Janis Joplin Quotes (16 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

Janis Joplin: 16 quotes 0 likes

Famous Janis Joplin Quotes

“Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got.”

Janis Joplin

“Fourteen heart attacks and he had to die in my week. In MY week.”

Janis Joplin

On being shunted off the front page of Newsweek magazine by the late ex-President Dwight D. Eisenhower following his death; New Musical Express interview, (12 April 1969); cited in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

“Honey, I love to go to parties,
And I like to have a good time,
But if it gets too pale after a while
Honey and I start looking to find
One good man.”

Janis Joplin

One Good Man (1969)

“Well, I’m gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.
I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!”

Janis Joplin

"Piece of My Heart" (1968) Though this song became well known as one of her greatest hits, it was actually written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns

Live performance in Germany (1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uG2gYE5KOs
Misattributed

“One good man,
Oh ain’t much, honey ain’t much,
It’s only everything…”

Janis Joplin

One Good Man (1969)

“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free…”

Janis Joplin

"Me and Bobby McGee" another of her greatest hits, the song was actually written by Kris Kristofferson, and first released as sung by Roger Miller
Misattributed
Context: Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free...
And feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues.
You know feeling good was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.

Janis Joplin Quotes about feelings

“You know you got it if it makes you feel good.”

Janis Joplin

"Piece of My Heart" (1968) written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns
Misattributed

“Work me, lord. Please don't you leave me. I feel so useless down here with no one to love. Though I looked everywhere, and I can't find me anybody to love, to feel my care…So, work me lord, oh, use me lord. Can I show you how hard it is trying to live when you're all alone? Everyday I keep trying to move forward but something is driving me, oh, back. Something's trying to hold on to me, to my way of life. So, oh, don't you forget me down here lord, no no no no no, don't you forget me, lord. Well I don't think I'm any very special kind of person down here, I know better. But I don't think you're gonna find anybody, not anybody who can say that they tried like I tried. The worst that you can say all about me is that I'm never satisfied…”

Janis Joplin

"Work me, Lord", live at Woodstock (1969)

“Being an intellectual creates a lot of questions and no answers. You can fill your life up with ideas and still go home lonely. All you really have that really matters are feelings. That's what music is to me.”

Janis Joplin

“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 me anybody to love,
To feel my care.”

Janis Joplin

"Work Me, Lord", from her album I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969) was written by her bandmate Nick Gravenites, whom she credits at the start of her famous performance of the song at the Woodstock Music Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsDFbwMCTKY, as well as others, such as a live performance in Stockholm (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-irXmqIzGA
Misattributed

“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free...
And feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues.
You know feeling good was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.”

Janis Joplin

"Me and Bobby McGee" another of her greatest hits, the song was actually written by Kris Kristofferson, and first released as sung by Roger Miller
Misattributed