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Watch the video of "One In A Million."

For more information visit janisian.com.

One In A Million
by Janis Ian and Jess Leary

We are one.
We are one in a million.
We are one in a million strong.
In my darkest night,
I hold on to that light.
We are one in a million strong. 

We are free.
We are free as an eagle. 
We are free as an eagle flies. 
When they’ve taken my wings,
still my spirit will sing.
We are free as an eagle flies.

Chorus

So hold on.
Hold on to what you are.
‘Cause every stone’s a diamond in the lifetime of a star.
And dream on.
You are not the only one.
We are one in a million strong. 

We are one.
We are one in a million.
We are one in a million strong.
In my darkest night, I hold on to that light.
We are one in a million strong. 

When all hope is gone,
We will dream beyond.
We are one in a million strong.
When all hope is gone,
we will dream beyond.
We are one in a million strong.

© Local Stranger Music (BMI) / MaryLeary Music (ASCAP) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

A SONG FOR CHANGE

A few years ago I sat down with Jess Leary, one of my favorite co-writers, and we decided to write an anthem. It felt like the world was getting stranger every day. People were scared, feeling hopeless.

Writing "One In a Million" made us feel hopeful. It reminded us that no matter how hard things got, we were not alone.

         We are one, we are one in a million
         We are one in a million strong
         In my darkest night, I hold on to that light
         We are one in a million strong

A while later, I was asked to perform at a San Francisco event called "Fight the Right." When I found out Joan Baez would also be appearing, I asked if she'd sing it with me. Fortunately, Joan's a quick study, because we only had time for one short run through. 

We sang it twice that night, with fellow musician Anthony Peterson helping out and the audience joining in as soon as they'd learned  the chorus.

A short while ago Joan's long time personal assistant, Nancy Lutzow, let me know that she'd just uncovered a tape of us singing "One In a Million" at the San Francisco show. She sent me a copy and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. Sure, you can hear a couple of flubs - we'd only sung it through once! - but it was certainly nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it was the most hopeful thing I'd heard in a while. I contacted Joan to ask if she would be okay offering this as a free download, and it escalated from there.

My co-writer Jess jumped on board immediately. My webmaster, Steve Wilkison, created a video and artwork. Jeff Evans handled inserting the metadata and mastering. Joan and Nancy stayed involved every step of the way. It's been a group effort from start to finish, and now I'm happy to include whoever reads this as part of our group.

Please download a free copy of the track and sheet music from the links above. We encourage you to share the downloads, and make your own videos and recordings. It's also available on major sites like Apple and Amazon, but they won't let us offer things for free, so we're charging the absolute minimum allowed.

At a time when it's easy to lose hope, we want to remind people that our dreams are still attainable. We are still united in the pursuit of good. And each of us is just one of a million others who also refuse to give up. So stay strong. You are not alone.

oneinamillion #staystrong #joanbaez #janisian #resist

Watch Joan talk about Janis in Varda Bar-Kar's film "Janis Ian: Breaking Silence", now streaming throughout North America and coming to PBS American Masters late June! Get information about live screenings and viewing options.