She Must Be Beautiful ~ Janis Ian

This is one of Janis Ian's most beautiful songs and I was surprised to find that it has not yet been uploaded to YouTube. This is a live performance to which I have added a simple photographic collage. The Words:

THE SEAGULLS OF SUMMER HAVE FLOWN
THE SAILORS HAVE WINTERED THEIR BOATS
COME SIT BY THE FIRE AND TELL ME YOUR SECRETS
LOVE ISN'T KEPT EASILY

THE WINDOWS ARE SHUTTERED AND CLOSED
BLANKETS TO KEEP OUT THE COLD
BUT YOU ARE STILL RESTLESS
YOUR HEART IS ENCHANTED
DRIFTING AWAY FROM ME

AND IS SHE BEAUTIFUL
SHE MUST BE PRETTY OR WORSE
TO RIDE THE HIGH SEAS
SHE MUST BE BEAUTIFUL
WHITE LINEN SAILS THAT HAVE
CAPTURED YOUR VAGRANT BREEZE
SINGING HER SIREN SONG
LURING YOU FAR FROM THE HARBOR
AND INTO THE GALES
SHE MUST BE BEAUTIFUL
SO BEAUTIFUL
TO HAVE STOLEN THE WIND FROM MY SAILS

CASTING YOUR DREAMS OUT TO SEA
WILL YOU REMEMBER ME
AS YEARS GO BY
SLIPPED AWAY WITH THE TIDE
IT WAS I WHO SET YOU FREE

AND IS SHE BEAUTIFUL
SHE MUST BE PRETTY OR WORSE
TO RIDE THE HIGH SEAS
SHE MUST BE BEAUTIFUL
WHITE LINEN SAILS THAT HAVE
CAPTURED YOUR VAGRANT BREEZE
SINGING HER SIREN SONG
LURING YOU FAR FROM THE HARBOR
AND INTO THE GALES
SHE MUST BE BEAUTIFUL
SO BEAUTIFUL
TO HAVE STOLEN THE WIND FROM MY SAILS
... SO BEAUTIFUL
TO HAVE STOLEN THE WIND FROM MY SAILS

Category:

Music

Tags:

• female
• singer
• songwriter
• piano
• folk
• contemporary
• love song
• live
• sad
• lonely
• hurt
• abandoned
• ended
• forlorn
• wounded

[dutchbonnet]

Hard to go wrong with a Janis ian song. Thank you.

[nmacmedia]

Oh I love this song, have done for many years... cheers for whacking it up here. Love all Ms Ian does..... what a songwriter, and what a singer. I remember seeing JI in Sydney at a small venue maybe 8 years ago, she did all her wondrous classics... this album (God & the FBI) had recently come out and I'd had it on steady rotation at home, particularly this song. At the gig I hollered for her to do it, but alas, she would not... I think it was too new at the time. It's become a classic to me.

[dutchbonnet]

@nmacmedia I am a huge fan too, though like you I've only seen her live once (Cambridge Folk Festival, 1991 I think). You should visit her website at Janisian dot com. Re not doing the song you requested, if a song hasn't been planned and rehearsed it's very difficult to just add it in to a concert. There are other musicians, technicians etc. involved as well as just Janis. I'm sure she would have done it if she possibly could. There's no other singer I know of that tries so hard to oblige.

[bilstonjay]

That is a beautiful song.

[dutchbonnet]

@bilstonjay I think she's the finest living female singer/songwriter. On the male side I rate Leonard Cohen No.1. Thanks for commenting.

[IngerAnna]

The most beautiful and heartbreaking song about lost love.

[ingerannasanga]

This song is so beautiful!

[shenwood55]

@bakers1family fell in love with her when I was in high school back in the 70s

[msoria16]

i think i found my new favorite everything.

[myragarnett]

beautiful job on this, thank you



[baretoedgirl18]

I *LOVE* this song! Thanks for posting, it is a hard one to find.

[bakers1family]

This is AWESOME! Just discovered Janis Ian. She said there was no sheet music for this, dammit! Can't wait to listen to everything else. The interviews are really neat too. What an interesting lady!

[0904198328]

Thank you so much my darling xx I did tell you my secrets xx and you did set me free xxx I love you xxx lol 2 col xx