5/4/12, got soul?

Today i'm listening to "Piece of my Heart" by Janis Joplin

Florence Welch has actually spoke of Janis Joplin, citing her as an influence on her own music, and quoting from the interview:

"I think she really sums up the idea that soul is about putting your pain into something beautiful."

It did get me wondering, you know, what really is soul? Obviously i'm not meaning the genre.. although to describe the genre, take the quote from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soul is, "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Not quite the sort of soul we're meaning here.

When people say, "put your heart and soul into it" they mean, quite obviously, to put everything you have into it. Maybe soul is more about having this passion for what you do. This leads you back to Janis Joplin, who ripped through every lyric in her songs with such great passion and soul in her voice. She put everything she had into it.. no?

Well i think it's safe to say that Florence had it pretty bang on, because that's what great music is.. the pain felt by the artist translated into song..but i still think to have soul is to have passion. And what's life without that?