Music has historically been a means of expression and a way to portray the conditions of the time in which it was written, as well as the feelings and circumstances of the person by whom it was created. This way of expressing oneself through music can be seen in the poem "Burying blues for Janis", by Marge Piercy; in this poem, Janis Joplin is portrayed as pouring her soul through her music, and the poem casts her in a different light than society typically viewed her. The words of the poem portray Janis as a strong voice who speaks of the difficulties women endure in male-female relationships. Similar to Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell is another unique and timeless voice describing relationships between men and women, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s (Hedley 17). Through their lyrics, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell describe the condition of women in the 1960s and 1970s, and more specifically themselves, as forced to sacrifice themselves and their happiness in their romantic relationships. Many songs by these musicians, including but not limited to Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" and "The Last Time" and Joni Mitchell's "I Had a King" and "The Gallery" describe or allude to the sacrificial nature of romantic relationships . In “Burying blues for Janis,” Piercy poignantly describes how Janis's performances of her music reveal her personal sacrifice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn the poem "Burying blues for Janis" Marge Piercy shows her ability to reach readers in an identifiable but also revealing way (Pagante 63). Her description of Janis's singing recalls many of the things Janis's audience probably believed about her but was unable to put into words. In the first stanza of the poem, Piercy connects Janis' voice to what she feels in her life, in terms of being a woman when she says "Your voice always hit me right in the funny bone of the big-hearted suffering bitch that ruled me like a huge copper moon with its phases until I could, partially, free myself." Piercy is describing how Janis' music and lyrics touched on a very particular idea or circumstance in her mind, which is that all women must suffer, especially at the hands of men and relationships. Piercy vividly describes the raspy, soulful sound of Janis's voice when he writes "Your voice would grate right on the marrow-filled bone that cooks that rich stew of masochism we swim in." The poem openly states what was implied earlier when it says “Woman is born to suffer, mistreated and deceived.” This statement is radical, but it is a very prevalent theme in Janis' music (Willet 8). While Janis Joplin's lyrics perhaps do not directly affirm these pessimistic circumstances, her voice, lyrics, and music cadences all express the depths of her soul in a way that lets the listener know all that is contained within ( Willet 12) (Piercy 39). The circumstance of the women described in the first stanza is well summed up by the lines "We never feel so alive, so in character as when we walk the ground with sadness all night." The tone of these lines is subtly sarcastic, due to the words "so in character". These words help make it inevitable that women will have to suffer. Piercy once again demonstrates her keen ability to relate to the bleeding, suffering hearts of women around the world when she describes the effect a man's absence can have on a woman by writing, "When a man who isn't there it's, it's better if it goes away, it becomes onelack that swells." until it becomes a gaseous balloon and flattens all thoughts, senses and purposes from us." This line is very relatable, as most women can identify with the pain and heartache caused by the absence of a man they care about, even if it's not good for them anyway. The "lack" of this man is difficult to understandcope with, and the essence of the lack acts as a constant pain that is reminded of the woman, even when it "flattens", and the pain should go away, but it is just in a different form , less immediate. This verse deeply and powerfully describes the difficulties that women often face because of men. Piercy not only accurately and uniquely describes Janis' music and how it relates to women's relationships and suffering, but also describes women's struggle in a way that is undeniably true, even for someone who has never listened to the music of Janis Joplin. (Payant 79) (Piercy 39). In the second verse of "Burying blues for Janis", Piercy continues with the theme of women being humiliated by men, but describes more about the necessary sacrifice women are subjected to. This verse ties together all the related but not necessarily cohesive parts of the first verse, and also arguably reveals Piercy's main theme and main conclusion about Janis and her music. The very first line refers to Janis' music as "downtrodden, juicy, elongated female blues," which is powerful and also surprising, because it ties the entire first verse together to form a bold conclusion about what Janis' music does . For Piercy to describe her music as "downtrodden" is bold and unprecedented as most audiences and listeners no doubt saw Janis as strong and confident; however, through the lyrics and sounds of his music, there is a certain theme of "downtrodden blues" (Willet 22). Piercy also writes that Janis's life was the fuel for her powerful music, which adds depth of feeling to her music, as it is confessional and personal (Willet 15). The theme of Janis' sacrifice becomes especially evident when Piercy writes, "You embodied that good mother who gives and gives like a fountain of boozy chicken soup to a race of men." This phrase is crucial to the overall theme of the poem, as it describes how Janis sacrificed herself. She "[gave] and [gave]" to men, like a "made" mother; the written words portray her as used by men, tired and with little of herself to give. The phrase "like a fountain of alcoholic chicken soup" represents how he sacrifices himself; it is not in a healthy way that allows her to derive happiness from it (Willet 25). The word “drunk” indicates that he is giving away part of himself in a fickle and unhealthy way, a way that will ultimately lead to no happiness or personal fulfillment (Piercy 39). Another section which describes this sacrifice and is very crucial in understanding this poem is: “You embodied the beautiful inflated rubber of passivity, woman on your back to the world ceaselessly, desperately and erratically offering a brave front to be fucked.” Much of Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell's music deals with this circumstance; this describes Janis as willing to do anything to be loved, even to the point of offering herself to men who will not treat her with care. These lines are where the distinction is made between Janis's raging as a form of rebellion and her raging as a form of courage and the result of self-sacrifice. The final lines of the poem are the most raw and descriptive in their portrayal of Janis' music and inherent sacrifice when they say "That will to hold on to the hook and call it love, that need to love like a screaming void in the soul, that's the drugthat hangs us and drags us down mortally like the freezing sleet of skag that freezes your blood." Janis' music greatly touches on the "willingness to hold on to the hook and call it love" in many different ways, but all united by a common theme It's clear that the theme of much of Janis Joplin's music is about how relationships bring women down through how the need to love "like a screaming void in the soul" drags people down. Piercy then makes a comparison between the need for love which is "the drug that hangs us and drags us down" and "the frozen skag sleet that froze [Janis's] blood," which shows that he is attributing the death of Janis in part to her own sacrifice and her "need for love" and "willingness to hang on to the hook". Here Piercy implies that Janis' sacrifice, which was well-intentioned and simply to satisfy her need for love, is what it ultimately led to his death. The poem also implies that all women are subject to such necessary sacrifice to be loved by men and that Janis Joplin is simply representative of this sad truth (Piercy 39). Much of Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell's music deals with how women are dragged down by relationships and how they sacrifice themselves. Janis Joplin has a unique and powerful way of creating a relationship. the listening public feels his pain through his music and feels everything he says as if he were experiencing it himself. Therefore, it is easy to listen to his music and feel personally connected and identify with the words he sings (Friedman 72). . When Janis sings about relationships, the intensity of the emotion is very evident, and the feeling of being "abandoned" and giving away more and more of herself is also very evident (Willet 25). The song "Piece of My Heart" is about how her relationship with a man brings her down and how she sacrifices her own happiness in the relationship. Particularly evident from the poem "Burying the blues for Janis" in the song "Piece of My Heart" is the fact that "Woman is born to suffer, abused and deceived", and also the circumstance of the "woman with her back to the world offering 'endless, hopeless, erratically, a courageous attitude to fuck." The song begins with Janis asking the question "Haven't I given you almost everything a woman can?" (Janis Joplin). This shows that she feels that even though she has given everything she can, he is still dissatisfied with her. The chorus of this song is very confessional and gets to the main point of the song, when Janis sings "Take another little piece of my heart now, darling / Break another little piece of my heart now darling" (Janis Joplin). From the way Janis sings these words, the listener can understand the depth of her feelings about the words she sings, and the lyrics show that she feels like a man is taking part of herself, and it is breaking her heart . This song is specifically about Janis' feelings of emotional and mental suffering and being mistreated, which is made especially clear when she sings "And every time I tell myself that I, well, I can't take the pain, but when you hold me between your arms, I'll sing it one more time" (Janis Joplin). These lyrics show Janis's frustrations with her inability to let go of the relationship, even though she knows it isn't good for her, which leads back to the "rich stew of masochism we swim in" that Piercy wrote about (Willet 70). Janis's lyrics often indirectly refer to her masochism or self-destruction, which were often in the form of drugs and emotionally abusive or sacrificial relationships, which were problems perpetuated by men (Friedman 38). The lyrics to "The Last Time" by Janis Joplin also show a form ofsacrifice and hardship faced by Janis similarly, which is that of a man who is fickle and does not keep his word, yet she "gives and gives like a fountain of chicken soup alcohol." The song begins with Janis' raspy, soulful voice begging "Do it one last time, do it one last time" and the listener can already identify with her pleading and desperate voice. The lyrics of this song describe how Janis sacrifices her own happiness to love this man, whose love is inconsistent and ultimately leaves her only unhappy and unfulfilled. The lyrics: "And every time you leave I make the same vow That when you come back I won't love you in any way. But when you come back you seem so beautiful to me that I can't stand it anymore, my darling", must be Janis Joplin and the way which she sings tells the reader about the way this relationship makes her feel down and feel exploited (Janis Joplin). It is clear from the text that Janis wants to stop herself from loving this man and that he takes advantage of her weakness and her love for him, in a way that causes her to sacrifice her own feelings. This song ends with Janis showing her sensitivity and vulnerability when she sings "Hold on to my heart, I'll believe until you're gone, then I'll cry, yeah" (Janis Joplin). When juxtaposed with the image most people have of the type of musician Janis Joplin was, representing strength, toughness and rebellion, these lyrics make people see her in a completely different light, especially because of the emotion and pain he feels. his voice as he sings them (Willet 72). As "Burying blues for Janis" describes, Janis Joplin sings of her own personal suffering in sacrificing herself at the hands of relationships and men, and is a voice of women's suffering in relationships, in general. Joni Mitchell is another female musician around Janis Joplin's time singing about personal sacrifice in relationships and suffering women must endure. Although Joni Mitchell's style is different, many of her overall themes are very similar to Janis Joplin's. Joni's song "I Had A King" very insightfully and metaphorically describes how her marriage to a man she didn't love led her to sacrifice much of herself for a time (Joni Mitchell). The lyrics of this song that are most directly related to sacrifice in relationship are: "I had a king in a rusty carriage who took me to his country to marry him too soon Beware the power of the moons There's no one to blame No, not there's no one to call a traitor here" (jonimitchell.com) This song, with Joni's soft yet powerful and haunting voice and vividly metaphorical lyrics, describes her sacrifice involved in marrying a man too young, and how she feels she has sacrificed his happiness and a part of his youth. However, the lines "Beware the power of the moons, there is no one to blame, no, there is no one to name as a traitor here", demonstrate that while she feels she has sacrificed herself, she does not blame the man. He attributes the suffering and the mistake made to the "power of the moons" and believes that there was no deliberate betrayal (Joni Mitchell). Yet her feeling of having sacrificed herself is very evident in the sound and lyrics of the song. It is also evident from the lyrics: "I had a king dressed in technical fabric and cashmere Lately he's started saying I'm crazy and blind He lives in another time The ladies in gingham still blush While he sings about wars and wine But I with my skin and my lace I can never become that guy." This verse shows that Joni feels that this man is from "another time" and that he does not understand her. This is evident from the fact that he calls her "crazy and blind". Throughout this song, Joni doesn't blame the man for her circumstance, yet she still feels somehow violatedand exploited, probably by societal pressure to marry, which pushes her to marry the wrong man (Joni Mitchell). However, the end of this verse, although very sad and full of raw emotion, can also be seen as hopeful as Joni recognizes that she married the wrong man and concludes "But I with my skin and my lace, not Will I ever become that guy." While the listener can identify with her sadness at having sold herself out for a while, it's clear that she will change her circumstances, particularly in the next chorus: "I can't go back there anymore, you know my keys don't fit in the door, You know my thoughts don't fit the man, they never can, they never can." The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "They never can", which she concludes by singing in a very low and powerful voice. This represents a contrast between Joni's music and Janis's. While Joni ends the song on a hopeful note, saying she won't return to her sacrificial circumstances, Janis ends many of her songs by pleading with men or singing the blues. Another Joni Mitchell song about a woman sacrificing herself in a romantic relationship, which Joni uses to represent her own personal circumstance, is The Gallery. This song is about being with a man who doesn't give her back all the love she gives him, and maybe he's unfaithful. The fact that this man does not treat Joni as well as she treats him is represented by the lines "I keep your house in tip top shape, I dust the portraits every day, your mail comes here from everywhere, the writing looks sir.'" These lines show that while Joni tries to make this man happy in every way possible, she suspects that he is disloyal to her. However, this man begs "Lady, please love me now, I'm dead. I'm a saint, turn down your bed", and she is trapped in the endless cycle of sacrifice and suffering. The song goes on to say how Joni sacrificed many of her good years for her sake through the lyrics "I gave you all my good years, then we started to hold on. And I was left here to winter, while you went west to pleasure." These lines encapsulate the essence of the entire song, which is that of a woman sacrificing herself for a man she cares about, while he doesn't care for her as much, and does everything selfishly to please himself. The fact that this man left her after she gave him her “beautiful years” and went on to find pleasure through other women without regard for her, shows the incredible degree of sacrifice that was present in the relationship. This song ties back to “that willingness to hang on to the hook and call it love” that Piercy wrote about. It demonstrates how women in romantic relationships, just like Joni in this song, often give up everything because of their need to love, "like a screaming void in the soul." Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell are different in their approaches and attitudes. musical style, but both write about the suffering they have endured and the sacrifices they have made in their relationships with men. Janis' style is rougher and ragged and more closely embodies the "big-hearted, suffering bitch fantasy" that Piercy refers to in "Burying Blues for Janis", while Joni is more metaphorical and subtle, both in terms of lyrics and voice. Although it is Janis's voice that tends more to "scratch" the bones, and she is more likely to perform in a way that most immediately comes across as "downtrodden, juicy female blues," both women's music shows that women "are trained in that hotbed of exploitation" and both women embody a "woman with her back to the world who relentlessly, desperately, raggedly puts up a brave front to be fucked," and the need.