Diamonds and Rust

“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.  (More from Wikipedia)