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.
Water Colors
Janis Ian Lyrics
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Watercolors of the past
He turned and said - You ask much of me
Then, when we'd made our peace,
We lay between the sheets
He turned and said, I set you free
Go on, be a hero, be a photograph
Christ, I hope they last
Longer than mine
Wider than the sky we measure time by
Go on, be a hero, I set you free
Your stagehand lovers have conquered me
They'll send you carnations,
While smiling faces look on and applaud
Go on, go on, go 'way from me
I said, do you wish me dead?
Lip service to books you've read
Articles on how to bed a bird in flight
You called it love, I called it greed
You say, you take what you want
I say, you get what you need
Go on, be a hero, be a man
Make your own destiny if you can
Go find a fence, locate a shell
And hide yourself
Go on, go to hell, go away from me
I need no charity
He said, come unto me
I am beauty
I am the light
Come unto me
Hold the darkness and stay the night
For I am wonder, I am the heart's delight
Tomorrow we'll fight
Come on come on, come near to me
Come be my fantasy
We'll talk it over again sometime
I'll send you some flowers
To change your mind,
But for tonight, turn out the light
Hold me
Come on, come on and set me free
Lend me your charity
The lyrics of Janis Ian's "Water Colors" reflect on a past relationship that was tumultuous and ultimately ended in heartbreak. The opening lines of "I remember photographs, watercolors of the past" set the tone of nostalgia, and perhaps even regret. The singer then addresses her former lover, who seems to be brushing off her emotions with the dismissive statement, "You ask much of me." Despite this initial resistance, they manage to find some form of reconciliation, but it is short-lived. As they lay "between the sheets," he tells her that he's "setting her free."
The song then takes a turn as the singer addresses her ex-lover directly, daring him to "be a hero, be a photograph." She seems to be urging him to move on from their relationship and create his own grand narrative, one that could even surpass her own. It's a complicated mix of jealousy and admiration, as she hopes that his new myths will "last longer than mine, wider than the sky we measure time by." However, the final verse is perhaps the most poignant, with the singer ultimately rejecting any offers of charity or reconciliation. Instead, she longs for him to "set me free," acknowledging that the relationship was ultimately one-sided and unfulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember photographs
My memories of the past are like a series of photographs that I can recall.
Watercolors of the past
The memories are not vivid or distinct, they are like watercolors, faded and blurred over time.
He turned and said - You ask much of me
When I demanded much from him, he felt overburdened and overwhelmed by my expectations.
Then, when we'd made our peace,
Eventually, after we had resolved our differences and reconciled, things became more peaceful between us.
We lay between the sheets
We shared an intimate time, probably in bed.
He turned and said, I set you free
He was willing to let go of me and set me free from the relationship, which allowed me to move on.
Go on, be a hero, be a photograph
Take risks, become someone worth admiring, someone who will be remembered and looked up to.
Make your own myths
Create your own stories and legends that will inspire others in the future.
Christ, I hope they last
I hope that the stories and myths that you make will endure for a long time.
Longer than mine
I hope that your accomplishments and creations will be remembered more than mine, and that they will outlast mine.
Wider than the sky we measure time by
I hope that your achievements will be more expansive and impressive than we can even imagine, and that they will transcend time itself.
Your stagehand lovers have conquered me
The people with whom you surround yourself have won me over, I admire them too.
They'll send you carnations,
They will praise and celebrate your success and give you gifts.
While smiling faces look on and applaud
Others will be watching your success and cheering you on with pride and happiness.
Go on, go on, go 'way from me
Leave me and continue on your journey to greatness without me holding you back.
I said, do you wish me dead?
I accused him of intentionally causing me harm or wishing ill upon me.
Lip service to books you've read
You spout intellectual ideas or philosophies that you've learned from books but don't truly believe or practice.
Articles on how to bed a bird in flight
You use manipulative tactics to seduce a woman who seems unattainable or out of reach.
You called it love, I called it greed
Your actions and intentions were selfish and driven by lust, not genuine love and affection.
You say, you take what you want
You admit that you prioritize your own desires and will do whatever it takes to fulfill them.
I say, you get what you need
I believe that in the end, you will only end up with what you truly need, not necessarily what you desire.
Go on, be a hero, be a man
Take charge of your life and become someone admirable and successful.
Make your own destiny if you can
You have the power to shape your own future and path in life, so take control and make it a good one.
Go find a fence, locate a shell
Go search for a place where you feel safe and secure, where you can retreat and be alone if you need to.
And hide yourself
Sometimes it's important to conceal yourself and protect yourself from harm or danger.
Go on, go to hell, go away from me
Leave me alone and go somewhere else, even if it's somewhere unpleasant or undesirable.
I need no charity
I don't want your help or your pity, I can take care of myself.
He said, come unto me
He invited me to come closer and be with him intimately.
I am beauty
He sees himself as a beautiful and attractive person.
I am the light
He sees himself as a source of enlightenment and illumination for others.
Hold the darkness and stay the night
Stay with him through the hard times and embrace the darkness together.
For I am wonder, I am the heart's delight
He believes that he is something truly special and wonderful, something that the heart finds delightful and joyous.
Tomorrow we'll fight
There may be challenges ahead, but we will face them together and fight to overcome them.
Come on come on, come near to me
Encouraging me to get closer and spend more time with him.
Come be my fantasy
He wants me to join him in a world of make-believe where we can escape from reality and enjoy each other's company.
We'll talk it over again sometime
Even if we don't agree on everything, we can still come back to each other and work things out in the future.
I'll send you some flowers
As a gesture of goodwill and apology, he will send me some flowers.
To change your mind,
He hopes that the flowers will have a positive effect on my mood and persuade me to change my perspective or opinion.
But for tonight, turn out the light
For now, let's enjoy the moment and forget about our previous disagreements or worries.
Hold me
The artist wants to be held and comforted.
Come on, come on and set me free
The artist wants to be liberated from their fears and anxieties and be able to live more freely.
Lend me your charity
The singer is asking for kindness and compassion from the other person.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JANIS IAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind