Will You Dance? A Memory with the Voice of Janis Ian

Will You Dance? A Memory with the Voice of Janis Ian – From Japan

There was a memorable TV drama titled Albums in the Riverside that aired in the 1970s in Japan. Amazingly, we can still watch it on YouTube today.

The theme song of this drama was Will You Dance? by Janis Ian.

When I recently rewatched this drama on YouTube and listened to the theme song, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia—I was speechless. Memories of the first time I heard this chic and sophisticated song came flooding back.

Now, I’ve realized how emotional the melody is, but I was also surprised to discover how avant-garde the lyrics are. Back then, I couldn’t fully understand the song’s translation, so I never imagined that Janis Ian’s delicate and sentimental voice could carry such bold, aggressive lyrics.

Inspired by this song, I’ve decided to practice singing it myself.

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