Janis Ian (b. 1951) is a U.S. songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and … Read Full Bio ↴Janis Ian (b. 1951) is a U.S. songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Her singing career was at its height in the 1960s and 1970s, and she has continued recording into the twenty-first century. In 1975 Ian won a Grammy Award for her song, "At Seventeen".

Born Janis Eddy Fink on 7th April 1951 to a Jewish family in New York City, she was primarily raised in New Jersey, initially on a farm, and attended East Orange High School and the New York City High School of Music & Art. Her parents, Victor (a music teacher) and Pearl, ran a summer camp in upstate New York, and, in that Cold War era, were frequently under government surveillance because of their left-wing politics. (Ian alluded to these years later in her song "God and the FBI"). Young Janis admired the work of folk pioneers such as Joan Baez and Odetta. At the age of twelve, Ian wrote her first song, "Hair of Spun Gold", which was subsequently published in the folk publication Broadside and was later recorded for her debut album.

At the age of thirteen she legally changed her name to Janis Ian, using as her new last name her brother Eric's middle name. Also in that year, Ian wrote and sang her first hit single, "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", about an interracial romance forbidden by a girl's mother and frowned upon by her peers and teachers; the girl ultimately decides to end the relationship, claiming the social norms of the day have left her no other choice. Produced by George "Shadow" Morton and released three times between 1965 and 1967, "Society's Child" finally became a national hit on its third release, after Leonard Bernstein featured it in a television special: Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. The song's content was taboo for some radio stations, and they withdrew or banned it from their playlists; in her 2008 autobiography Society's Child, Ian recalls receiving hate mail and death threats as a response to the song, and mentions that a radio station in Atlanta that played it was burned down. In the summer of 1967, "Society's Child" reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her most successful single in the United States was "At Seventeen", released in 1975, a bittersweet commentary on adolescent cruelty, the illusion of popularity, and teenage angst, as reflected upon from the perspective of a twenty-four-year-old. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. It won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female. The song's album, Between the Lines, reached number one on Billboard's Album chart. It was quickly certified gold, and later earned a platinum certification for sales of over a million copies sold in the U.S.

Ian finally became one of the first "indie artists", resurfacing in 1993, with the worldwide release of Breaking Silence and its title song about incest. She also came out as a lesbian with that release. Her most recent album, Folk Is the New Black, was released in 2006; it is the first in over twenty years for which she did all the songwriting herself.

Emmanuel
Janis Ian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
A child is born
A child is born
Sing glory unto God on high

Joy to all the world this night
And to all people, peace
And to all people, peace

Remember Him, oh little star
Remember Him and shine
Around the world
In every heart
On this holy night
Lead us to His light

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
A child is born
A child is born
Sing glory unto God on high
Joy to all the world this night
And to all people, peace
And to all people, peace

Remember Him, the angels sing
And do not be afraid
Into this world
Good news we bring
Love has overcome
Behold a Son

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
A child is born
A child is born
Sing glory unto God on high
Joy to all the world this night
And to all people, peace
And to all people, peace

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
A child is born
A child is born
Sing glory unto God on high
Joy to all the world this night

And to all people, peace
And to all people, peace

Overall Meaning

The song "Emmanuel" by Janis Ian is a beautiful Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The song starts with the repetition of the name Emmanuel, which means "God is with us" and is a reference to one of the prophecies in the book of Isaiah. The second line confirms that a child is born, referring to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The chorus then invites all to sing glory to God on high, as the birth of Jesus is a reason to celebrate and rejoice.

The second verse of the song encourages the little star to remember the birth of Jesus and to shine its light around the world, in every heart. The image of the star is a reference to the star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to the place where Jesus was born. The verse ends with a plea to be led to Jesus' light, asking for his guidance on this holy night. The third verse talks about the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and bringing good news of love overcoming fear. The verse ends with the announcement of the birth of a son, a reference to Jesus.

Overall, "Emmanuel" is a beautiful and uplifting song that encourages us to celebrate the birth of Jesus, remember his message of love, and be guided by his light.

Line by Line Meaning

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
This song is dedicated to Emmanuel, whose birth is being celebrated

A child is born
Emmanuel has just been born, bringing hope and joy to the world

Sing glory unto God on high
Let us celebrate this momentous occasion by singing praises to God

Joy to all the world this night
This is a joyful night for the entire world, as Emmanuel's birth brings hope and happiness

And to all people, peace
Emmanuel's birth represents a time of peace and tranquility for all people

Remember Him, oh little star
Even the smallest and seemingly insignificant things should remember and celebrate Emmanuel's birth

Remember Him and shine
Let us all remember Emmanuel and let his light shine in our hearts

Around the world
Emmanuel's birth is a global event that affects everyone

In every heart
Emmanuel's message of hope and love should resonate in every person's heart

On this holy night
This is a sacred and special night where Emmanuel's birth should be remembered and celebrated

Lead us to His light
May Emmanuel's light guide us on our own paths in life

Remember Him, the angels sing
The angels join in the celebration of Emmanuel's birth and remind us to do the same

And do not be afraid
Emmanuel has come to bring love and hope, there is no need to be afraid

Into this world
Emmanuel has come to make a difference in the world

Good news we bring
Emmanuel's birth is good news for all people

Love has overcome
Emmanuel's love has conquered all darkness and negativity

Behold a Son
Emmanuel is a precious and beloved son, who brings hope and love to the world

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
This song continues to celebrate Emmanuel and his birth

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JANIS IAN, RHONDA KYE FLEMING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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