins 's album Paradise. Bob Dylan Dylan with Baez August 28, 1963 The song alludes to Baez 's relationship with Bob Dylan ten years before. Although Dylan is not specifically named in the song, in the third chapter of her memoir, And a Voice to Sing With ( 1987 ), Baez uses phrases from the song in describing her relationship with Dylan, and has been explicit that he was the inspiration for the song. She recounts how she originally told Dylan that the song was about her ex-husband David Harris, which was obviously not true. The lyrics, for example, include the lines, `` Well, you burst on the scene already a legend / the unwashed phenomenon, the original vagabond... '' which would describe Dylan but not Harris. In her memoir, And A Voice To Sing With, Baez records a 1975 conversation between herself and Dylan, discussing songs to include in the then - upcoming Rolling Thunder Revue concerts : `` You gon na sing that song about robin 's eggs and diamonds ? '' Bob had asked me on the first day of rehearsals. `` Which one ? '' `` You know, that one about blue eyes and diamonds... '' `` Oh '', I said, `` you must mean ' Diamonds And Rust, ' the song I wrote for my husband, David. I wrote it while he was in prison. '' `` For your husband ? '' Bob said. `` Yeah. Who did you think it was about ? '' I stonewalled. `` Oh, hey, what the fuck do I know ? '' `` Never mind. Yeah, I 'll sing it, if you like. '' But Baez 's marriage to Harris had, in fact, already ended by the time the song was written and composed. In an interview with music writer Mike Ragogna, Baez later admitted that the character in the song is Dylan : MR : `` Diamonds And Rust '' was another magic moment. You 've said when you began writing the song, it started as something else until Dylan phoned you. Then it became about him. That must have been one helluva call. JB : He read me the entire lyrics to `` Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts '' that he 'd just finished from a phone booth in the Midwest. MR : What was the song about originally ? JB : I do n't remember what I 'd been writing about, but it had nothing to do with what it ended up as. Charts Chart ( 1972 - 2016 ) Peak position Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) 14 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 61 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 5 US Billboard Hot 100 35 Popular covers `` Diamonds and Rust '' Single by Judas Priest from the album Sin After Sin Released 23 April 1977 Recorded January -- February 1977, Ramport Studios, Battersea Genre Heavy metal Length 3 : 28 Songwriter ( s ) Joan Baez Producer ( s ) Roger Glover, Judas Priest Judas Priest singles chronology `` The Ripper '' ( 1976 ) `` Diamonds and Rust '' ( 1977 ) `` Better by You, Better than Me '' ( 1978 ) `` The Ripper '' ( 1976 ) `` Diamonds & Rust '' ( 1977 ) `` Better by You, Better than Me '' ( 1978 ) Sin After Sin track listing `` Sinner '' ( 1 ) `` Diamonds & Rust '' ( 2 ) `` Starbreaker '' ( 3 ) The song was later covered with edited lyrics by Judas Priest for the album Sin After Sin. It was originally recorded a year earlier for Sad Wings of Destiny, but not included on that album. This early version appears on The Best of Judas Priest, Hero, Hero, and some remasters of their first album, Rocka Rolla. A live version of the song is on Unleashed in the East. The song remains a staple of Judas Priest live concert performances. In recent years, Priest have been performing a mostly acoustic version of the song that is more similar to the original than the rock version on their recorded albums. Baez commented on the Judas Priest version : I love that ! I was so stunned when I first heard it. I thought it was wonderful. It 's very rare for people to cover my songs. I think there are a couple of reasons. One is they 're personal -- they do n't have a universal quality to them. And I think maybe it 's because I 've already sung them, and who wants to compete with that ? But it 's always flattering when somebody does. Cover versions have also been recorded by Blackmore 's Night, S.O.D., Great White, Taylor Mitchell, and Thunderstone. The song has been sampled in two popular hip - hop songs, `` Happiness '' by Busdriver and `` Upgrade Call '' by Andre Nickatina. The versions used in both songs are pitch - warped to sound squeaky. References Jump up ^ Ragogna, Mike. `` How Sweet The Sound : An Interview With Joan Baez ''. Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 10. Jump up ^ Baez, Joan. 1987. And a Voice to Sing With : A Memoir. Century Hutchinson, London. ISBN 0 - 671 - 40062 - 2 Jump up ^ Ragogna, Mike ( October 14, 2009 ). `` How Sweet The Sound : An Interview With Joan Baez ''. Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2010. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Adult Contemporary : Issue 6486. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 4043b. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Jump up ^ `` Joan Baez Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Joan Baez Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Joan Baez changing her tune Music Entertainment ''. Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2014 - 05 - 19. External links Joan Baez performing the song in 1975 Joan Baez Studio albums Joan Baez Joan Baez, Vol. 2 Joan Baez / 5 Farewell, Angelina Noël Joan Baptism : A Journey Through Our Time Any Day Now David 's Album I Live One Day at a Time Carry It On Blessed Are... Come from the Shadows Where Are You Now, My Son ? Gracias a la Vida : Joan Baez canta en español Diamonds & Rust Gulf Winds Blowin ' Away Honest Lullaby Recently Speaking of Dreams Play Me Backwards Gone From Danger Dark Chords on a Big Guitar Day after Tomorrow Whistle Down the Wind Live albums Joan Baez in Concert Joan Baez in Concert, Part 2 From Every Stage Live Europe 83 Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring Ring Them Bells Live at Newport Bowery Songs Compilations Folksingers ' Round Harvard Square Portrait of Joan Baez The First 10 Years The Joan Baez Ballad Book Hits : Greatest and Others The Contemporary Ballad Book The Joan Baez Lovesong Album Best of Joan C. Baez The Joan Baez Country Music Album Joan Baez : Classics Brothers in Arms Rare, Live & Classic Notable songs `` Babe, I 'm Gonna Leave You '' `` Diamonds & Rust '' `` Farewell, Angelina '' `` Forever Young '' `` Here 's to You '' `` Honest Lullaby '' `` House of the Rising Sun '' `` It 's All Over Now, Baby Blue '' `` Joe Hill '' `` Lily of the West '' `` Love Is Just a Four - Letter Word '' `` Love Song to a Stranger '' `` Mary Hamilton '' `` The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down '' `` Reunion Hill '' `` Scarlet Tide '' `` Silver Dagger '' `` Speaking of Dreams '' `` Sweet Sir Galahad '' `` There but for Fortune '' `` We Shall Overcome '' `` What Have They Done to the Rain '' Related Discography List of Joan Baez concerts Albert Baez ( father ) Mimi Fariña ( sister ) David Harris ( husband ) Richard Fariña ( brother - in - law ) Judas Priest Ian Hill Glenn Tipton Rob Halford Scott Travis Richie Faulkner K.K. Downing Tim `` Ripper '' Owens Dave Holland Les Binks Alan Moore John Hinch Al Atkins Studio albums Rocka Rolla Sad Wings of Destiny Sin After Sin Stained Class Killing Machine British Steel Point of Entry Screaming for Vengeance Defenders of the Faith Turbo Ram It Down Painkiller Jugulator Demolition Angel of Retribution Nostradamus Redeemer of Souls Firepower Live albums Unleashed in the East Priest... Live ! Priest, Live and Rare ' 98 Live Meltdown Live in London A Touch of Evil : Live British Steel : 30th Anniversary Live Battle Cry Compilations The Best of Judas Priest Hero, Hero Metal Works ' 73 -- ' 93 The Best of Judas Priest : Living After Midnight Genocide Metalogy The Essential Judas Priest Single Cuts The Chosen Few Videos Live in London Electric Eye Rising in the East Live Vengeance ' 82 Epitaph Battle Cry Singles `` Rocka Rolla '' `` The Ripper '' `` Diamonds and Rust '' `` Better by You, Better than Me '' `` Take On the World '' `` Evening Star '' `` Rock Forever '' `` Living After Midnight '' `` Breaking the Law '' `` United '' `` Heading Out to the Highway '' `` You 've Got Another Thing Comin ' '' `` Electric Eye '' `` The Green Manalishi ( With the Two Prong Crown ) '' `` Freewheel Burning '' `` Some Heads Are Gonna Roll '' `` Turbo Lover '' `` Locked In '' `` Parental Guidance '' `` Ram It Down '' `` Johnny B. Goode '' `` Painkiller '' `` A Touch of Evil '' `` Bullet Train '' `` Revolution '' Other songs `` Run of the Mill '' `` Victim of Changes '' `` Dreamer Deceiver '' `` Dissident Aggressor '' `` Exciter '' `` Beyond the Realms of Death '' `` Burn in Hell '' `` Judas Rising '' Tours and concerts Judas Priest Tour The Return of the Priest Tour Whiskey Woman Tour Rocka Rolla Tour Sad Wings of Destiny Tour Sin After Sin Tour Stained Class Tour X Certificate Tour Hell Bent for Leather Tour Unleashed in the East Tour British Steel Tour World Wide Blitz Tour World Vengeance Tour Metal Conqueror Tour Fuel for Life Tour Mercenaries of Metal Tour Painkiller Tour Operation Rock & Roll Reunited Tour Retribution Tour Nostradamus World Tour Metal Masters Tour Epitaph World Tour Redeemer of Souls Tour Related articles Discography Members A Tribute to Judas Priest : Legends of Metal Hell Bent Forever : A Tribute to Judas Priest A Tribute to the Priest Book : Judas Priest Category : Judas Priest Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diamonds_%26_Rust_(song)&oldid=820276742 '' Categories : 1975 singles Songs about Bob Dylan Joan Baez songs Judas Priest songs Songs written by Joan Baez 1974 songs Song recordings produced by David Kershenbaum Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from May 2014 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canadaadultcontemporary Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Italiano Norsk nynorsk Português Русский 粵語 Edit links This page was last edited on 14 January 2018, at 00 : 48. 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Question: who is the song diamonds and rust about
Answer: Bob Dylan; Bob Dylan; Bob Dylan; Bob Dylan