Down on Me
An old freedom song that Joplin rearranged with new words.
Big Brother & The Holding Company, from Big Brother & the Holding Company (1967)
- Written by
- Traditional, Janis Joplin
- Released
- 1967
- Album
- Big Brother & the Holding Company
Down on Me is a traditional freedom song from the 1920s or earlier. The first known recording was made in 1927 by Deacon Leon Davis. The older lyrics are darker than Joplin's. Joplin rearranged the song and wrote new words, and her last stanza ends on a hopeful note: "Believe in your brother, have faith in man".
Big Brother put it on the debut album, and Mainstream issued it as a single in March 1967 with Call On Me on the other side. It reached the Hot 100 in August 1968, in the wake of Cheap Thrills, and stayed there for eight weeks. Live at Winterland '68 includes two versions, at 3:01 and 4:03.
Covers and versions
- La Lupe (1969) Covered Joplin's version.
- Jeany Reynolds (1970) Covered Joplin's version.
More songs by Big Brother & The Holding Company
Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain, Summertime, Combination of the Two
Sources
- Down on Me (traditional song), Wikipedia
- Big Brother and the Holding Company, Wikipedia