Question I was wondering when and under what circumstances Janis Joplin said, "Don't compromise yourself, you're all you got." It is quoted so many places, even on soy milk boxes, that I haven't been able to find out when she originally said it. It's a great quotation, so I just wanted to make sure she actually said it, and I'm curious what was going on in her life at the time. Insightful people like her aren't always able to follow their own advice. I understand this question is kind of off the hook and you might not know the answer even though you're an expert.
Answer First let me say that I apologize for taking so long to answer your question!
I was away on vacation and just got back last night.
Yes, Janis actually did say "Don't compromise yourself, it's all you have" Unfortunately, because she said it so often, it's a little difficult to pin down when she actually started to say it.
But it follows the line of a lot of Janis' other quotations, like this one, which she said when Big Brother first broke in 1967:
I'm here to have a party while I'm on this earth...I'm gettin' it now, today.
I don't even know where I'm gonna be twenty years from now, so I'm just gonna keep on rockin',
cause if I start saving up bits and pieces of me...man, there ain't gonna be nothing left for Janis.
In terms of what was going on in her life, I can't tell you for sure, because you know, I'm not Janis. But a lot of her life was comprised of trying to live up to her parents' expectations of who she *should* be. There was also a sense that Janis felt that she "gave" herself to her audiences every night, and when she came off stage, she often felt empty.
In terms of whether she followed her own advice, hmm, I would have to say yes. Janis remained pretty true to her roots even throughout her superstardom. Do I think she started to feel like she didn't know *who* she was after a time in the spotlight? Yes. I think the whole creation of the "Pearl" persona was Janis breaking into two; the person her audience wanted to see as compared to her offstage persona. I feel like she was also torn because of her upbringing; Janis really liked reading about southern belles, and was quite fond of the writings of Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. So a big part of Janis was itchin' to put on a big skirt and sashay around, or at least, get married and settle down.
My point being that while she didn't compromise herself, I think who she was changed from the beginning of her career to the end and her eventual death.
Anyway, I'm sorry this answer was both late & lengthy.... Because your question was, as you say "a little off the hook" I thought I'd take a shot at it with what I know about Janis.
If you have any further questions, I'd be more than happy to follow up and answer them.
