Society's Child

"Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" was a song written in 1965 by Janis Ian.It centered around the then-taboo subject of interracial romance. Ian was 13 years-old when she was motivated to write the song and completed it when she was 14.

The lyrics of the song center around the feelings of a young girl who witnesses the humiliation that her African American boyfriend receives from the girl's mother and the taunts that she herself endures from classmates and teachers. It closes with her decision to end her relationship with the boyfriend because of her inability to deal with the social pressure.

In 1964, Ian lived in East Orange, New Jersey. Her neighborhood was predominately populated by African-Americans and she was one of very few whites in her school. "I saw it from both ends. I was seeing it from the end of all the civil rights stuff on the television and radio, of white parents being incensed when their daughters would date black men, and I saw it around me when black parents were worried about their sons or daughters dating white girls or boys. I don't think I knew where I was going when I started it, but when I hit the second line, 'face is clean and shining black as night,' it was obvious where the song was going. I don't think I made a conscious decision to have the girl cop out in the end, it just seemed like that would be the logical thing at my age, because how can you buck school and society and your parents, and make yourself an outcast forever?" The song's lyrics do not center around a real-life person. It was Ian's impression of how the majority viewed the issue of interracial romance at that time in history (1964-65). [http://www.songfacts.com/int/2008/01/janis-ian.html]

Songwriter and producer Shadow Morton signed Janis to a record contract and made the decisionto release 'Society's Child' as her first release. Ian's original title for the song was 'Baby, I've Been Thinking,' but Morton changed it to 'Society's Child'. It was recorded using six studio musicians. It took over two hours to record, because progress was initially slow. Jazz bass player George Duviver is given credit for stopping the session and suggesting that the group listen to the lyrics of the song in order to get a sense of it's meaning. This was the breakthrough they needed and the next take was the one used on the record. Morton shopped the final product to numerous record companies before it was picked up by
Verve Records. The song received great reviews and it benefited from airplay on FM stations which were more diversified in their airplay choices.

Most importantly, Leonard Bernstein's producer saw Janis perform 'Society's Child' at The Gaslight and scheduled Ian to perform the song on a television special about new pop music. The show received heavy airplay at a time in history when the number of television stations available to consumers was limited. This was a huge break for the song and Bernstein publicly criticized radio stations for not playing the record. Largely due to Bernstein's efforts, Verve Records started promoting it in trade magazines and many radio stations picked it up. Recorded in 1965 and released in 1966, 'Society's Child' did notenter Billboard's Top 40 until June 17, 1967. It eventually went to No. 14. It remained in the Top 40 for two months.

Several radio stations were slow to add the song to their play list, but this allowed it's airplay life to be extended. "The song ignited controversy from coast to coast. It resulted in the burning of a radio station, the firing of disc jockeys who played it, and a generation hungering for the truth finally having a female songwriter to stand beside Bob Dylan." [http://www.janisian.com/press.html] .

'Society's Child' was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2001.