Her voice is liquid gold, and she writes for and from the soul. Brother, I'm begging, PLEASE tell me that you're going to listen to her song, Society's Child. It written & recorded by her in 1965, and was released in 1966. Think about where we were in history, civil rights, and most importantly Loving v. Virginia.
Nearly fifty years later, and I still cry when I hear this song. So much time gone by, but that sad girl is still there inside me, crying alone in her bedroom. On the outside, I was defiant, declaring that I didn't care, but that was just a way to pretend I was strong. To this day, that pain is still there. Thanks for the reaction, Jamel - I can always count on you for your kind outlook and encouragement. :)
Janis Ian has a very active FB page. She does the posts, it's not a fan page by someone else. Janis just celebrated her 70th birthday. Time flies by so quickly from when we were 17.
@@ChrisB-xm3mg YES! She posted on JayveeTV's reaction that her eyes were closed for much of the song because she was afraid that people would be laughing at her and she didn't want to see it. I love her and her fb page is SO funny!!
@@carolyncappitelli1460 She posted on Sincerely KSO's reaction too. And I love her Facebook page. She periodically posts "Conversations with my wife" and it's absolutely hilarious.
Same. But here's the irony: I was one of the pretty girls, and other girls hated me just on sight. It kind of broke me a little. I spent the 7th grade hardly ever washing my hair, wearing it greasy under a bandana. The bullying and ostracization was so bad, I took summer school between every grade so that I could accumulate enough credits to graduate after my junior year, skipping my senior year entirely. I simply couldn't get out of that toxic environment fast enough. Here's to Janis Ian for making all of us feel special no matter our appearance. 👍🏽
I am a 65 year old straight man, and this song is the story of my life. I have spent all but about 4 years alone. That is not some cry for sympathy. It is what it is. Simple reality for more people than you care to think about or acknowledge. We are the invisible ones.
@Steve Nobody...perhaps your screen name hints at the issue; you are Not "nobody", but if you unwittingly project that image of yourself, then how are others to see what lies below the surface? Our sense of self worth ought not be based on anyone elses' standard; if you are so inclined, involve yourself in activities that benefit others: there is much need right now, and once you realize that what you have to offer can help another, the face you show the world will be a thing of beauty. Peace.
Steve, I'm 47, straight, and have a physical disability and use a wheelchair. I hear you, man. I've spent most of my life single, *and not* by choice. I am in a relationship now, with a woman whom I have been friends with for almost twenty years. She has the same disability and also uses a wheelchair. I've dated non-disabled women too, at times, but only a few were willing to give me a chance.
@@trismaccarran9950 I appreciate the sentiment; but I'm afraid you are way off the mark when it comes to my name. It is to denote that I am merely one of 7 billion other humans on planet Earth. Too many people are driven by a false belief in their own greatness (it's called ego). I am very secure with my place in the world. While, as I say, I appreciate the sentiment; please save the pop psychology and new age platitudes for where they belong; in the "spiritual" section of the book shop to be bought by latte sipping middle class people who think it is traumatic to get a papercut. You have no idea. Thank you.
Man, this song goes straight to those dark secluded parts of the heart. I remember identifying with this song when I was very young and in those preteen years. I was a short blonde introvert from a big family with plenty of hand me downs and not enough money. Never quite fit in but not always excluded. It was a weird self conscious balance on the cusp. This song touches that weirdness immediately.
You have to do her song "Society's Child" about an interracial relationship.It was written when she was only 15 years old.It was very controversial at the time.😢🌴
I was seventeen when this came, I'm a guy and felt all that she sang, I got over it, sad thing is now I have a 12 year old Grandson going through the same thing, it's harder now then back then. I'll show him this reaction, I believe your words will help. Thanks.
That's awful. 😢 Your lovely grandson will prevail and shine. At 12, it's just unspeakably cruel. I'm glad he can tell you. It is harder now I agree. At least we didn't have to contend with social media back then.
A lot of us have been there. But there are people out there who will appreciate you for your true self. Surround yourself with them, and you'll never be alone, or forget your worth.
I was also 17 when this came out. Felt kind of good to be validated and know I wasn't alone. And I can not imagine how bad this crap hits now, with social media. Glad I went through it back in the good ol' days.
I met Janis Ian when I was around 12 years old in 1978. I went to her house with my dad who was doing tile work for her when she still lived here in L.A., in the Hancock Park area of town, a few blocks from the Mayor's Mansion. Talk about a very down to earth person. We drove to Glendale together in her Audi, to pick up some tile so my dad wouldn't have to stop working. You should have seen the employees at the tile store who were star struck, and jealous of me because I got to ride around town with Janis Ian, lol.
@@elysehfm8797 Wouldn't that be something if Janis saw my comment, and remembered me, and left me a comment? I'm sure she'd remember that cute 12 year old kid who gave her directions to the tile store we drove to. Or maybe I was 11, lol?
@@elysehfm8797 I've always figured RUclips takes up enough of my time, so I've never opened a FB account. Too bad your FB comments keep disappearing . . . I wonder why.
My older sister, biracial and attending high school in a rural and hateful Michigan town in the 70s, LOVED this song. She died in 2017, at age 64, still feeling the effects of decades of rejection-despite being an absolutely beautiful woman. This brought tears, as it always does.
true but we are so used to looking at the brightest wrapping and the shinniest bow, sadly most people won;t look at someone in a plane brown wrapper and think there is something valuable there once wrote a poem that dealt with that
Such a negative sentiment though - putting someone else down just as a way to "equalize" them. Never once in the song does she say she was picked on or put down by the cute people. It's just a song about not fitting in and feeling left out because of your looks or who you are. To point out other people's potential ugliness via a t-shirt slogan, as a way to drag them down, is ugliness itself.
Jamal there is a live version of her first hit Society’s Child! She is introduced by the great music conductor and writer of the Broadway musical West Side Story Leonard Bernstein! I think from 1966! Janis was 15 when she wrote the song! It is a incredible video and even more incredible song!
A guitar, a beautiful voice, a true artist bares her soul to the world and what a glorious magnificent moment it was. People are like stained glass windows, they shine beautiful in the sunlight. But their true beauty is only revealed when the darkness sets in, if there is a light from within. Janis Ian showed her true beauty in this song and what a radiant beauty it is.
I have two beautiful daughters that, like everyone else that has gone to school, were picked on by bullies telling them how they looked "stupid" or "weird" or worse (I'm not going to list the really bad ones 'cause we all know what they are). When they came to me at the end of the day, I always had them look in the mirror and tell me what they saw wrong with what they saw. Anything they might mention, I told them how beautiful that specific thing made them. When they calmed down and the tears were wiped away, I always reminded them, "There are a lot of different kinds of people that make up the world. All of them have good and bad. Some of the bad is worse in some than in the others. I'm blessed that I have two girls that don't have to make others cry to make themselves feel empowered (that last word we had to look up the first few times. lol)". Over time They learned and, after a while, they stopped crying after school. When I questioned them one day about the specific bully, they told me she was still doing what she always did but they and their friends would just let her do her thing while she walked behind them to their classes and talk about how sad she was when they got home. I've never been so proud.
This song always brings tears to my eyes. This was me at 17. Can't say I have ever completely gotten the self-esteem I certainly didn't have then. But, I have tried to instill in my granddaughter that her looks are not the part of her that is most beautiful. Thank you for this insightful reaction. You're the best.
Rebecca, this song was "my song" too, along with so many other shy, awkward, different young men and women. Growing older, those insecurities and lacking self-belief got replaced by strength and confidence. Hope the same happened to you! Hugs
Kids can be cruel.....unfortunately, most of them learn it from their parents. To everyone out their who ever felt this song was about them....you are beautiful ☮️❤️🙏🏻🌎🌏🌍
@@Serai3 Young people who think they are ugly ducklings are often led to that conclusion by the people around them. You and I might not be able to see it. It's usually code for, "You'll never be on a glamor magazine cover."
@@sinenominecc The reason Janis used the phrase is because when she wrote the song, everyone knew what it meant. Because people used to read back then, and Danny Kaye's Hans Christian Andersen movie was still common coin. (Kids knew that movie because it was often played on after-school TV programming.) NOW kids might not know what it means, but in the 70's, everyone knew that "ugly duckling" meant someone who would blossom later. Don't assume that because people are ignorant of something now, they were always ignorant of it.
I'm not ashamed to say that, as a young man, this felt just as real to me. If you're on the outside, for whatever reason, you can be lost and forgotten. I don't think it will ever lose its punch.
"WAKE UP AMERICA" to what? --- To the fact that life isn't always perfectly fair? ------ Janice Ian could right songs, and I couldn't. ..... That's just not fair, right.
@@jeffreiland7463 I was talking about what he was saying before he got into the song about everyone getting along,peace,love one another. Accept people for who they are not what they have or what they look like.I wasn't referring to the song, that is one of the greatest songs ever.WAKE UP AMERICA is my way to say,people need to get to know each other before judging .
I was born with Cerebral Palsy, and I use a wheelchair in my everyday life. From a very young age, I loved music and other forms of art, and I was never really a sports fan. All of this was so socially difficult for a young man, growing up in a tiny Alabama town, where football was treated like a commonly-shared religion, and men who openly loved the arts were seen as quite strange. The words of this song were my life back then.
This is really a song about herself in high School. She wasn't one of the pretty girls "ugly Duckling", that she sings about in the song. It's very sad. All of the fat, or unattractive girls can relate to this. Staying home alone on Friday and Saturday nights, missing out on the Dances, and Proms and all of those things.
I was lucky. I found a group of friends and we did our own thing. We were in that group that were too cool for the nerds, too nerdy for the cool kids, and too plain for the beautiful people.
Lot of us out here...listening to this with glistening eyes...as we think back on our high school days...and how this hits a bit too close to home. Bless you Janis.
Such a beautiful woman 😍😁. I remember the first time I heard her sing this song. I know just how she felt. Been there done that. I have been in love with her since. Sing on sweet lady, be safe and take care of yourself. Love, Mike from S.C.
Years ago I saw her in concert. She was AWESOME! She closed the show playing Whole Lotta Love, and the place went crazy - standing ovation! Jamel, check out her song “Society’s Child”.
What a song .So true for so many,then and now. Believe me,those who make fun of others and the bullies are that way, because they have their own problems and insecurities.
I didn't go to my prom either...I sat on the trash cans in our front yard crying - my boyfriend took another girl who could afford the dress & shoes & hairdoo. Ahhhh, Jamel. Another good one
My brother was murdered a month ago. Helping my mom go through his things, I found a box labeled “Jan’s records.” I had to stop and cry before I could open it. He’d been collecting records for me for years, and I had no idea. They were so illustrative of how much he knew about his little sister, and revealed a lot about him that he knew I knew, like he wanted to educate me through music and comedy. He and I were both freaks/geeks growing up, and he is one of my heroes for surviving as a gay kid in a small farming town in the ‘70s & 80s, then finding his real home. What I was going to say: I found a Janis Ian album in that box. Damn, he was the best big brother. Thanks for helping me have warm thoughts of him. I’m headed up again Friday, and these moments of good feeling count. ✌🏼💜 & 🎶, J
That's so terrible. But what you found in that box was what you already knew; he loved you just as much as you loved him - if not more. Remember the important things & one of them is: - just because someone is gone from this world doesn't mean the relationship is gone. He will always be your brave & beautiful brother.
One of my all-time favorite songs from my youth. Thank you for showcasing it. This whole album is really special. Since you enjoyed this, I think you'll also really like Carly Simon's "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be."
Every 15 to 17yr old girl goes thru this I know I did. Girls from a young age are held to such a high standard to be pretty, to be thin, to look like the models. When you're that young nobody is telling you that you're pretty or that you're great the way you are. Dad's pay attention because girls need someone to tell them and give them that confidence.
For sure! The teen years are difficult to navigate no matter who you are. It is a necessary part of getting older & trying to figure out who you are & what is your place in the world. Hell, I am in my 60's & I am still a work in progress! 😂
I have one child, a son, who, like me, was not a jock, and unlike me in high school, has always been a little bit heavier than average. I don't think he was bullied as much as I was, probably because he was stocky, but it happened. I always encouraged his academic excellence. He is now a high school biology teacher and is in a committed relationship.
As a retired jock who spent 30 years on the air playing great music in the San Diego area, I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for keeping great music alive. Your genuine reactions show that you are a deep dude with a beautiful heart and soul. Keep it going, Jamel! And God bless you. Peace.
Jamal, you are such a sweet soul to reach out to comfort and encourage those who are experiencing and living the words in this poignant song. I guess anyone can review music but not everyone has your ability to emotionally touch your viewers the way you do. I was so moved by your wise words to those suffering from feeling alone, unattractive and undesirable. There is no doubt you have helped many who watched this video reclaim some self esteem. It is lovely to see you use your platform to spread love and kindness.
A beautiful song, by a beautiful woman, played on a wonderful Martin guitar. And broadcast on one of the best music programmes EVER on any TV network! Ah! Happy Hippy Schooldays, when we were free, invincible, and love ruled our lives. WTF happened?
I always followed the melody of songs and didn't pay attention so much to the lyrics, until I listened to this song. Incredible musically and lyrically.
Reminds me of those awkward teenage years. By seeing so much love for the song over the decades, it occurred to me that I wasn't as alone as I thought I was 💜
I love that -- "just because you're cute, doesn't mean your not ugly". And the opposite, someone may not be attractive but once you know them, they are beautiful!
Miss Janis is three years older than I and I've always loved her and her stuff. Thanks for the reaction and thanks for bringing Janis Ian to the attention of a new generation of fans. (She still tours and has a Facebook presence)
Society's child is a must listen. It is so beautiful and she is still such an amazing soul. She and Carole King are the goddesses of mine for my childhood and teen years. Thank God they were around for a lot of us girls.
I was 17 when this was a hit record. This song goes deep for both men and women. Twenty years later, I met Janis Ian after a performance in Atlanta and told her. She said, initially she thought no one would relate to the song and couldn’t believe the universal reaction to the record, which she said, was what a songwriter strives for in their career with a lyric. And Ms.Ian is a beautiful person inside and out.
I was a band nerd, trombone player, LoL did six more years at college level. Always hated after the football games when the cheerleaders went home with the football players. After I started my rock band, suddenly All the football players and cheerleaders wanted to come to my parties!!! LoL 😆 seriously, I think everyone feels this at some level, I know I did, awesome reaction, thank you!!! 😃
was 17 in 1983. Never heard this song until 2 years ago when a friend suggested I try to sing it for karaoke. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to sing it. This was exactly how I felt back then. Brings me to tears every time I hear it.
I was 12 or 13 when this song came out so it’s message escaped me. Saw an old episode of SNL a couple years ago and cried through the whole song because it was ME. Janis is a national treasure.
You are a deep beautiful brother!! May the universe provide you with everything you can need and want! Thanks for this!!! I feel exactly what you are saying and beyond .
Her voice and feeling behind it give me chills. All the music I would love to see live came out in the 1970s. If only time travel was real, I'd go to the 70s or late 60s just for the music.
Aww! My Mom was in H.School in the late 50's. This song has always made her cry; she'd listen to this on vinyl when I was really young. The song is absolutely timeless. This speaks for countless people over countless decades, sadly. 🗺️🕊️❣️! Thx Jamel:)
Amazing that the high School would permit an adult to attend the prom with a student. But, then again maybe failed 5 times and was a senior at the school. Great pick, beauty queen!
@@swinde my HS sweetheart was a sophomore while I was a senior. Almost 3 years age difference. I attended her senior prom at 20+ years old. Felt a bit awkward myself at the time, but that was my girlfriend.
I think this could answer a lot of questions about "stuff" that has come up recently. Back then, most of the girls tried very hard to look older. And they did. And there was always an older guy hanging around somewhere, and ALL the girls competed for him.
This song came out in my teens, and boy, could I ever relate. Your teen years can be a wonderful time of self-discovery... but it can be brutal as hell, too. My heavy involvement in music and theatre was my saving grace. Love this song, and its talented singer/songwriter, Janis Ian.
I was always the new kid in school - my dad was a Navy fighter pilot in Vietnam and we moved a lot. I was short and so pale that I was teased and called albino. I looked for love in all the places until my dad came home from the war. He was my hero. I ended up valuing myself after a terrible marriage, then years of therapy. Now happily retired, by myself and loving 2 kids and 3 grandkids!
As an old man I really enjoy your videos. I was 17 when this came out and I could relate in the fact that I had to work for the clothes and car I drove. I was one of nine and we didn't have a lot of money just lying around.
PLEASE react to the song “ society’s child” . Janis wrote that song when she was 15 . It was not allowed to be played on the radio at that time because it was about an interracial relationship. She’s an amazing songwriter/ singer/ guitarist and a very nice person. At 17 was the only song that became popular and even though this is a great song that most girls and even boys can relate to, she has hundreds of songs that are as good as this one.
One of my favorite lines...tje small town eyes will gape at you in all surprise when payment due exceeds amounts received. Absolutely brilliant for those of us who didn't fit in .
I was wondering when someone would get to this song… It is so hauntingly beautiful! I was 16 when this came out...i felt the same as she did. Absolutely love it!
@@norwegiantj just wish Jamel would do Eva singing Fields of Gold, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Wonderful World. They are all live with her playing guitar as well. Voice of an angel and taken too soon. So young when she died.
Wonderful song. So many of us can relate to this song & the feelings it evokes. I got to see her in concert about 10 years ago & of course she sang this song. I bet the song touched every person in the audience.
‘KEEP GREAT MUSIC ALIVE’ Shirts and More, Enter Promo Code ‘Jamel’ jamel-aka-jamal-youtube-store.creator-spring.com
"In the Winter"... another amazing song. Oh, and "From Me to You", "Light a Light", and... well just basically that whole album.
Her voice is liquid gold, and she writes for and from the soul.
Brother, I'm begging, PLEASE tell me that you're going to listen to her song, Society's Child. It written & recorded by her in 1965, and was released in 1966. Think about where we were in history, civil rights, and most importantly Loving v. Virginia.
Where Have All The Flowers Gone and We Shall Overcome by Joan Baez....also Amazing Grace
Oooh can you please do a reaction to a New Zealand band called SIX60. Rivers is an awesome song but honest, any you picked you'll be like whaaaaaat
Checkout Tori Amos, Me & a Gun, maybe sometime brother!
Nearly fifty years later, and I still cry when I hear this song. So much time gone by, but that sad girl is still there inside me, crying alone in her bedroom. On the outside, I was defiant, declaring that I didn't care, but that was just a way to pretend I was strong. To this day, that pain is still there. Thanks for the reaction, Jamel - I can always count on you for your kind outlook and encouragement. :)
I wish I could give your comment a million thumbs up's.
@@sekereterra Thanks. :)
Its amazing how it brings tears to me every single time. I am 57. I get it.
Janis Ian has a very active FB page. She does the posts, it's not a fan page by someone else. Janis just celebrated her 70th birthday. Time flies by so quickly from when we were 17.
She's amazing, so wickedly funny and insightful! ❤ 🔥
I love her FB page!
I’ve actually seen her comment on reaction posts like this.
@@ChrisB-xm3mg YES! She posted on JayveeTV's reaction that her eyes were closed for much of the song because she was afraid that people would be laughing at her and she didn't want to see it. I love her and her fb page is SO funny!!
@@carolyncappitelli1460 She posted on Sincerely KSO's reaction too. And I love her Facebook page. She periodically posts "Conversations with my wife" and it's absolutely hilarious.
I was 15 when this song came out and could so relate to it. I was bullied in junior high. Janis spoke for all of us.
Agreed.
Same.
Me too
Junior high school was brutal....
Same. But here's the irony: I was one of the pretty girls, and other girls hated me just on sight. It kind of broke me a little. I spent the 7th grade hardly ever washing my hair, wearing it greasy under a bandana. The bullying and ostracization was so bad, I took summer school between every grade so that I could accumulate enough credits to graduate after my junior year, skipping my senior year entirely. I simply couldn't get out of that toxic environment fast enough.
Here's to Janis Ian for making all of us feel special no matter our appearance. 👍🏽
I am a 65 year old straight man, and this song is the story of my life.
I have spent all but about 4 years alone.
That is not some cry for sympathy. It is what it is.
Simple reality for more people than you care to think about or acknowledge.
We are the invisible ones.
Hang in there I hope you found someone
@Steve Nobody...perhaps your screen name hints at the issue; you are Not "nobody", but if you unwittingly project that image of yourself, then how are others to see what lies below the surface? Our sense of self worth ought not be based on anyone elses' standard; if you are so inclined, involve yourself in activities that benefit others: there is much need right now, and once you realize that what you have to offer can help another, the face you show the world will be a thing of beauty. Peace.
@@trismaccarran9950 such good advice. Thank you
Steve, I'm 47, straight, and have a physical disability and use a wheelchair. I hear you, man. I've spent most of my life single, *and not* by choice. I am in a relationship now, with a woman whom I have been friends with for almost twenty years. She has the same disability and also uses a wheelchair. I've dated non-disabled women too, at times, but only a few were willing to give me a chance.
@@trismaccarran9950 I appreciate the sentiment; but I'm afraid you are way off the mark when it comes to my name.
It is to denote that I am merely one of 7 billion other humans on planet Earth.
Too many people are driven by a false belief in their own greatness (it's called ego). I am very secure with my place in the world.
While, as I say, I appreciate the sentiment; please save the pop psychology and new age platitudes for where they belong; in the "spiritual" section of the book shop to be bought by latte sipping middle class people who think it is traumatic to get a papercut.
You have no idea.
Thank you.
One of the three no, four "J"s of folk music....Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Judy Collins
6. James Taylor and Jackson Brown.
Janis Joplin
Wow that's so kool!
Man, this song goes straight to those dark secluded parts of the heart. I remember identifying with this song when I was very young and in those preteen years. I was a short blonde introvert from a big family with plenty of hand me downs and not enough money. Never quite fit in but not always excluded. It was a weird self conscious balance on the cusp. This song touches that weirdness immediately.
You have to do her song "Society's Child" about an interracial relationship.It was written when she was only 15 years old.It was very controversial at the time.😢🌴
Love that song.
Yes, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SUGGEST THAT SONG!
When she appeared on the Smothers Brothers is the best version!
@@rickjend6667 I agree
She was actually subjected to death threats for writing and performing that song.
I was seventeen when this came, I'm a guy and felt all that she sang, I got over it, sad thing is now I have a 12 year old Grandson going through the same thing, it's harder now then back then. I'll show him this reaction, I believe your words will help. Thanks.
That's awful. 😢 Your lovely grandson will prevail and shine. At 12, it's just unspeakably cruel. I'm glad he can tell you. It is harder now I agree. At least we didn't have to contend with social media back then.
I was the 64th 'Like' to your reply. I'll be 64 later this year. I was 17 when this came out.
A lot of us have been there. But there are people out there who will appreciate you for your true self. Surround yourself with them, and you'll never be alone, or forget your worth.
I was also 17 when this came out. Felt kind of good to be validated and know I wasn't alone.
And I can not imagine how bad this crap hits now, with social media. Glad I went through it back in the good ol' days.
I was sixteen, and understood every word.
I couldn't hit like fast enough on this one, imagine writing this when you're just a kid... Amazing!
I met Janis Ian when I was around 12 years old in 1978. I went to her house with my dad who was doing tile work for her when she still lived here in L.A., in the Hancock Park area of town, a few blocks from the Mayor's Mansion. Talk about a very down to earth person. We drove to Glendale together in her Audi, to pick up some tile so my dad wouldn't have to stop working. You should have seen the employees at the tile store who were star struck, and jealous of me because I got to ride around town with Janis Ian, lol.
Awesome story✌️
@@elysehfm8797 Wouldn't that be something if Janis saw my comment, and remembered me, and left me a comment? I'm sure she'd remember that cute 12 year old kid who gave her directions to the tile store we drove to. Or maybe I was 11, lol?
Oh, you were lucky!
I love your story..so cool.
@@elysehfm8797 I've always figured RUclips takes up enough of my time, so I've never opened a FB account. Too bad your FB comments keep disappearing . . . I wonder why.
My older sister, biracial and attending high school in a rural and hateful Michigan town in the 70s, LOVED this song. She died in 2017, at age 64, still feeling the effects of decades of rejection-despite being an absolutely beautiful woman. This brought tears, as it always does.
Im crying!!!
This is one of those super-psychologically-intimate songs that the ‘70s gave us and me need on the radio more nowadays.
My dad used to say, “just because it’s got a pretty wrapping doesn’t make it a good present.”
true but we are so used to looking at the brightest wrapping and the shinniest bow, sadly most people won;t look at someone in a plane brown wrapper and think there is something valuable there once wrote a poem that dealt with that
@Steve Wilkins good for you love art but never could figure out why people wanted to be covered in Tats
Sounds like vodka
Love that! I grew up with learning this ......Beauty is not something you put on. It's something you bring out.
Smart dad.
My mom used to tell me; "Beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes right to the bone." and "Pretty is, as pretty does."
My mom did to I haven't heard that in some time.
" Beauty is on the outside but ugly goes deep into the Soul"
I heard it as 'Beauty is only skin deep. But ugly cuts right to the bone'. Same truth.
@@supasoulproductions I think that's a quote from Fred Sanford.
@@eddiewillers1442 That's where I heard it first.
“Just cuz your cute doesn’t mean you’re not ugly”should be on a T-shirt.
I’d buy that.
On the inside, at the end!
Such a negative sentiment though - putting someone else down just as a way to "equalize" them. Never once in the song does she say she was picked on or put down by the cute people. It's just a song about not fitting in and feeling left out because of your looks or who you are. To point out other people's potential ugliness via a t-shirt slogan, as a way to drag them down, is ugliness itself.
@@DiscoFang solid points, man. I gotta concur.
🤣🤣
Jamal there is a live version of her first hit Society’s Child! She is introduced by the great music conductor and writer of the Broadway musical West Side Story Leonard Bernstein! I think from 1966! Janis was 15 when she wrote the song! It is a incredible video and even more incredible song!
I came to the comments to speak of this iconic song.
For some time after writing this, Janis would perform it with her eyes shut because she thought people would laugh at the song.
Damn.....
A guitar, a beautiful voice, a true artist bares her soul to the world and what a glorious magnificent moment it was. People are like stained glass windows, they shine beautiful in the sunlight. But their true beauty is only revealed when the darkness sets in, if there is a light from within. Janis Ian showed her true beauty in this song and what a radiant beauty it is.
I was 17 in 76 & I sang this song a million times. 💖 Chills.
I always go back to HS insecurities when I hear this song.....
Who doesn't?? Pretty universal, isn't it?
Yes😪😭😭😭😭
Absolutely. You've got plenty of company.
I have two beautiful daughters that, like everyone else that has gone to school, were picked on by bullies telling them how they looked "stupid" or "weird" or worse (I'm not going to list the really bad ones 'cause we all know what they are). When they came to me at the end of the day, I always had them look in the mirror and tell me what they saw wrong with what they saw. Anything they might mention, I told them how beautiful that specific thing made them.
When they calmed down and the tears were wiped away, I always reminded them, "There are a lot of different kinds of people that make up the world. All of them have good and bad. Some of the bad is worse in some than in the others. I'm blessed that I have two girls that don't have to make others cry to make themselves feel empowered (that last word we had to look up the first few times. lol)".
Over time They learned and, after a while, they stopped crying after school. When I questioned them one day about the specific bully, they told me she was still doing what she always did but they and their friends would just let her do her thing while she walked behind them to their classes and talk about how sad she was when they got home. I've never been so proud.
This song always brings tears to my eyes. This was me at 17. Can't say I have ever completely gotten the self-esteem I certainly didn't have then. But, I have tried to instill in my granddaughter that her looks are not the part of her that is most beautiful. Thank you for this insightful reaction. You're the best.
Rebecca, this song was "my song" too, along with so many other shy, awkward, different young men and women. Growing older, those insecurities and lacking self-belief got replaced by strength and confidence. Hope the same happened to you! Hugs
Kids can be cruel.....unfortunately, most of them learn it from their parents. To everyone out their who ever felt this song was about them....you are beautiful ☮️❤️🙏🏻🌎🌏🌍
You’re so sweet. The ironic thing is that’s she’s really so pretty. Eye of the beholder, man.
Thus the "ugly duckling" line. She blossomed later on.
Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne had a similar theme except 5his doesn't celebrate her eventual success like Sk8er Boi
Madison Ave has pushed the tall blonde for a long time. Anyone else felt easily secondary.
@@Serai3 Young people who think they are ugly ducklings are often led to that conclusion by the people around them. You and I might not be able to see it. It's usually code for, "You'll never be on a glamor magazine cover."
@@sinenominecc The reason Janis used the phrase is because when she wrote the song, everyone knew what it meant. Because people used to read back then, and Danny Kaye's Hans Christian Andersen movie was still common coin. (Kids knew that movie because it was often played on after-school TV programming.) NOW kids might not know what it means, but in the 70's, everyone knew that "ugly duckling" meant someone who would blossom later. Don't assume that because people are ignorant of something now, they were always ignorant of it.
I'm not ashamed to say that, as a young man, this felt just as real to me. If you're on the outside, for whatever reason, you can be lost and forgotten. I don't think it will ever lose its punch.
You almost brought me to tears brother.WAKE UP AMERICA
"WAKE UP AMERICA" to what? --- To the fact that life isn't always perfectly fair? ------ Janice Ian could right songs, and I couldn't. ..... That's just not fair, right.
@@jeffreiland7463 I was talking about what he was saying before he got into the song about everyone getting along,peace,love one another. Accept people for who they are not what they have or what they look like.I wasn't referring to the song, that is one of the greatest songs ever.WAKE UP AMERICA is my way to say,people need to get to know each other before judging .
I had a few in my eyes. I also knew exactly what you meant asking "America to Wake Up"... and you're right.
🦋
@@riakacz1992 😁🇺🇸❤Thank you
I was born with Cerebral Palsy, and I use a wheelchair in my everyday life. From a very young age, I loved music and other forms of art, and I was never really a sports fan. All of this was so socially difficult for a young man, growing up in a tiny Alabama town, where football was treated like a commonly-shared religion, and men who openly loved the arts were seen as quite strange. The words of this song were my life back then.
Wishing you love, true friends and peace!!
@@hollylilylarry8663 Thank you so much! I wish the same for you!
This is really a song about herself in high School. She wasn't one of the pretty girls "ugly Duckling", that she sings about in the song. It's very sad. All of the fat, or unattractive girls can relate to this. Staying home alone on Friday and Saturday nights, missing out on the Dances, and Proms and all of those things.
I was lucky. I found a group of friends and we did our own thing. We were in that group that were too cool for the nerds, too nerdy for the cool kids, and too plain for the beautiful people.
The scars are still there and it still hurts.
Lot of us out here...listening to this with glistening eyes...as we think back on our high school days...and how this hits a bit too close to home.
Bless you Janis.
Such a beautiful woman 😍😁. I remember the first time I heard her sing this song. I know just how she felt. Been there done that. I have been in love with her since. Sing on sweet lady, be safe and take care of yourself. Love, Mike from S.C.
That is the voice of an angel! And boy can I relate to her words in this beautiful song. Society's child is a must to listen to from Janis.
Years ago I saw her in concert. She was AWESOME! She closed the show playing Whole Lotta Love, and the place went crazy - standing ovation! Jamel, check out her song “Society’s Child”.
I was 17 when this first came out and I would sit and cry when I would hear it because I was living that life!
Janis is a treasure. It was her 70th birthday last Wednesday. You should check out the song 'Tattoo' which is one of the ones she's most proud of.
What a song .So true for so many,then and now.
Believe me,those who make fun of others and the bullies are that way, because they
have their own problems and insecurities.
I didn't go to my prom either...I sat on the trash cans in our front yard crying - my boyfriend took another girl who could afford the dress & shoes & hairdoo. Ahhhh, Jamel. Another good one
Joyce Walbert I would have stepped in and listened :)
@@leefertwayne8163 Thanks Lee, you are a good person.
You where to good for your boyfriend,I would have taken you to your prom.
@@jrichards203 You are very kind! God bless you.
Back in 77, my boyfreind took his ex to my sr prom, and I was pretty much pissed off. I am so sorry that happened to you.
My brother was murdered a month ago. Helping my mom go through his things, I found a box labeled “Jan’s records.” I had to stop and cry before I could open it. He’d been collecting records for me for years, and I had no idea. They were so illustrative of how much he knew about his little sister, and revealed a lot about him that he knew I knew, like he wanted to educate me through music and comedy. He and I were both freaks/geeks growing up, and he is one of my heroes for surviving as a gay kid in a small farming town in the ‘70s & 80s, then finding his real home.
What I was going to say: I found a Janis Ian album in that box.
Damn, he was the best big brother.
Thanks for helping me have warm thoughts of him. I’m headed up again Friday, and these moments of good feeling count. ✌🏼💜 & 🎶, J
That's so terrible. But what you found in that box was what you already knew; he loved you just as much as you loved him - if not more. Remember the important things & one of them is: - just because someone is gone from this world doesn't mean the relationship is gone. He will always be your brave & beautiful brother.
@@linmonash1244 , thank you 💜
I am so sorry for your loss🙏🙏😔😔❤❤❤ your brother loved you very much❤❤❤
One of my all-time favorite songs from my youth. Thank you for showcasing it. This whole album is really special.
Since you enjoyed this, I think you'll also really like Carly Simon's "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be."
Beauty inside and out! Hard not to love this woman.
Man, this song always hits home...
Society’s Child is another great song by Janis about an interracial relationship. she was a teenager when it was released in 1967!
It was totally timely for me...
Every 15 to 17yr old girl goes thru this I know I did. Girls from a young age are held to such a high standard to be pretty, to be thin, to look like the models. When you're that young nobody is telling you that you're pretty or that you're great the way you are. Dad's pay attention because girls need someone to tell them and give them that confidence.
Plenty of guys, too.
I did all I could to make sure that my girls could go into the world with confidence.
For sure! The teen years are difficult to navigate no matter who you are. It is a necessary part of getting older & trying to figure out who you are & what is your place in the world. Hell, I am in my 60's & I am still a work in progress! 😂
Yeah, girls think they're the only ones with self-esteem problems and that people don't fawn over them enough. "Dads pay attention" my butt.
I have one child, a son, who, like me, was not a jock, and unlike me in high school, has always been a little bit heavier than average. I don't think he was bullied as much as I was, probably because he was stocky, but it happened. I always encouraged his academic excellence. He is now a high school biology teacher and is in a committed relationship.
As a retired jock who spent 30 years on the air playing great music in the San Diego area, I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for keeping great music alive. Your genuine reactions show that you are a deep dude with a beautiful heart and soul. Keep it going, Jamel! And God bless you. Peace.
As a tiny redhead in a school full of tall blondes in the late 70s, I felt the same. I am 58 now and still cry when I hear this song.
Me too Petunia, still cry
I was tall & had a pretty face
But I was always fat & fat girls catch a special kind of hell
@@Juliamiller56 I am so sorry. ❤
Jamal, you are such a sweet soul to reach out to comfort and encourage those who are experiencing and living the words in this poignant song. I guess anyone can review music but not everyone has your ability to emotionally touch your viewers the way you do. I was so moved by your wise words to those suffering from feeling alone, unattractive and undesirable. There is no doubt you have helped many who watched this video reclaim some self esteem. It is lovely to see you use your platform to spread love and kindness.
A beautiful song, by a beautiful woman, played on a wonderful Martin guitar. And broadcast on one of the best music programmes EVER on any TV network! Ah! Happy Hippy Schooldays, when we were free, invincible, and love ruled our lives.
WTF happened?
I always followed the melody of songs and didn't pay attention so much to the lyrics, until I listened to this song. Incredible musically and lyrically.
Reminds me of those awkward teenage years. By seeing so much love for the song over the decades, it occurred to me that I wasn't as alone as I thought I was 💜
This song is exactly talking about me. I used to listen to this a song when I was in grade school. And I still am.
😢💔
I love that -- "just because you're cute, doesn't mean your not ugly". And the opposite, someone may not be attractive but once you know them, they are beautiful!
I love this song, even though I cry every time I hear it. Your comments are beautiful and uplifting. Thank you, Jamel.
In the words of Leo Tolstoy "'Tis amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness".
Miss Janis is three years older than I and I've always loved her and her stuff. Thanks for the reaction and thanks for bringing Janis Ian to the attention of a new generation of fans. (She still tours and has a Facebook presence)
Loved Janis Ian and Phoebe Snow when I was a teenager back then.
Phoebe Snow - Poetry Man
Society's child is a must listen. It is so beautiful and she is still such an amazing soul. She and Carole King are the goddesses of mine for my childhood and teen years. Thank God they were around for a lot of us girls.
Having a hit record and being on national TV at 15 and still feeling the pain of high school at 17. Breaks your heart.
I was 17 when this was a hit record. This song goes deep for both men and women. Twenty years later, I met Janis Ian after a performance in Atlanta and told her. She said, initially she thought no one would relate to the song and couldn’t believe the universal reaction to the record, which she said, was what a songwriter strives for in their career with a lyric. And Ms.Ian is a beautiful person inside and out.
I've loved this song from the first hearing back in the day.
I was a band nerd, trombone player, LoL did six more years at college level. Always hated after the football games when the cheerleaders went home with the football players. After I started my rock band, suddenly All the football players and cheerleaders wanted to come to my parties!!! LoL 😆 seriously, I think everyone feels this at some level, I know I did, awesome reaction, thank you!!! 😃
Thank you to whoever requested this & thank you Jamel for being Jamel. This song brought a flood of emotions & memories.
Hugs to everyone ✌️💜🤗
was 17 in 1983. Never heard this song until 2 years ago when a friend suggested I try to sing it for karaoke. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to sing it. This was exactly how I felt back then. Brings me to tears every time I hear it.
I was 12 or 13 when this song came out so it’s message escaped me. Saw an old episode of SNL a couple years ago and cried through the whole song because it was ME. Janis is a national treasure.
I was the same age too.
I saw the SNL episode when it was first on , and always remembered it. She had such a haunting voice.
I love how you dare to explore all realms of the music world. I wonder how many people you expose these timeless songs too for the first time.
When payment due exceeds accounts received. A cynical way to look at love, which befits the other lyrics. In short, graduate-level songwriting.
You are a deep beautiful brother!!
May the universe provide you with everything you can need and want!
Thanks for this!!!
I feel exactly what you are saying and beyond .
You know she is 70 yrs old now and still performs that song and sings it well. You can find her more current performances on RUclips.
Janis Ian is active on FaceBook and is a genuine person.
My grandma always said, "Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly can go clear to the bone."
Such a great song from back in the day...Janis is a killer writer too.
This way the music of the 1970's endures. We spoke from our souls and believed in LOVE💝💝💝
I’m a 57 year old dude and this song brings me to tears every time
What a beautiful song
We can also feel this way at 63 years old..... beautiful on top of beautiful ......what a simple yet powerful sentence ❤️
Love this song so much. It just touches your soul. Everyone is different and that is a good thing. Thanks Jamel for the great reaction. 🎶👍
Thank you. You reminded me about this song. It moved me then and still does today.
I am 61 years old, and this song is still just an beautiful and painful as the first time I heard it. Her clear voice cuts to the soul.
Her voice and feeling behind it give me chills. All the music I would love to see live came out in the 1970s. If only time travel was real, I'd go to the 70s or late 60s just for the music.
Aww! My Mom was in H.School in the late 50's. This song has always made her cry; she'd listen to this on vinyl when I was really young. The song is absolutely timeless. This speaks for countless people over countless decades, sadly.
🗺️🕊️❣️! Thx Jamel:)
This song came out when I was 17. I felt like she wrote it for me. Beautiful. Thanks for playing this.
I asked the most popular girl in High School to the prom and she turned me down flat for some 22 year old guy.
I still felt like a success for asking!
Amazing that the high School would permit an adult to attend the prom with a student. But, then again maybe failed 5 times and was a senior at the school. Great pick, beauty queen!
@@swinde my HS sweetheart was a sophomore while I was a senior. Almost 3 years age difference. I attended her senior prom at 20+ years old. Felt a bit awkward myself at the time, but that was my girlfriend.
Yes! Asking was the hard part.
I think this could answer a lot of questions about "stuff" that has come up recently. Back then, most of the girls tried very hard to look older. And they did. And there was always an older guy hanging around somewhere, and ALL the girls competed for him.
@@flomurdock
That is so true, every year the senior class raided the freshman class for the most attractive females.
This song came out in my teens, and boy, could I ever relate. Your teen years can be a wonderful time of self-discovery... but it can be brutal as hell, too. My heavy involvement in music and theatre was my saving grace. Love this song, and its talented singer/songwriter, Janis Ian.
Loved this song!!! Actually, still do!! 🤗 💞 Just may have to steal your quote about cute but ugly! 👍
I heard this song a thousand times before I actually listened to the words. Such a great song, with clever and sad lyrics.
I was always the new kid in school - my dad was a Navy fighter pilot in Vietnam and we moved a lot. I was short and so pale that I was teased and called albino. I looked for love in all the places until my dad came home from the war. He was my hero. I ended up valuing myself after a terrible marriage, then years of therapy. Now happily retired, by myself and loving 2 kids and 3 grandkids!
Spoken from your heart.
A tremendous songwriter. Between The Lines is an all time great album...a Grammy Award winner. This is one of her greatest songs.
When I was a kid and would hear this song, it would make me so sad that I would cry; heartbreaking lyrics and singing, yet it is beautiful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Not enough people have your good soul Jamal, great track from a great performer. Great comments Big Man 🏴👍🏻
Hey Jamel. After all these years, this song still hits right in the feels. Oof! Thank you for taking this song on. Much appreciated. ☮ out!
As an old man I really enjoy your videos. I was 17 when this came out and I could relate in the fact that I had to work for the clothes and car I drove. I was one of nine and we didn't have a lot of money just lying around.
PLEASE react to the song “ society’s child” . Janis wrote that song when she was 15 . It was not allowed to be played on the radio at that time because it was about an interracial relationship. She’s an amazing songwriter/ singer/ guitarist and a very nice person. At 17 was the only song that became popular and even though this is a great song that most girls and even boys can relate to, she has hundreds of songs that are as good as this one.
Society's Child was all over the radio. I heard it was banned in some Southern states. But not here.
One of my favorite lines...tje small town eyes will gape at you in all surprise when payment due exceeds amounts received. Absolutely brilliant for those of us who didn't fit in .
Janis Ian sang this song as the first ever musical guest on SNL in 1975.
I was 16 when this song came out and it’s been one of my all-time favorite since.I listen to it all the time the time
I loved this song as a teenager. She’s so talented. I recently purchased this on vinyl.
I was wondering when someone would get to this song… It is so hauntingly beautiful! I was 16 when this came out...i felt the same as she did. Absolutely love it!
Beautiful voice and a genius songwriter. Please do Eva Cassidy for another beautiful voice
Been requesting Eva too. She's fantastic
@@norwegiantj just wish Jamel would do Eva singing Fields of Gold, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Wonderful World. They are all live with her playing guitar as well. Voice of an angel and taken too soon. So young when she died.
Kind beautiful words Jamal. I was 17 when this song came out and life was not good. So much better now. Loved this song.
Wonderful song. So many of us can relate to this song & the feelings it evokes. I got to see her in concert about 10 years ago & of course she sang this song. I bet the song touched every person in the audience.