ALL THE WEARY MOTHERS OF THE EARTH
Written by Joan Baez
As recorded by Annie Patterson on "Mountain Side" (2011)

All the weary mothers of the earth will finally rest.
We will take their babies in our arms and do our best.
When the sun is low upon the field,
To love and music they will yield,
And the weary mothers of the earth will rest.

And the farmer on his tractor and beside his plow
Will stand there in confusion as we wet his brow
With the tears of all the businessmen.
See what they have done to men!
And the weary farmers of the earth shall rest.

And the aching workers of the world again shall sing.
These words in mighty choruses to all we'll bring.
We shall no longer be the poor.
No one owns us anymore,
And the workers of the world again shall sing.

When the soldiers burn their uniforms in every land,
And the foxholes at the borders will be left unmanned,
General, when you come for the review,
Your troops will have forgotten you,
And the men and women of the earth shall rest.

General, when you come for the review,
Your troops will have forgotten you,
And the men and women of the earth shall rest.

[Joan Baez sings a song called LAS MADRES CANSADAS (ALL THE WEARY MOTHERS OF THE EARTH) on her albums "Gracias a la Vida (Here's to Life)" (1974) and the 4-CD box set "The Complete A&M Recordings" (2003). The tune is the same, but all the words she sings are Spanish, and therefore I can't transcribe them, but I think the above lyrics are a translation of Baez' words. Baez is credited as the songwriter on Patterson's album (according to Allmusic.com), but I'm not sure that means Baez wrote both the Spanish and the English versions. As far as I can tell, Baez never recorded an English version of this song.]