Janis Joplin's 60 Best Quotes: The Bohemian Side of Life

Janis Joplin was a major American singer in the 1960s who became the first woman to be considered a Rock and Roll star. Also known as the cosmic witch or the white lady of the blues, she was in her time a symbol of the counterculture that stood out for her intensity and her unbridled lifestyle.

Throughout her short life (since she would die at twenty-seven years of age) this young singer would make various reflections on various themes. For this reason, and to better understand her thought and philosophy, in this article we leave you with a selection of Janis Joplin quotes.

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The best phrases and reflections of Janis Joplin

Below we present a series of phrases and reflections of this well-known singer, which she expressed in her songs her need to love and be free and reflected in them part of her story and feelings. They mostly talk about aspects and topics such as love, freedom, acceptance of what is different and emotion.

1. I just want to feel as much as I can, it's all the soul is about

For Janis Joplin, feelings and experience were really important aspects, especially when it comes to the search for the romantic love.

2. Everyone has to settle for something at some point. You can't have it all and you can't go on without putting your entire life in jeopardy.

This phrase expresses that although we must fight for what we want, we must try to have realistic expectations and not get frustrated by not getting everything we would like.

3. However, you shouldn't settle for less than what makes you happy. Instead of choosing what you think is best, you already know you have what you need when happiness comes.

Continuation of the previous sentence, it expresses that the fact of knowing that we cannot have everything we want does not imply that we have to settle for anything: we always have to look for something that makes us happy. We do not have to choose for what we believe will be better but for what we feel fills us.

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4. It's hard to be free, but when it works, it's worth it!

To be as one is in our life and fighting for what we want leads us to feel free.

5. On stage I make love to 25,000 different people. then i go home alone

Loneliness was a frequent sensation in the life of the white lady of the blues. This phrase exemplifies that professional success is not associated with personnel and that many people only love a part of us and do not take the rest into account.

6. Do you know the reason why only people of color are thought to have souls? Because white people don't allow themselves to feel with their soul

The singer was born and grew up in a strongly racist environment in which there was racial segregation and persecution and mistreatment of people of color, things to which she was opposed.

7. Being intellectual creates a lot of questions and no answers

The search for knowledge does not necessarily imply finding answers, but asking new questions. One of Janis Joplin's phrases in which she reflects on wisdom.

8. Here I am, friend, to celebrate a party, the best possible while I live on earth. I think that is also your duty

The singer expresses that we must focus on being happy and living in the present and stop worrying excessively about everything that could happen.

9. Don't put your life in danger. you are all you have

Appreciating and valuing yourself is what this phrase proposes, since we are only going to live one life: ours.

10. I feel so worthless down here with no one to love. Even though I've searched everywhere, I can't find anyone who loves me, who feels my affection.

Fragment of one of her songs expresses loneliness and the need to love and be loved.

11. What makes you feel good can't do you any harm

In this sentence we can see how Janis Joplin sought to find peace in things that made her feel good temporarily. Specifically referred to drug and alcohol use, which ultimately would end up costing him his life.

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12. I'm buried alive in the blues

The singer expressed her feelings and emotions with all her intensity.

13. Love your animal friends, don't eat them

Janis Joplin defended animal rightsas well as vegetarianism.

14. You can destroy your present worrying about your future

Overworrying about what could happen in the future makes us forget about living in the here and now.

15. Once, in a green age, a flower fell in love with the sun, the passion lasted an hour, and then she withered for her beloved.

This brief fragment of a song speaks of a fleeting and passionate love that leaves those who really wanted something more wounded.

16. I always wanted to be an artist, whatever it was, the same way other girls wanted to be flight attendants. I used to read. I painted. I thought

The expression and communication of emotions and ways of thinking and being yourself, of being free, was what Janis had always wanted to do.

• You may be interested in: "The 8 types of emotions (classification and description)"

17. Freedom is another word to define nothing to lose

Although this phrase can be interpreted negatively, it tries to reflect that whoever is free has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

18. Being myself, being the person inside of me, not playing games, that's what I'm trying to do all the time more than anything in the world, so as not to screw myself or screw others.

In short, the white lady of the blues defended the need to be authentic and live coherently and without harming oneself or others.

19. Here is the problem: sometimes I have to sleep. But there are so many things happening… Why sleep? I might miss a party

The singer, a symbol of the counterculture and rebellion, intended to be always active.

20. When I sing I feel like I'm in love. It's more than sex. It is the point where two people reach what they call love for the first time, multiplied by the entire public. It's gigantic.

Singing is a great way of emotional expression, establishing an intimate communication with whom she listens.. In addition, the author of the phrase found comfort in the admiration and appreciation that the viewers showed for her.

21. My business is to have fun and enjoy. And why not, if in the end everything ends?

Once again, the singer emphasizes the need to live life as we want to live it, striving to be happy.

22. We don't forgive others because they deserve it, but because they need it. They need it, we need it, we all need it.

Forgiveness and being forgiven is something we all need to both give and receive, even though we may or may not deserve it.

23. You gotta do it while you can

Joplin invites us to act, to live, to experiment and chase our dreams.

24. I'm one of those commonly weird people

Janis Joplin was always considered an outsider, being bullied since childhood and suffering from severe self-esteem issues for much of her life.

25. All you really need are feelings

This phrase reflects that in reality, what really matters is what we feel about ourselves, others and life.

26. I am a victim of my own insides. There was a time when she wanted to know everything. It used to make me very unhappy, that feeling. I didn't know what to do with it. But now I've learned to make that feeling work for me.

It is logical to want to know everything, but we must be aware that we cannot know everything and that our understanding of the world is limited.

27. I want you to count, to count your fingers, my unhappy, my unfortunate. My sad little girl. I know you're unhappy, honey, I know.

Part of one of her songs, it expresses the feeling of loneliness and need for affection that Janis felt for most of her life.

28. I have looked around and I have been able to understand something: how much we need to be loved. Ambition is not just a desperate search for position or money. It is love, much love.

The need to be loved is something that drives us to a great extent to act (even in ways that seem to be contrary to it) in order to be loved.

29. If you're getting more shit than you deserve, you know what to do about it. You know, all you need is more music.

The singer intends with this phrase to show that we should not let ourselves be influenced by the attacks or opinions of others, but rather we have to remain ourselves.

30. One of these mornings you're going to get up, get up singing, you're going to spread your wings boy, and soar into the sky

This phrase is part of one of his songs: Specifically, it deals with the translation of a fragment of summer time. Although it can be interpreted as the fact of dreaming, it refers to death.

31. If I hold back, I'm no good. I'm not good. I'd rather be good sometimes than hold back all the time.

Sexual liberation was some of the ideas that underlie all of his work.

32. Yeah, feeling good was easy Lord, when I sang the blues.

Blues is one of the genres most linked to religion in the US.

33. Take another little piece of my heart.

Chorus of the famous song “Piece of my heart”.

34. Suddenly someone threw me in front of this rock and roll band. And I decided then and there that this was it. I never wanted to do anything else.

From a very young age he was able to lead any band that came his way.

35. I know she told you. Baby I know he told you that he loved you

Love and heartbreak were the great themes that he addressed in his discography.

36. Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

One of his most famous choruses.

37. You know you got it, kid, if it makes you feel good.

His songs were truly suggestive and daring for the time.

38. Guess what, she might be the first hippie pinup girl.

Joplin always wanted to break the mold and not get pigeonholed into a single movement.

39. cry baby

The chorus of "Cry baby" continues to be one of the most remembered of his musical production.

40. I'm tired of all these hippies.

Even as one of the greatest exponents of the Hippie movement, Joplin ended up fed up with some of its members.

41. I will not quit to be someone's old wife.

Joplin was a liberated woman ahead of his time.

42. Touching is just feeling. Touching is not necessarily about misery. Touching is not necessarily about happiness. But it's just about allowing yourself to feel all those things that you already have inside of you, but that you're trying to push aside all the time because they don't make for polite conversation or something.

A very heartfelt definition of what music is for artists.

43. The public likes their blues singers to be miserable.

An idea shared by many great blues artists.

44. As she gets closer and more likely, being a star really loses its meaning.

Janis never intended to be a star or to be famous.

45. You don't know, honey, nobody's ever going to love you.

As it happens in soul, some of his songs tell very sad stories.

46. Summer… Child life is easy.

His version of the song "Summertime and the living is easy" is one of his most recognized.

47. Tomorrow never happens. It's all the same fucking day, man.

48. Nothing, I mean nothing, baby, it's free

Joplin was able to talk about life in the US in many of his songs.

49. The more you live, the less you die.

A plea in favor of vitality and the joy of living.

50. Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin. Now, they are so subtle that they can milk you with two notes. They can make you feel like you've been told the whole universe. But I don't know that yet. All I have now is strength. Maybe if I keep singing, maybe I'll make it.

Janice always compared herself to her great musical idols.

51. I have to have the 'umph'. I have to feel it, because if it doesn't hit me, the audience probably won't feel it either.

Joplin always knew how to connect with his audience on very intimate levels.

52. My father would not give us a television, he would not allow a television in the house.

Her childhood was atypical but her father's discipline was not bad at all.

53. Texas is fine if you want to settle down and do your own thing quietly, but it's not for loud people, and I've always been loud.

It is clear that in her native Texas she was not able to develop her full potential as an artist.

54. I can't talk about my singing. I'm in. How can you describe something you are in?

Sometimes it is difficult to describe things that come naturally to us.

55. Who you are is what you settle for, you know?

Good advice to keep in mind in our daily lives.

56. You don't have time to wait. You just have to look around and say, "So this is it. This is really all there is to it. This little thing."

Her reflections on her life were very influential among her thousands of followers.

57. There's going to be no tipping point… There's going to be no next month-better-better, next damn year, next damn lifetime.

Despite having a generally upbeat attitude, some of her quotes were also downright pessimistic.

58. There is a light, a certain kind of light. Never ever, she never shined on me.

Blues is a genre that addresses religious themes in most of her songs.

59. I think I think too much. That's why I drink!

Throughout her life, Janis had various addictive behaviors with both drugs and alcohol.

60. You don't know, you don't know what it is. No, you don't know, honey, no, you don't know. You don't know what it's like to love someone

In addition to composing her own songs, Joplin covered very popular songs by great Rock and Soul stars, in this case, the Bee Gees.