Ultra Rare Footage Shows Janis Joplin’s Electric 1970 Performance Of “Cry Baby” In Toronto

Toronto, 1970

It’s one thing to hear audio recordings of Janis Joplin’s, powerhouse voice, but it’s another thing entirely to see footage of her performing live. She put her entire heart and soul into her performances, and rare footage like this of her performing ‘Cry Baby’ is absolutely hypnotizing! It’s enough to make you wonder if ‘Cry Baby’, a cover she recorded shortly before her death in 1970, became such a cultural staple simply because her emotionally charged performances of this classic just made people feel.

Originally recorded by Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters in 1963, Janis Joplin covered ‘Cry Baby’ in 1970. It was released in 1971 on her posthumous album Pearl.

I don’t know anyone who is immune to the magic that was Janis when she was pouring her entire heart into ‘Cry Baby’. She was one of the rare few that could perform a song that she didn’t write, and perform it with such conviction that by the end of it, you forget that it was never hers to begin with! (Ambien)

This rarity is one that you definitely cannot miss – it’s a performance that will grab you and never let go!

+ Cry Baby lyrics +

Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby
Honey, welcome back home

I know she told you, honey I know she told you that she loved you
Much more than I did but all I know is that she left you
And you swear that you just don’t know why
But you know, honey I’ll always, I’ll always be around if you ever want me

Cry baby, cry baby
Oh honey, welcome back home

Don’t you know, honey
Honey ain’t nobody ever gonna love you the way I try to do?
Who’ll take all your pain, and your heartache, too?
And if you need me you know that I’ll always be around
If you ever want me

Cry baby, cry baby
Oh Daddy, like you always saying to do

And when you walk around the world, babe
You said you’d try to look for the end of the road
You might find out later that the road’ll end in Detroit
Honey, the road’ll even end in Kathmandu

You can go all around the world
Trying to find something to do with your life, baby
We only gotta do one thing well
You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world, babe

You got a woman waiting for you there
All you ever gotta do is be a good man one time to one woman
And that’ll be the end of the road, babe
I know you got more tears to share, babe

So come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
And cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry

And if you ever feel a little lonely, dear
I want you to come on, come on to your mama now
And if you ever want a little love of a woman
Come on and baby, baby, baby, babe, babe, baby now
Cry baby, yeah