Janis Ian was the daughter of a music teacher born in New York City in 1951. Influenced by aritists such as Odetta and Billie Holiday, she started writing music at age 12. At age 15 she legally emancipated herself from her parents, then wrote a song about interracial romance while waiting for her school counselor. Society’s Child was released three times between 1965 and 1967. The subject matter was a little too strong for some radio stations, but when conductor Leonard Bernstein discovered the song and put Ian on his television show, the world changed for both the singer and the song. Here’s Janis Ian, from 1967, and “Society’s Child.”
Come to my door, baby, face is clean and shining black as night
My mother went to answer, you know that you looked so fine
Now I could understand your tears and your shame
She called you "boy" instead of your name
When she wouldn't let you inside
When she turned and said, "but honey, he's not our kind"
She says I can't see you anymore, baby
Can't see you anymore
Walk me down to school, baby, everybody's acting deaf and blind
Until they turn and say, "Why don't you stick to your own kind?"
My teachers all laugh, their smirking stares
Cutting deep down in our affairs
Preachers of equality
Think they believe it, then why won't they just let us be?
They say I can't see you anymore, baby
Can't see you anymore
One of these days I'm gonna stop my listening, gonna raise my head up high
One of these days I'm gonna raise my glistening wings and fly
But that day will have to wait for a while
Baby, I'm only society's child
When we're older things may change
But for now this is the way they must remain
I say I can't see you anymore, baby
Can't see you anymore
No, I don't wanna see you anymore, baby…
Society's Child JANIS IAN (1967)