Time is sort of cruel. So is love. My eyes don't determine my answers, my heart does. Something this time period I'm stuck in doesn't care anything about. What I fell in love in your songs then is still as beautiful and powerful as they were then. Time is so cruel. The time period I am stuck in, I don't fit. I really didn't ever fit anytime. But I find a place within your songs that feels like home. A home I never was allowed to experience or know. Thank you Janis for your songs and the beautiful heart behind those words of your songs. Thank you
I was brought up in Maryhill in Glasgow, Scotland. A friend played a recording of her, whoaa opened my eyes, nearest person to her I heard was Melanie Safka whom I adored, at the time I was listening to Capt Beefheart... what a change for me.
She is absolutely stunning! what a beautiful young lady, with raw emotion, yes bravery and passion, raw talent and a powerful delivery of a great song.... Think I'm in love!
I remember sitting on the floor listening to Janis and singing along she was me or I was her, my favorite was In the winter, I still sit on the floor singing along at the top of my lungs!! Love you Janis!
I discovered Janis Ian on the radio in 1966 on WOR FM. I sent away for free tickets to the Stations 1 year Anniversary concert at the Village Theatre in Greenwich Village and won two free tickets. In addition to seeing the Blues Project, the Chambers Brothers, The Doors and Ritchie Havens, I sawJanis playing Society's Child, Pro Girl, and Lonely one, It is a song rarely played but never forgotten. I listen to all of her music but her first two albums have a special place in my teenage heart.
This is just beautiful. To see Janis singing a song that I have loved since 1968 is absolute magic. We were astounded that someone so young could write such powerful songs. and that voice! After her '70s success, following At 17, her earlier songs appeared forgotten and rarely if ever performed live. Thank you so much Kathleen Brogan.
I played guitar all through high school and on into Jr. Collage where I studied Music. I played with several people during that time in the San Francisco Bay Area. We were serious about what we were doing and thought we had a grip on what music was and meant. Then one night at a friends house Janis came on TV and sang At Seventeen.... Boy did I get schooled that night. Thanks for the Post. I have never seen these early performances. And Janis if you ever read these comments.. Thanks much!
I agree barry..lovely eyes, beautiful face, super talented. vastly underrated over the years. She looks good today too. She certainly has soul and and a good heart!
I was so lucky to have interviewed her on my national radio show. She sang "At Seventeen" in studio. It was a song I could identify with. But, looking at her, I only saw (and heard) beauty. It stunned me that we had shared such an experience of youth.
One of my favorites, and a real legend. I admire her as a person, I admire her craft and I love her music. This early video is a real treat... and that little self-conscious smile at the very beginning is so heart-kickingly adorable. I wonder who it was across the stage/studio who'd caught her eye and shared such a fun, sweet, playful little moment. So cute.
Such intensity for such a young age. Janis is certainly the real deal and she has stood the test of time. In fact I have listened to some of her later stuff recorded last year and recently and I have formed the view her voice has got better with age. Thank you Janis from the years of enjoyment I have had from your talent!!!
At seven has been my favorite song since I was ten years old and to this day I cry every time I hear it. It's the most touching, saddest, most beautiful song I ever heard.
Siempre he amado a Janis, sus canciones me transportan y me hacen sentir como parte de ellas, desde que estaba en la secundaria y escuche Stars, la busque para escuchar sus canciones, hoy gracias a la tecnologia estoy mas cerca de ella, estoy muy lejos de llegar a conocerla personalmente ya que vivo en Chile, si alguna se diera esa oportinidad sería una emoción inigualable, gracias janis por todo lo que has dado. I love you so much.
one of the best songwriters I know of, if not the best. Especially for her age when writing these songs. And I think she was pretty, but during that time, the long blonde hair, tan skin and blue eyes were in so I can see why ohers didnt think she was.
Crazy but she had seriously incredible features and waaaaay underappreciated good looks. But her insecurity at the subjection of shallow 17 year old males produced one heckuva songwriter. A girl across the street had a serious crush on me back in the mid 70's and I thought nothing of her, but when I look back now at her pictures I'm stunned at how gorgeous she was. Many people I'd bet think the same of Janis.
Just saw her last week . . . she is so funny and down to earth and a beautiful talent. When she performed 17 it was as if she just recorded it. It was exceptionally done.
52musicismylife. . . .you've got GREAT TASTE!. . . . .those where the best songs. I've still got the vinyl. . . .WITH Janis' Autograph on them. . . . I took all my albums with me when she performed in Berkely
How could anybody call her unattractive? Especially by Janis herself? She's so humble, honest, and a trailblazer. I feel her vibes along with the music, so mood shaking, & from the inside. Love her 'Spoken Word' album! & "Between the lines" of course.
what the hell was this seventeen year old girl thinking?! she is not from this world . this is not just a song..this is my life! i discovered this song 5 days ago..and i have been listening to it some 10 times every day. its my anthem! i think i owe my life to her now.
Janis spoke to a lot of lost teenagers who spent most of their time in their rooms, listening to music. I was one of them. For lots of teenagers, I doubt that there is/was much difference between the 1960's, 70's, 80's, 2010-zies, or even the 1920's or 30's. 'Lonely One' is a terrific creation. The proof of that is that it still speaks to people like you, Baishali Chetia. Thank you for your comment.
I suggest you give a listen to the rest of Janis's catalog. The woman writes amazing songs. Catch Janis live: You will count yourself fortunate, indeed. Peace
someone should mention that if she did look like a blonde barbie doll, no one would have listened to her sing, just stare at her face. you can't say she wasnt a success, she is.
I was born, On the other side of love, When love was truly wanted, It was a different time. Today, Love's turned to lust , And the music describes Crimes. What ever happened, From then to now, What destroyed the love I knew. I wasn't old enough To appreciate it then, Now, what am i supposed To do? Slowly but quickly, Love drifted away, Right before my eyes. I was mislead to believe, The lie, their disguise. With each year that passed away, I was blind, I couldn't see. Culture, trends, And what once was in, Took love away from me. Now it's no longer moments, Only memories, And loved ones dead and gone. And the ones that still Stick around, To them, i tightly hold on. As this world and time Mocks and laughs at me, I'm reminded of the day, That this world punished me, And took my love away.
@FLSHBK1 She was clearly depressed when she was younger. In one song (Mrs. McKenzie), she says, "You can't fix your mind when it's trapped in the twine of the psycho blues."
I agree wholeheartedly that Janis Ian was not only a lovely vocalist and songwriter, but a very attractive woman. "At 17" (a beautiful song) always puzzled me for this reason as well. I mean, I think she is gorgeous, and with such fantastic musical talent.
Not in 'the day'.... if you didn't look a certain way, even your own family would let you know about it. We've come a LONG way in regards to allowing diversity in beauty. Now if we can just get to the point where we accept everyone as beautiful and let go of the concept of ugliness altogether.
Veronica Sanner You bet. Well, for various reasons not necessarily related to "ugliness" I can very well relate to Janis Ian's "At 17" and it is full of emotional significance for me. I agree that social expectations and "norms" have created a lot of grief for both young men and women in American society, and still it continues today. The American "glamor girl" or "cover girl" idea is as far from my own conception of beauty as it could get. Someone with depth, sensitivity and intellect is more beautiful than a shallow, skin deep sex symbol; ditto with men.
Either she was singing mainly on behalf of the girls who really were suffering because of their 'looks', or the tyranny of beauty had her on the ropes as well, which these days seems ridiculous, but there it is. One of the truly unfair elements of society, the only difference now being a slightly wider spectrum of 'acceptability'. Brava to Janis for pointing that out so bravely.
Mo Bock yep...a great dialog/angle to make a name for oneself...sing it loud...sing it proud...sing it all the way to your bank account...love ya Janis
Robin Alexander i mean, i agree with the sentiment (and she is gorgeous) but sexy is probably not the word i would use. its a tad creepy just because she is a bit young. just sexy is a bit of a creepy word in this context
....just think, today we have Disney, pre-packaged boy bands etc. We have a lot of singers but what happened to the singer/song writer/performers like Janis? It's a different world........
The song "At Seventeen" was, according to her autobiography, inspired by an article about debutantes, which started with the title "I learned the truth at eighteen", but the word didn't scan as well as one with 3 syllables, so Janis changed it. On the other hand, the first time I met her she swore blindly that the song was completely taken from her own life and innermost emotions. Is anyone else as confused as me?!
The entire LP was pretty damned excellent, although I could've done without 'And I Did, Ma' - even though it injected a little levity into an otherwise deadly-serious musical program. After hearing it a couple of times, it became a drag to have to get up, go to the record player and move the needle to the next track to avoid certain 'death by slide-whistle'. ;)
her guitar's as big as she is, or is she just smaller than the guitar...hmmm...and the guitar has twice as many strings as a normal one, but she is the master musician of the magical, mystical sounds emanating from all around her to me. Wow! So much has changed since then. She reminds me a little of Sandy Denny.
You are 6 years older than me. I wish I would have been as old as you were then. I would have found you. What a waste :( { BTW you were absolutely gorgeous in your face & spirit !!! }
I write the music and I sing my song! Do you remember talent and voices before the machine that made a squeak acceptable to???? No auto-tune -- live voices!
Thanks for clarifying, Kathleen. Really enjoyed your video, in fact I enjoy any older footage of Janis because I didn't become aware of her until 1977... Any ideas as as to who/what Lonely One is about... I am spookily close to being the songs' subject... Long story, but I'm recently bereaved of my mum and a friends' cat has a very similar personality.... Etc...🐱So I was wondering who/what the song was about, and if it was someone I had heard of ... Etc??
Time is sort of cruel. So is love. My eyes don't determine my answers, my heart does.
Something this time period I'm stuck in doesn't care anything about. What I fell in love in your songs then is still as beautiful and powerful as they were then. Time is so cruel. The time period I am stuck in, I don't fit. I really didn't ever fit anytime. But I find a place within your songs that feels like home. A home I never was allowed to experience or know. Thank you Janis for your songs and the beautiful heart behind those words of your songs. Thank you
we that lived the 60's and 70's were the luckiest group to ever have lived on our Mother Earth
Linden Johnson , true. What a fantastic statement!
To be honest I love being gen z because i was born into a word where performances like this are only a click away
I love my era..born 1963❣️
Nope
I was brought up in Maryhill in Glasgow, Scotland. A friend played a recording of her, whoaa opened my eyes, nearest person to her I heard was Melanie Safka whom I adored, at the time I was listening to Capt Beefheart... what a change for me.
She is absolutely stunning! what a beautiful young lady, with raw emotion, yes bravery and passion, raw talent and a powerful delivery of a great song.... Think I'm in love!
I loved her first!! Fight me!! ❤
I remember sitting on the floor listening to Janis and singing along she was me or I was her, my favorite was In the winter, I still sit on the floor singing along at the top of my lungs!! Love you Janis!
What the? I was a teenager then, and I've never heard her before. Checking out her work... so nice to discover Janis. however late!
Her talent and look are awesome. But her voice, soulfulness really take me back to a meaningful era.
I discovered Janis Ian on the radio in 1966 on WOR FM. I sent away for free tickets to the Stations 1 year Anniversary concert at the Village Theatre in Greenwich Village and won two free tickets. In addition to seeing the Blues Project, the Chambers Brothers, The Doors and Ritchie Havens, I sawJanis playing Society's Child, Pro Girl, and Lonely one, It is a song rarely played but never forgotten. I listen to all of her music but her first two albums have a special place in my teenage heart.
Special place in mine as well. This was the first album I had by Janis Ian. It was so diverse and wonderful.
This is really good. She was born with an amazing gift.
This is just beautiful. To see Janis singing a song that I have loved since 1968 is absolute magic. We were astounded that someone so young could write such powerful songs. and that voice! After her '70s success, following At 17, her earlier songs appeared forgotten and rarely if ever performed live. Thank you so much Kathleen Brogan.
My pleasure!
I played guitar all through high school and on into Jr. Collage where I studied Music. I played with several people during that time in the San Francisco Bay Area. We were serious about what we were doing and thought we had a grip on what music was and meant. Then one night at a friends house Janis came on TV and sang At Seventeen.... Boy did I get schooled that night. Thanks for the Post. I have never seen these early performances. And Janis if you ever read these comments.. Thanks much!
1:09 The transition of the chords Fm - F# - Fm - G is just super, this moment is very much in the soul of the fuse😊
I agree barry..lovely eyes, beautiful face, super talented. vastly underrated over the years. She looks good today too. She certainly has soul and and a good heart!
Thanks soooooooo much for posting this absolutely fantastic video for sharing. I really appreciate.!!!!!
I was so lucky to have interviewed her on my national radio show. She sang "At Seventeen" in studio. It was a song I could identify with. But, looking at her, I only saw (and heard) beauty. It stunned me that we had shared such an experience of youth.
One of my favorites, and a real legend. I admire her as a person, I admire her craft and I love her music. This early video is a real treat... and that little self-conscious smile at the very beginning is so heart-kickingly adorable. I wonder who it was across the stage/studio who'd caught her eye and shared such a fun, sweet, playful little moment. So cute.
Such intensity for such a young age. Janis is certainly the real deal and she has stood the test of time. In fact I have listened to some of her later stuff recorded last year and recently and I have formed the view her voice has got better with age. Thank you Janis from the years of enjoyment I have had from your talent!!!
At seven has been my favorite song since I was ten years old and to this day I cry every time I hear it. It's the most touching, saddest, most beautiful song I ever heard.
Oh I love this song, hadn't heard it in so very long, she sounds so amazing!!!! What a star then and still now :))
What an incredible voice and only 17 at the time! What a great songwriter!
Thanks so much for posting this video....I had not seen it before.
What a beautiful woman!
I really love her voice at this age-- just great!!!
Back when she was still doing her Judy Collins, Baez thing [vocally]
Love her voice & music - Thank you Janis
I was 10 yrs old in 1968 and I totally agree with you. If I could go back and relive it, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Great song and such a great voice! Powerful and strong!
No body has ever come close to her genius! I have followed her careet just wish I could have seen her in concert.
She still tours, you know.
shes going to perform at the mauch chunk opera house in jim Thorpe Pennsylvania on October 17 !
m55sdn Yes, I heard that!
Great song, great voice!
Excellent young Talented Janis!
Amazing. Thank you so much for posting this. She's a national treasure. Who needs to wait till the party's over- I've always been in love with her!
This song was the single release from her album "For All The Seasons In Your Mind" in the Spring of 1968.
Beautiful young woman and magical voice.
An excellent song and artist.
Siempre he amado a Janis, sus canciones me transportan y me hacen sentir como parte de ellas, desde que estaba en la secundaria y escuche Stars, la busque para escuchar sus canciones, hoy gracias a la tecnologia estoy mas cerca de ella, estoy muy lejos de llegar a conocerla personalmente ya que vivo en Chile, si alguna se diera esa oportinidad sería una emoción inigualable, gracias janis por todo lo que has dado. I love you so much.
one of the best songwriters I know of, if not the best. Especially for her age when writing these songs. And I think she was pretty, but during that time, the long blonde hair, tan skin and blue eyes were in so I can see why ohers didnt think she was.
Crazy but she had seriously incredible features and waaaaay underappreciated good looks. But her insecurity at the subjection of shallow 17 year old males produced one heckuva songwriter. A girl across the street had a serious crush on me back in the mid 70's and I thought nothing of her, but when I look back now at her pictures I'm stunned at how gorgeous she was. Many people I'd bet think the same of Janis.
How have I never heard this before? ❤
few singers today have her powerful voice,keeping that high tone
Just saw her last week . . . she is so funny and down to earth and a beautiful talent. When she performed 17 it was as if she just recorded it. It was exceptionally done.
It's fantastic - thanks for posting! :)
Rare and beautiful. Thanks so much for posting!
What a doll !
I totally agree.
52musicismylife. . . .you've got GREAT TASTE!. . . . .those where the best songs. I've still got the vinyl. . . .WITH Janis' Autograph on them. . . . I took all my albums with me when she performed in Berkely
She's utterly mesmerizing.
My "NEW" fave folksong.
adore her then and now...
That girl could sure sing and she was an absolute knockout pretty.
bacsi19461,couldnt agree more. And what a songwriter, would loved to have seen her back then.Even cooler, shes still performing now. So talented!
こんな音源アップしてくれてありがとう！Happy!
Janisは歌うのが上手だね！
3年前にコメントしました。ジャニスイアン、好きです。ありがとうです。
Very glad you enjoyed it!
Kathleen
How could anybody call her unattractive? Especially by Janis herself? She's so humble, honest, and a trailblazer. I feel her vibes along with the music, so mood shaking, & from the inside. Love her 'Spoken Word' album! & "Between the lines" of course.
extremely under-rated artist.....an original
Beautiful.
what the hell was this seventeen year old girl thinking?! she is not from this world . this is not just a song..this is my life! i discovered this song 5 days ago..and i have been listening to it some 10 times every day. its my anthem! i think i owe my life to her now.
Janis spoke to a lot of lost teenagers who spent most of their time in their rooms, listening to music. I was one of them.
For lots of teenagers, I doubt that there is/was much difference between the 1960's, 70's, 80's, 2010-zies, or even the 1920's or 30's.
'Lonely One' is a terrific creation. The proof of that is that it still speaks to people like you, Baishali Chetia. Thank you for your comment.
Beautiful
Sometimes it's best to stand alone, rather than stand with the wrong person 💯, grace ✅
I suggest you give a listen to the rest of Janis's catalog. The woman writes amazing songs. Catch Janis live: You will count yourself fortunate, indeed.
Peace
I remember her on Jonny Carson, she turned him into stumbling complimentor (new word)...Bought the album next day,still have it...Thank you Miss Ian.
... absolutely stunning ...
someone should mention that if she did look like a blonde barbie doll, no one would have listened to her sing, just stare at her face. you can't say she wasnt a success, she is.
jade rozner like they did for Madonna...
so beautiful !
Such a beautiful girl. So talented.
This was the single release from "For All The Seasons Of Your Mind" in 1968.
I was born,
On the other side of love,
When love was truly wanted,
It was a different time.
Today,
Love's turned to lust ,
And the music describes
Crimes.
What ever happened,
From then to now,
What destroyed the love
I knew.
I wasn't old enough
To appreciate it then,
Now, what am i supposed
To do?
Slowly but quickly,
Love drifted away,
Right before my eyes.
I was mislead to believe,
The lie, their disguise.
With each year
that passed away,
I was blind,
I couldn't see.
Culture, trends,
And what once was in,
Took love away from me.
Now it's no longer moments,
Only memories,
And loved ones dead and gone.
And the ones that still
Stick around,
To them, i tightly hold on.
As this world and time
Mocks and laughs at me,
I'm reminded of the day,
That this world punished me,
And took my love away.
She is so talented and goddamn it she is so fucking gorgeous as well.
Her beauty is astonishing indeed. I need a picture of her from here so that I can enjoy her terrific looks all day long.
Janis Ian at 17.
Her singing style back then reminds me of Tim Buckley and Melanie.
couldn't of said it better , Ive always had a major crush on her,
russell banks, I cannot blame you for a minute.
a born natural gifted woman.
So accepted at 1st moment you hear her........
damn. this makes me cry so hard.
Are there any pop stars nowadays with at least 1/10 the talent of Janice Ian? 1/20? Hmmm..?
NO! Not a single one.
of course.
George David Herrera I don't think so.
Kitten Lyric who?
unclebobunclebob Name one.
Such a cutie! She can sure sing
I was JUST thinking, "I wonder who she was singing about in 'Seventeen,' because she is beautiful."
Quina veu més privilegiada la de la Janis... adorable en tots els sentits...
This lady is all kinds of awesome--still!
Awsome
@FLSHBK1 She was clearly depressed when she was younger. In one song (Mrs. McKenzie), she says, "You can't fix your mind when it's trapped in the twine of the psycho blues."
I do get my love from dogs and cats, it's great!!
She still is!
Excellent!
I agree wholeheartedly that Janis Ian was not only a lovely vocalist and songwriter, but a very attractive woman. "At 17" (a beautiful song) always puzzled me for this reason as well. I mean, I think she is gorgeous, and with such fantastic musical talent.
Not in 'the day'.... if you didn't look a certain way, even your own family would let you know about it. We've come a LONG way in regards to allowing diversity in beauty. Now if we can just get to the point where we accept everyone as beautiful and let go of the concept of ugliness altogether.
Veronica Sanner You bet. Well, for various reasons not necessarily related to "ugliness" I can very well relate to Janis Ian's "At 17" and it is full of emotional significance for me. I agree that social expectations and "norms" have created a lot of grief for both young men and women in American society, and still it continues today. The American "glamor girl" or "cover girl" idea is as far from my own conception of beauty as it could get. Someone with depth, sensitivity and intellect is more beautiful than a shallow, skin deep sex symbol; ditto with men.
Robert Phillips Amen to that.... Nothing is sexier than a great big intellect wrapped up in a kind, generous heart. Just... wow.
Either she was singing mainly on behalf of the girls who really were suffering because of their 'looks', or the tyranny of beauty had her on the ropes as well, which these days seems ridiculous, but there it is. One of the truly unfair elements of society, the only difference now being a slightly wider spectrum of 'acceptability'. Brava to Janis for pointing that out so bravely.
Mo Bock yep...a great dialog/angle to make a name for oneself...sing it loud...sing it proud...sing it all the way to your bank account...love ya Janis
absolutely right, . . .
She is so Alanis Morressetish! WOW! Magnificent!
xzyeee , or Lan is more like her...
Very sexy in her younger years.
How can you miss it, however the 60's a different perception of what was sexy.
Well beyond her time.
Genius talent !
Robin Alexander i mean, i agree with the sentiment (and she is gorgeous) but sexy is probably not the word i would use. its a tad creepy just because she is a bit young. just sexy is a bit of a creepy word in this context
Rudy, saying sexy about someone who's young doesn't have to be about anything "creepy." Most people understand limits.
She was 17 .. I also did "Friends Again" on another clip.
Glad you're enjoying the video!
Kathleen
JANICE IAN!!!!!
'And at the age of 17, my name was televised incorrectly'
....just think, today we have Disney, pre-packaged boy bands etc. We have a lot of singers but what happened to the singer/song writer/performers like Janis? It's a different world........
The song "At Seventeen" was, according to her autobiography, inspired by an article about debutantes, which started with the title "I learned the truth at eighteen", but the word didn't scan as well as one with 3 syllables, so Janis changed it. On the other hand, the first time I met her she swore blindly that the song was completely taken from her own life and innermost emotions. Is anyone else as confused as me?!
I think you can read an article and still equate it to your own life. I hope you like my video!
Songs come from a lot of different places, Rona. It's one of those mysteries in life that can never be completely explained.
I'll tell you whats BETTER than this song . . . .Queen Merka and Me!
The entire LP was pretty damned excellent, although I could've done without 'And I Did, Ma' - even though it injected a little levity into an otherwise deadly-serious musical program. After hearing it a couple of times, it became a drag to have to get up, go to the record player and move the needle to the next track to avoid certain 'death by slide-whistle'. ;)
her guitar's as big as she is, or is she just smaller than the guitar...hmmm...and the guitar has twice as many strings as a normal one, but she is the master musician of the magical, mystical sounds emanating from all around her to me. Wow! So much has changed since then. She reminds me a little of Sandy Denny.
You are 6 years older than me. I wish I would have been as old as you were then. I would have found you. What a waste :( { BTW you were absolutely gorgeous in your face & spirit !!! }
She's 7 years older than me. We must be close to the same age! Thanks for your kind words!
Shes pretty..very pretty.Where is she now.
Wow...such a prodigy, and such an old soul. Do you know how old she was here?
1968!!
I write the music and I sing my song! Do you remember talent and voices before the machine that made a squeak acceptable to???? No auto-tune -- live voices!
I've loved Janis Ian for many, many years. I am getting old so forgive this question; what song was the sequel to Society's Child?
nada.
Was this part of a TV show? It's fascinating to look back.
Thanks for clarifying, Kathleen. Really enjoyed your video, in fact I enjoy any older footage of Janis because I didn't become aware of her until 1977... Any ideas as as to who/what Lonely One is about... I am spookily close to being the songs' subject... Long story, but I'm recently bereaved of my mum and a friends' cat has a very similar personality.... Etc...🐱So I was wondering who/what the song was about, and if it was someone I had heard of ... Etc??
Rona Topaz Sorry, no idea!
Her father was threatened in the McCarthy era...She knew what America was/is at a young age.
Is is possible that you could upload "Paris in Your Eyes" - I can't seem to find it anywhere on youtube.
wowowoowowoWOWOOWOWOWOW
damn she was pretty
I was to young to remember, but there must have been some buzz at the time of her being some kind of female Dylan.
if i had the chance i would run up from the crowd and kiss that girl, good Lord