Posted on 19 February 2005 @ 22:03 in Janis Ian, Music
| In 1966, at the age of 15, Ian’s career exploded with the release of her controversial tale of teenage interracial love, “Society’s Child”. The self-penned song topped the charts and created a storm of controversy that featured Ian on The Tonight Show and in Life, Time and Newsweek. Her debut album, 1967′s Janis Ian, earned Ian the first of nine Grammy nominations.
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Publicity Photo – Courtesy Broadside Magazine
This publicity photo of a 15-year-old Janis with her prized Martin guitar was used in the original promotion campaign for “Society’s Child” back in 1966. |
Lyrics:
Society’s Child
(Janis Ian)
Come to my door, baby
Face is clean and shining black as night
My mother went to answer
You know that you looked so fine
Now I could understand the tears & the shame
She called you boy instead of your name
When she wouldn’t let you inside
When she turned and said
“But honey, he’s not our kind”
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She says I can’t see you any more, baby
Can’t see you any more
Walk me down to school, baby
Everybody’s acting deaf and blind
Until they turn and say
“Why don’t you stick to your own kind”
My teachers all laugh, their smirking stares
Cutting deep down in our affairs
Preachers of equality
Think they believe it
Then why won’t they just let us be?
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They say I can’t see you any more baby
Can’t see you any more
One of these days I’m gonna stop my listening
Gonna raise my head up high
One of these days I’m gonna raise up
My glistening wings and fly
But that day will have to wait for a while
Baby, I’m only society’s child
When we’re older, things may change
But for now this is the way they must remain
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I say I can’t see you any more, baby
Can’t see you anymore.
No, I don’t want to see you any more
Baby
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Bio excerpt, picture and lyrics from Official Janis Ian Web Site
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