The Song that Made Janis Ian the Most Notorious Folk Singer in America

It's hard to imagine a teenage singer-songwriter today climbing the Billboard charts with a folk-rock song about a young, interracial love affair. But that's exactly what happened in 1966 when Janis Ian, a 16-year-old from East Orange, New Jersey, released "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)."

This live studio recording aired on WNYC only months before Ian became a household name and "Society's Child" became a flash point in the 1960s culture wars. The song was banned at radio stations across the country, but despite - or maybe because of - the controversy, it reached #1 in several major radio markets, and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This performance includes five songs, four of which appear on the 1966 full-length album also called "Society's Child". The fifth song we've been unable to identify on any of Ian's released material.  Ian calls it a "bleep bleep" song, presumably for its racy lyrics, which detail the exploitation and fears of a teenage girl on the streets of New York City.

1. Younger Generation Blues
2. Society's Child
3. I'll Give You A Stone If You'll Throw It (Changing Thymes)
4. (Too Old To) Go 'Way Little Girl
5. Bleep Bleep Song

Audio courtesy of the Dave Sear Folk Music Collection.