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  • Janis Ian playing bass for Rev. Marie Knight on 'Old Woodsongs Hour' - photo by Larry Streun
  • Janis Ian with Pat Snyder & Bette Midler
  • Janis Ian with author J. A. (Judy) Jance - photo by Denise Tschida
  • Janis Ian with Judy jance celebrating her living room concert - photo by Debra Hyslop
  • Janis Ian with Catie Curtis, Patty Larkin, Joe Boles (Mayor of St. Augustine) & his wife Jane - photo by Jane-Gale Burnick
  • Janis Ian backstage at the Ryman Auditorium with Chet Atkins & Garrison Keillor - photo by Barbara Short
  • A 15 year old Janis Ian with television host Joey Bishop - photo by Ivan Nagy
  • Janis Ian at a signing in Japan - photo by Peter Cunningham
  • Janis Ian with Steve Earle,  Johnny Cash, Clint Black & Connie Bradley
  • Janis with Clint Black, Mary Chapin-Carpenter and others - photo by Don Putnam
Between The LinesWorking Without A Net: Live

Between The Lines

Janis Ian

There's never much to say between
the moments of our games and repartée
There's never much to read between
the lines of what we need and what we'll take
There's never much to talk about or say aloud
but say it anyway
Of holidays and yesterdays
and broken dreams that somehow slipped away

In books and magazines of how to be
and what to see while you are being
Before and after photographs
teach how to pass from reaching to believing
We live beyond our means on other peoples' dreams
and that's succeeding
Between the lines of photographs, I've seen the past
It isn't pleasing

So strike another match
We'll have another cup of wine
and dance until the evening's dead
of too much song and time
There's never much to talk about,
or read between the lines
of what we dream about when we're apart
and no one's looking on to say "You're mine"

It was a good year then. It was a good year then
We all remember
the time you threw the looking glass and seemed a fool,
or very clever
Don't spoil it all. I can't recall
a time when you were struck without an answer
We'll live a quiet peaceful time between the lines
and go together

And I'm striking up the band
to play our last hurrah
We'll dance until we've killed another evening off
Don't think of anyone but me
I'll have no lovers on the side
Tonight is all we ever dreamed about
For once, let's get it right
We'll go down flying in the end
Throw another bottle in between the lines
We'll go down like a ship of state
Let's be gracious now, between the lines

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