The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti Part 2

Album: Sacco and Vanzetti (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • With lyrics by Joan Baez and music by Ennio Morricone, "The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti Part 2" was written for the 1971 film Sacco & Vanzetti, which dramatizes the case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who, amid great controversy, were convicted in the case of a 1920 armed robbery in Massachusetts in which two people were murdered.

    The film, and the song, make the case that Sacco and Vanzetti were persecuted because they were poor, immigrants, and anarchists. Their case had long been in the history books, but by 1971 it was evoked as part of the American civil rights movement, which Baez supported whole-heartedly. Whether or not they committed the crime remains a topic of debate.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.