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.
Passion Play
Janis Ian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though some say she hailed from the South
He tried to believe but each time she would leave
With the venom that dripped from her mouth
Like some angel of old
Bent on saving the soul
Drugged to the knees he would pray
To some rude Russian icon
And blinded the sun, night, and day
He'd say
Please bring me peace
You say you'll stay
Just to leave me whole
All of my soul your passion play
Though she lies to amuse
She lies to confuse
Passion with vision and pain
He lies for possession and time
Though there's no time to gain
Squandering feeling
Constantly stealing away
From the sound of her name
Is like thunder and lightning
Hiding the sound of the rain
And he'd say
[Chorus:]
So he searches for truth
In the beauty that once was her name
Senselessly trusting in time to remind her
Blind, she came
Suddenly rootless
Fashionably useless
Magically fruitless and time
Like some Sunday scholar
Who lives off the squalor
Of yesterday's knowledge and fame
And he'd say
[Chorus:]
Well some overdose
And some wrap like a rose
'Round the slick perfumed nose
Of high noon
Burning their lips
As they stoop low to kiss
Some rich man's excuse for the moon
I must have been lucky --
Got out with my body intact
And tomorrow in tune
But it's this sense of time
That wraps like a vine
'Round the neck of the sun and the moon
[Chorus:]
The song "Passion Play" by Janis Ian is a complex reflection on the tumultuous nature of love and relationships. The lyrics depict a rocky romance between two individuals of contrasting personalities, with the woman hailing from either Dakota or the South, and the man struggling to believe in her due to her tendency to leave and speak venomously. The man is implied to be deeply devoted, praying to a Russian icon for peace amidst the chaos. However, both parties are shown to be lying to themselves and each other, confusing passion with vision, and squandering their feelings. The man is described as searching for truth in the beauty of her name, but she is blind and rootless, ultimately leading to his feelings of being fashionably useless and magically fruitless. The lyrics speak to the destructive power of love and the challenges of holding onto one's sense of self within a relationship.
One interesting fact about "Passion Play" is that it was released in 1975 on Janis Ian's album "Between the Lines" and received critical acclaim for its haunting lyrics and unique instrumentation. Another interesting fact is that the song was covered by the Australian recording artist Marcia Hines in 1976 and went on to achieve commercial success within the country, reaching the top 10 on the Australian charts. Additionally, Janis Ian was only 23 years old when she wrote and recorded this song, showcasing her incredible talent as a songwriter and musician at a young age. "Passion Play" has been noted for its poetic and literary qualities, with allusions to Russian icons as well as thunder, lightning, and rain. The line "Magically fruitless and time" has been interpreted as a commentary on the ephemeral nature of relationships and the futility of trying to hold onto something that is inherently fleeting.
In terms of musical chords, the key of "Passion Play" is Bb Major, and the chords used in the song are as follows: Bb, Bb/C, Bb/D, Bb/Eb, Eb, Gm, F, Cm, and Ab. The song features a slow, melancholy melody and uses both acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a haunting sound that matches the weighty subject matter of the lyrics. Overall, "Passion Play" is a masterful example of Janis Ian's skill as a songwriter and her ability to create powerful, thought-provoking music that speaks to the complexities of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
She came from Dakota
She came from a place of simplicity and natural beauty
Though some say she hailed from the South
Although some people think she comes from a place of warmth and hospitality
He tried to believe but each time she would leave
Despite his efforts, she always left him
With the venom that dripped from her mouth
With her hurtful words and actions
Like some angel of old
Like a divine being from ancient times
Bent on saving the soul
Determined to help him find his inner peace
Drugged to the knees he would pray
Feeling overwhelmed, he had to rely on substance and prayer to cope
To some rude Russian icon that twined like a python
He found solace in a religious symbol that seemed to suffocate him with its complexity
And blinded the sun, night, and day
His devotion to this symbol consumed his perception of time and reality
Please bring me peace
He pleads for inner calmness
You say you'll stay
He hopes that she will remain with him
Just to leave me whole
To offer him a sense of completeness before breaking his heart again
All of my soul your passion play
She takes advantage of his vulnerability and emotions to fulfill her own desires and goals
Though she lies to amuse
She tells lies for the sake of entertainment
She lies to confuse
Her lies create misunderstanding and discord
Passion with vision and pain
Her intense feelings of love and obsession cloud her judgment
He lies for possession and time
He is willing to deceive and manipulate others in order to obtain control and influence
Though there's no time to gain
Despite his efforts, he cannot change the inevitable passage of time
Squandering feeling
Wasting his emotional energy on an unattainable goal
Constantly stealing away
Continually removing himself from the painful situation
From the sound of her name
Avoiding any reminder of her presence
Is like thunder and lightning
It brings him immense pain and discomfort
Hiding the sound of the rain
Masking his tears and sorrow
So he searches for truth
He seeks genuine understanding and enlightenment
In the beauty that once was her name
In what used to attract him to her
Senselessly trusting in time to remind her
Believing that time will make her realize his worth and come back to him
Blind, she came
She returned to him without understanding the depth of his feelings
Suddenly rootless
Feeling unanchored and without direction
Fashionably useless
Appearing stylish but ultimately unimportant
Magically fruitless and time
An illusion of productivity and progress, but ultimately achieving nothing
Like some Sunday scholar
Like someone who only casually learns and doesn't truly understand
Who lives off the squalor
Who thrives on the messiness of life and the misfortunes of others
Of yesterday's knowledge and fame
Of outdated information and past achievements
Well some overdose
Some people take too much
And some wrap like a rose
And some try to cover up their flaws like a flower
'Round the slick perfumed nose
Around their deceptive, scented face
Of high noon
Under the harsh, bright light of the sun
Burning their lips
Damaging themselves with constant false talk
As they stoop low to kiss
As they lower themselves for the sake of others' approval
Some rich man's excuse for the moon
Pretending to have a reason for their actions, but really just mimicking others
I must have been lucky --
Reflecting on his good fortune
Got out with my body intact
Escaping without serious harm
And tomorrow in tune
Ready for whatever the future brings
But it's this sense of time
But it's the way time operates
That wraps like a vine
That seems to twist and turn like a plant
'Round the neck of the sun and the moon
Around the essential components of existence
Please bring me peace
Once again appealing for tranquility and calmness
You say you'll stay
Still hoping for her loyalty
Just to leave me whole
Only to shatter him once again
All of my soul your passion play
She continues to use him for her own entertainment and pleasure
Contributed by Jake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.