我考上大學那一年，民歌手 Joan Baez 發行了一張專輯 《Diamonds and rust》，以錄音帶中最標誌性的那一首為名。我一向不知流行為何物，在那個年紀也沒些閒錢；若真有錢體己，大概也多是買書。所以這首歌要到很多年後才開始入心。倒是緣份呢，早就結下了。
多年後發現，原來唸初中時教會學校時神父用來教唱的歌 《We shall overcome》、《Five hundred miles》、《Donna, Donna》、《Where have all the flowers gone》等，全是她唱的唱片。她的歌聲特殊，無可言喻，歷來無雙，以文字擬聲不如以耳親聽。而那年一起考進大學的一個女同學後來發行了一張專輯，其中也有 Diamonds and rust 這首歌，後來先是因為聽了這位同學的歌燙貼肺腑，因而溯源向Joan Baez的原創、原唱。這一切枝節因緣竟只是要成就我對情愛的初識。
Joan Baez 早年與Bob Dylan 有一段情，這事她的歌迷算是盡人皆知。在Youtube 中《Diamonds and rust》 MTV的觀衆留言論及Bob Dylan，幾乎千篇一律的像《倚天屠龍記》女性讀者評價張無忌的負心，又好比讀《今生今世》對於胡蘭成的咬牙切齒。總之，沒人肯替他緩頰一二。
這首歌是她與Bob Dylan分手四、五年後自己的原創作品。Joan Baez一向擅於詮釋他人的作品，這首卻是她對於仍然滯在感情抒發的原創。每次聽到她唱到“Yes I love you dearly” 時的仍然情真意摯，心中不免一次次酸楚。另一段
“The Madonna was yours for free. Yes the
girl on the half-shell would keep you unharmed.” 此段與她平常的唱腔迥異，聲音輕快空靈，但是聽來也是蹂躪心腸，怎麼會有這般的癡情與自獻！
以前讀小説總是不愛讀作者年紀不如自己的，說是小說是人生的經歷，靠歲月的積累，積累薄自然無法厚發；這首歌讓我徹底改變了想法。
她自己説：「年歲帶走了我的髙音，卻給了我智慧。」也曾經聽 Joan Baez 年歲較大時唱這首歌，但是聽不到智慧帶來的心智澄明與洞鑑，感覺只是像李商隱的詩：「此情可待成追憶，只是當時已惘然」，歌聲中沒有感情繾綣的餘溫，方知情愛只有在當時感覺最貼、最透。年紀再大，回不去了，也再無深處可行去。愛情呀，在當時就達到人生的顛峯。
《Diamonds and rust》歌詞如下：
Well I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the Midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwatched phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed
Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there
Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid
歌詞中説Bob Dylan 講她 “My poetry was lousy, you said.” 你看像嗎？
但我對Bob Dylan 也許可以說上一兩句。以前看過一部法國片 “Tres
beau pour toi”，講一個男子的妻子聰明、美麗、賢慧，好處說不盡，這男子卻與他其貌甚為不揚的秘書幽會去了，所以法文片名才叫“對你太美麗”，這種心情我也許了解。人的相處貴自在，如果要日夜戮力以赴才能勉強比肩齊步，太累了。胡蘭成如是，Bob Dylan 亦如是。心性孱弱的男性，配不得慧質蘭心。
