Janis Joplin

"Live fast, love hard, die young"

Amerikai bluesénekesnő. 1943. január 19. Port Arthur, Texas.

   Janis Joplin (szül. 1943. jan. 19) volt a legnagyobb bluesénekesnő, aki fehér létére olyan tökélyre fejlesztette a stílust, mint még fekete elődei sohasem. Későbbi jelmondatához híven - "élj gyorsan, szeress szenvedélyesen, halj meg fiatalon" -  elszökött otthonról, ahol jól de unalmasan élt átlagos családja körében. 1961-től 66-ig végigjárta az országot, alkalmi munkákból élt, egy ideig még egyetemre is járt. Később egy bluegrass együttes kíséretében country és blueszenét, Bessie Smith és Leadbelly dalokat énekelt. 1966-ban eljutott San Franciscóba, tagja lett a Big Brother And The Holding Company-nak. 1967-ben felléptek Monterey-ben. Itt tűnt ki különleges, rekedt blueshangjával, és ettől kezdve figyeltek fel rá igazán. Albumuk, a Cheap Thrills hatalmas siker volt. Az együttes sokat turnézott közösen a nyugati part legnagyobbjaival. Zenéjük  alapzene, amelyben kiválóan ötvöződött a soul, a blues és a korai hard zene. A népszerűség ellenére Joplin kivált az együttesből és önállóan próbálkozott   tovább. Szólópályáján végig segítette a Company gitárosa, Sam Andrew. 1968-ban Bob Dylan menedzsere, Albert Gross,  vette pártfogásába Joplint. Megjelent első lemezük, amelynek borítója a zenészeket és Joplint - mint egy kirakós játék elemeit  ábrázolja. Ezzel az albummal kezdődött el a rövid, de annál magasabbra ívelő karrierje. Koncertjeit mindig jó hangulat jellemezte. Fellépésein gyakran tett nyárspolgár idegborzoló kijelentéseket. Például amikor két férfival jelent meg a színpadon, és a nagyérdemű tudomására hozta, hogy ő egyszerre akár két férfit is képes szeretni. Második szintén rocktörténeti jelentőségű albumának megjelenését már nem érte meg. Az életmódjával együtt járó napi több mint egy üveg whisky és drogok - főleg heroin  - 1970. október 4-én végleg elszólították a mikrofon mögül a 27 éves amerikai énekesnőt, aki éppen előtte nap énekelte szalagra élete utolsó számát, Kriss Kristofferson "Me And Bobby McGee"-jét. Másik nagy siker a felejthetetlen blues volt, a Mercedes Benz:

  Váratlan halála után visszamaradó csekély vagyonából 2000 dollárból - végrendelete értelmében - zenésztársai partit rendez-  tek emlékére. Kívánságához híven temetés helyett hamvait a Csendes-óceánba szórták. Halála után zenei örökségét megkímélték - nem úgy, mint Jimi Hendrix-ét. Egy dupla koncertalbum, néhány válogatás, és a róla készült "Janis" című film zenéje jelent meg hivatalosan, emlékét idézve. Ő volt a hippikultúra csodálatos és csodált nőalakja, a legenda, ami halála után végleg ennek  az életformának a szimbólumává vált.

Nagylemezek: Big Brother & The Holding Company (1967.)  Cheap Thrills (1968.) I Got Dem Ol' Cozmic Blues Again Mama (1969.) Pearl (1971.) In Concert (1972.) Greatest Hits (1973.) Janis (1974.) Anthology (1980.) Farewell Song (1982.) Janis (1993.) 18 Essential Songs (1995.)  Little Piece Of My Heart (1997.) Live At Winterland 68 (1998.)

Work Me Lord

Work me Lord.
Please don't you leave me
I feel so useless down here,
With no one to love,
Though I've looked everywhere.
And I can't find, anybody to love,
To feel my pain.
So . . .
Why use me Lord?
Don't you know how hard it is,
Trying to live alone?
Everyday I keep tryin' to move forward,
But something is driving me back.
Something's tryin' to hold onto me
Turn my world back.
So . . .
Don't you forget me down here lord,
Don't you forget me lord.
Well I don't think, I'm any very special kind of person down here,
I know better.
Well I don't think you're going to find anybody, not anybody who say
they tried like I tried.
The worst you can say all about me is that I've never satisfied.
So . . .
Please don't leave me, I feel so useless down here.
I can't find anybody to love me, and I've looked around.
Though I've looked everywhere, everywhere.
And I can't find, anybody to love,
To feel my pain.
So . . .
Don't go and leave me lord
Honey don't you go off and leave me lord.
Don't you know how hard it is,
Trying to live alone?
Everyday I keep trying to move forward,
but something is driving me back.
Honey, something's trying to hold onto me,
Turn my world back.
So . . .
Please don't you forget me, don't forget me lord,
I think that maybe, you could use me maybe, I can help you.
Please, don't you go and leave me, no...
Ohhhhh, Nooo...please....Leave me....Please don't ya leave me lord!
Peace and love all, hope this is mostly right.

Turtle Blues

I'm a mean, mean woman
I don't mean no one mean, no good
I'm a mean, mean woman
I don't mean no one mean, no good
I just treats 'em like I wants to
I never treat 'em, honey, like I should

Oh lord, I once had a daddy
He said he'd give me everything in sight
So I said, 'Honey I want the sunshine
And take the stars out of the night
Come on and give 'em to me, cause I want Ôem right now

I ain't the kind of woman
Who'd make your life a bed of ease
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I'm not the kind of woman
To make your life a bed of ease
Yeah, but if you want to go out drinkin' honey
Won't you invite me along please
Oh, I'd be so good to you babe

I guess I'm just like a turtle
That's hidden' underneath it's horny shell
Whoa, I'm like a turtle
Hidden' underneath it's horny shell
But ya know I'm very well protected
I know this G*D-D**N life too well

Ya can call me mean, you can call me evil
I've been called much worser things around
Call me mean, or call me evil
I've been called much worser things, ah, things around
Yeah, but I'm gonna take good care of Janis
Yeah!
Hon, ain't no one gonna talk me down
All right!
Yeah!

To Love Somebody

There's a light,
Certain kinda light,
That never-ever,
Never shown on me.
No, no.
Honey, I want,
I want, my whole life to be,
Lived with you, babe.
That's what I want.
Ohhh, was to be livin', lovin' you.

There's a wayyyyeee.
Ohhh, everybody say,
You can do anything,
Everything, yeah.
But what good,
What good,
Honey, what good can ever be?
Cause I ain't got you,
With my love.
And I can't find you babe.
No I can't.

You don't know,
You don't know what it's like,
No you don't,
No, you don't know,
You don't know what it's liiiiiike,
To love anybody.
Oh, Honey I wanna talk about love,
And tryin' to hold somebody.
The way I love you, babe.
And I've been lovin' you babe.

In my brain,
OHHHH, I can see your face again.
I know my frame of mind, yeah.
Nobody, nobody,
Ever has to be so blind.
Honey, like I did.
I know I was blind.
Honey, I tell you that I was.
I was very, very blind.
OHHHHH, but I'm just a girl.
Can't you just take a look at me and tell.
Tell that I live,
Honey, I live and breathe for you.
Don't you know I do.

But what good,
What good,
What good can I ever do?
Cause I ain't got you.
That's all I ever wanted.
And I ain't got you babe.
Oh, and I've been lookin' around.

But you don't know,
You don't know what it's like,
No you don't,
No, no, no,
You don't know,
Honey, you don't know,
What its liiiiiike,
To love anybody.
Oh, honey, I wanna talk about tryin' to hold somebody,
When your lonely.
The way I love you babe.
And I just want you to know I tried.

OHHH, I know that,
There's a way.
Cause everybody came to me at one time,
And said,
Honey, you can do anything,
Every little thing,
and I think I can.

Oh, but what good,
What good,
What awfully good,
Can I ever-ever bring?
Cause I can't find you,
With my love.
And I can't find you babe.

Oh, honey, where.
Oh, you don't know,
You don't know what it's like,
No you don't,
And you never-ever did.
You don't know,
Honey you don't know,
What it's liiiiike.
Wanna love anybody.
Oh, honey, I wanna,
Talk about tryin',
To hold ya.
Oh, ba-baby-baby yeah.
You don't know.
You don't know what it's like.
Any you never-ever-ever did.
I said, I, I've tried to throw my love around ya.
And I've tried to help ya, darlin'.
But you never-ever,
No you never-ever,
No you never-ever,
No you never-ever,
I know that you know that,
No, you've never-ever-ever,
Ohhhh, let me throw my love,
Throw my love,
All my looooove.

Summertime

Summertime,time, time, chime,
and the livin' is easy.
Fish are jumpin'now, now,
hey the cotton on, the cotton is high, lord so high.

Your dad's rich,
and your ma's so good lookin' babe, she's looking good now, now.
Hush little baby, baby, baby, baby, baby,
no, no, no, no don't you cry, cry.

One of these mornin's, you're gonna rise, rise up singin'.
You're gonna spread your wings,child and take, take to the sky, lord the sky.

Until that mornin', honey nothin's going to harm you now
na-na-no-nona-nan-nno-no-na-no....
don't you cry.

Piece Of My Heart

Oh, come on
Come on
Come on
Come on
DidnŐt I make you feel,
Like you were the only man?
Yeah, and didnŐt I give you nearly everything,
That a woman possibly can?
Honey, you know I did

Each time I tell my self
That I, well I think IŐve had enough
Oh, but IŐm gonna show you baby,
That a woman can be tough.
I want ya to come on
Come on
Come on
Come on

And take it!
Take another little piece of my heart, now baby.
Break it!
Break another little piece of my heart.
Come on, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Have a!
Have another little piece of my heart, now baby.
Well you know you got it,
If it make you feel good.
Oh, yes indeed

Your out on the streets lookinŐ good.
And baby, deep down in your heart,
I guess you know that it ainŐt right
Now ma
Now ma
Now ma
Now ma
Now ma
Now ma
Hear me when I cry,
Out at night.
Baby I cry all the time!

Each time I tell myself,
That I, well, I canŐt stand the pain
When you hold me in your arms,
IŐm singinŐ once again
I said come on
Come on
Come on
Come on

Yeah, take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now baby.
Break it!
Break another little piece of my heart.
I know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Have a!
Have another little piece of my heart, now baby.
Well you know you got it,
Child, if it makes you feel good

I need you to come on,
Come on
Come on
Come on

Yeah, take it!
Take another little piece of my heart, now baby
Break it!
Break another little piece of my heart,
I know yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Come on now.
Have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now baby
You know you got it
WHOA!!!

Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart, now baby.
Break it!
Break another little piece of my heart.
Come on, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Have a!
Have another little piece of my heart, now baby
You know you got it,
Child, if it makes you feel good.

Move Over

You say that it's over, baby, no.
You say that it's over now,
But still you hang around me,
Come on,
Won't you move over.

You know that I need a man, honey,
Lord, you know that I need a man,
But when I ask you to,
You just tell me,
That maybe you can.

Please don't ya do it to babe,
NO!!
Please don't ya do it to me babe.
Either take the love I offer,
Or just let me be.

I ain't quite ready for walking,
No, no, no, no,
I ain't quite ready for walking,
And what ya gonna do with you love,
Your love's just dangling.

OH, YEAH!!!
Make up your mind, honey,
You're playin' with me,
Hey, hey, hey,
Make up your mind, darlin',
You're playin' with me.
Come on now!!
Now, either be my lovin' man,
I said now, let me, honey,
Let me be.
Yeah!!

You say that it's over baby, no.
You say that it's over, now.
But still you hang around me.
Come on,
Won't you move over.

You know that I need a man.
Honey, I told you so.
You know that I need a man,
But when I ask you to,
You just tell me,
That maybe you can.

HEY!!
Please don't ya do it to me babe,
NO!!
Please don't ya do it to me, babe.
Either take the love I offer,
Honey, let me be.

I say, won't you,
Won't you let me be?
Honey, you're teasin' me.
Yeah, you're playin' with my heart, dear.
I believe you're toyin' with my affections, honey.
I can't take it no more, babe.
And furthermore, I don't intend to.
I'm just tired of hanging from the end of a string, honey.
You expect me to fight like a goddamn mule.

Wahahahahahaha
Wahahahahahaha
Wahahahahahaha

Little Girl Blue

Sit there.
Oh, count your fingers.
What else, what else is there to do?
Oh, hon' I know how you feel,
I know you feel that your through.
Whoaiii, sit there,
Mmm, count, ah, count your little fingers,
My unhappy, oh, little girl, little girl blue.

Ohhhh, sit there,
Ohhhhh, count those rain drops.
Ah, feel em fallin' down,
Oh, honey, all around you.
Honey don't you know its time,
I feel its time, That somebody told you,
'Cause you got to know.
That all you ever gonna have to count on,
Or gonna want to lean on,
Its gonna feel just like
Those rain drops do,
When they're fallin' down,
Honey, all around you.

Oh, I know you're unhappy.

Ohhh, sit there,
Oh, go on, go on and count your fingers.
I know, what else, what else, hon, have you got to do?
And I know how you feel.
And I know you ain't got no reason to go on.
And I know you feel that you must be through.
Oh, honey, go on and sit right back down.
I want you to count,
Ohhhh, count your fingers.
Ah, my unhappy,
My unlucky,
And my little, oh, girl blue.
I know your unhappy
Ohhhhh.
Ah, honey I know just how, baby, I know just how you feel.