Musician Janis Ian spent 2020 developing a special project that has the perfect vibe for the year ahead.
The legendary musician behind hits like Society’s Child (I’ve Been Thinking), At Seventeen and Fly Too High, will celebrate her 70th birthday this year, and she’s always busy writing new songs for her legions of fans.
Over the last year hundreds of musicians from around the globe have created versions of Better Times Will Come a song that Ian wrote in April 2020 – and it’s an inspiring collection of recordings.
On her website Ian explains how the song came to life.
“This song started running around my head the day after John Prine died, as I was doing laundry. It stayed with me through the dryer cycle, and I moved from my head to a notebook about ten minutes later. It was finished half an hour later; I grabbed my phone and sung into it, tapping time with the pen I’d been using. I call this kind of piece a “miracle song” because they’re so rare in my life. I’ve probably written five songs out of 600+ that came this quickly, and I’m always humbled when it happens.” Ian shared.
Ian’s original recording is a heartfelt acapella promoting a brighter future, but since she created her take over a hundred other musicians have shared their own versions of the song.
Some of the contributors are well known musicians like Neil Finn, Frank Turner, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Shonen Knife and Mary Black, while most of the contributions are from lesser known musicians who each provide an interesting and different take on the tune.
Take a look sat Janis Ian’s website to take a deep dive into the many different versions of the song, and if you’re feeling down just remember – Better Times Will Come!
OIP Staff
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