Antes da música, Janis se interessou pela pintura, neste ano ela expôs alguns quadros em um café de Port Arthur. Nesta época, já estava interessada pela literatura Beatnik, especialmente Jack Kerouac. Cantava no coral da Igreja.
Por esses tempos, Janis quebrou de vez com as tradições locais durante a integração racial, defendendo os direitos dos negros estudarem no mesmo colégio que os brancos. Port Arthur era uma cidade interiorana, que vivia do petróleo, e extremamente tradicional e machista.

Cidade de Port Arthur, Texas. Nasce Janis Lyn Joplin , filha de Dorothy e Seth Joplin .

Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, um gimme time.
I heard somebody say, oh, "The older the grape,
Sweeter the wine, sweeter the wine."

Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It's growing stronger day by day, yeah,
That's the price you've got to pay.

Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, please, a little more time.
Takes a road runner just a little bit uh-longer, dear,
Oh, to make up my mind, I gotta make up my mind.
Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It's growing stronger day by day,
That's the price that we both got to pay.

I gotta know, know that I'm ready, oh ready to settle down,
'Cause I think too much of your loving, baby,
Yeah, I don't wanna mess your life around!

So if you love me like you tell me that you're doing, dear,
You shouldn't mind paying the price, any price, any price.
Love is supposed to be that special kind of thing,
Make anybody want to sacrifice.
Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It's growing stronger day by day,
That's the price we both gotta pay.

Trust in me baby, trust in me baby,
Trust in my love, in my heart.
Keep the faith, baby, keep the faith in me, dear, in my love.
Don't turn your face away from me, dear, oh you leave a lost girl,
Oh, don't turn your love away, no no no no no no no,
You gotta believe in me, baby, yeah, trust me dear, oh...

."Eu canto música negra para tirar dinheiro dos brancos." Janis Joplin