Jan's Song
by INXS

Album: Shabooh Shoobah (1982)
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Songfacts®:

  • A track from the third INXS album, "Jan's Song" was written by lead singer Michael Hutchence and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Farriss. The song describes a human rights activist trying to draw attention to her cause. In a Songfacts interview with Farriss, he explained: "I wrote that lyric. We were still in the Cold War era, and there was a girl in Eastern Europe I'd seen on a news clip, or it could have been a newspaper - a clipping of a woman wanting freedom from the Eastern Bloc communist countries. I looked at that and felt some empathy for her wanting to be heard and seen and having an opinion about things, and that's where I got the idea. I suppose she's a fictitious character - I don't know her personally."
  • This wasn't released as a single, but INXS performed it live on their first American tour in 1983 and 1984. On this trek, they were the support act for various acts, including Adam And The Ants and The Go-Go's.
  • This is one of the more saxophone-heavy INXS songs, with Kirk Pengilly playing licks throughout the track.

Comments: 3

  • Ron from St. LouisThe lyrics agree with the story - I believe it.
  • AnonymousReally. An interesting commentary then. I knew ‘the other guy’ and can assure you of the origins of this song. There may even be an interview somewhere, from a popular music show of the time, where this song is discussed! Check it out. TBH, I’m not really that bothered, but do believe printed info should be factual. All the best.
  • Jan from SydneyI’ve just stumbled across this and laughed hysterically. What a load of rubbish! Songfacts you’ve got this wrong and you have no doubt made these comments up. Disgraceful actually. I am Jan from the song so know first hand everything you have written is quite frankly bulls--t. You should probably seek out the facts. [We did talk to the guy who co-wrote it... -editor]
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