This is so raw. Janis Joplin at her best. I just can’t get enough of that scratchy voice, laden with emotion and bursting at the seams.
It’s not a particularly uplifting song, telling a story of how there’s basically no point trying to get better things – just take what you can when you can. It’s a nihilistic take on heartbreak.
A rich cast of piano, horns, guitar and organ accompanies the star of the track – the vocals. There’s a great ebb and flow, with more subdued sections leading to a guns blazing chorus.
The track was released on Joplin’s first solo album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, in 1969.