Society's Child

[Modem Butterfly]

Come to my door, baby,
Face is clean and shining black as night.
My mother went to answer you know
That you looked so fine.
Now I could understand your tears and your shame,
She called you "boy" instead of your name.
When she wouldn't let you inside,
When she turned and said,
"But honey, he's not our kind."

She says, I can't see you any more, baby,
Can't see you anymore.

Walk me down to school, baby,
Everybody's acting deaf and blind.
Until they turn and say, "Why don't you stick to your own kind?"
My teachers all laugh, their smirking stares,
Cutting deep down in our affairs.
Preachers of equality,
Think they believe it, then why won't they just let us be?

They say I can't see you anymore baby,
Can't see you anymore.

One of these days I'm gonna stop my listening
Gonna raise my head up high.
One of these days I'm gonna raise up my glistening wings and fly.
But that day will have to wait for a while.
Baby I'm only society's child.
When we're older things may change,
But for now this is the way they must remain.
I say I can't see you anymore baby,
Can't see you anymore.
No, I don't want to see you anymore, baby.

[ET Awful]

1. That song is even more impressive when you know how old

Janis Ian was when she wrote and recorded it.

[redqueen]

2. She still doesn't get the respect she deserves, IMO.

[ET Awful]

3. Anybody that's heard "At Seventeen" will usually have a healthy

dose of respect for her. :) "Tea and Sympathy" is still one of my all time favorite songs.

Pass the tea and sympathy
For the good old days are dead.
Let's drink a toast to those who best
Survived the life they've led.
It's a long long time til morning
So build your fires high
Now I lay me down to sleep
Forever by your side.