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.
Joy
Janis Ian Lyrics
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Fledglings on the wing
Fireflies that sing your name
I wish you flowers in the grass
Memories that last
Shelter from the passing rain
I wish you joy
I wish you joy
I hope the wind is at your back
Keeping you on track
That you never lack for love
I hope you walk beside your heart
Even in the dark
Guided by the stars above
I wish you love
I wish you love
I wish you love
So wherever you may roam
Out there on your own
Home is just a heart away
I wish you joy
I wish you joy
I wish you joy
The Janis Ian song "Joy" is a tender, heartfelt wish for someone's happiness, filled with vivid imagery and heartfelt blessings. The song is essentially a wish for the listener to experience moments of joy and love, while knowing that they are always just a heartbeat away from their heart and never far from a feeling of comfort and warmth. The song opens with the singer hoping for the arrival of springtime, with its welcoming and beautiful aspect of fresh blooms, birds newly hatched and taking flight and the chirping of fireflies, all meant to bring about a sense of beauty in the midst of life's challenges. Then, she extends these blessings yet further, wishing for the listener a happy life filled with memories that will endure and the ability to navigate life's twists and turns to ultimately find a sense of shelter from a storm.
In the chorus, the listener is encouraged to embrace joy as something to be experienced and wished for, not just for themselves, but for those they love as well. The second verse calls for an emphasis on embracing the love in our lives as a guiding light, even in the darkest of moments, and leans on the metaphor of stars above to provide the listener with direction in their journey. The song concludes with a simple yet powerful assurance that no matter where life takes the listener, home is always near with love and joy as the anchors of that sentiment.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish you roses in the spring
May you have a beautiful and colorful life, filled with beautiful moments that remind you of nature's beauty.
Fledglings on the wing
May you always see new beginnings and growth in life and around you.
Fireflies that sing your name
May you find happiness in small things and experiences that bring light and always light up your life.
I wish you flowers in the grass
May you always have beauty and inspiration around you even in the plainest of places.
Memories that last
May you have long-lasting cherished memories that remind you of the good times in life.
Shelter from the passing rain
May you always have a safe harbor, a place to go when life gets tough, where you feel loved and cared for.
I wish you joy
May you find true happiness, no matter the circumstance, and relish in the joys of life.
I hope the wind is at your back
May life always be in your favor and help support you along your journey.
Keeping you on track
May you have clear goals and direction in life, and the motivation to keep going forward.
That you never lack for love
May you always be surrounded by loved ones and find love in your heart.
I hope you walk beside your heart
May you always follow your heart and listen to your intuition, and trust that it will lead you to your true path.
Even in the dark
May you be fearless and confident in yourself in even the darkest of times.
Guided by the stars above
May you find guidance and direction from your own inner light and the light of the universe.
I wish you love
May you experience love that is pure, genuine, and unconditional.
So wherever you may roam
May you never feel lost or alone, no matter where your journey takes you.
Out there on your own
May you find the strength and independence to pursue your own path and explore your own possibilities.
Home is just a heart away
May you find comfort, warmth, and peace in the love and memories you carry with you wherever you go.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JANIS IAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind