Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

Janis Ian wrote “Some People’s Lives” with songwriter Kye Fleming, inspired by a restaurant owner they were friends with named Mary, who felt that she had not contributed anything to the world. They presented this song to Mary to show her how she had made an impact.

Janis Ian was inspired to write “Society’s Child” after observing an interracial couple on her school bus. Ian wrote the song at just 14 years old, imagining the societal pressures the couple may have been under.

Janis Ian wrote “At Seventeen” about the “pain of adolescence” and not fitting in, but the themes of the song spoke to audiences of all kinds and had a universal relevance. The song later won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with “Society’s Child” (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and “At Seventeen” (1975), a searing anthem about bullying.