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janis ian - at seventeen [live on the old grey whistle test] lyrics

at seventeen [live on the old grey whistle test] lyrics
[spoken introduction]
phew, i thought this was gonna be a lot more scarier than it is
’cause i’m wearing my glasses, which makes it much easier
this song, um was written about a time in my life when i was really weird looking
and, uh, there were all these girls i was going to school with
who were really terrific looking
and they were like cheerleaders, and very tall, and long blonde hair
i was very short, with curly dark hair
and i was always trying to make it get straight
and it would always after i set it
and it would go, “sloop!”, like that
for cheerleaders

[verse 1]
i learned the truth at seventeen
that love was meant for beauty queens
and high school girls with clear+skinned smiles
who married young and then retired
the valentines i never knew
the friday night charades of youth
were spent on one more beautiful
at seventeen i learned the truth

[chorus]
and those of us with ravaged faces
lacking in the social graces
desperately remained at home
inventing lovers on the phone
who called to say, “come dance with me”
and murmured vague obscenities
it isn’t all it seems
at seventeen
[verse 2]
a brown+eyed girl in hand+me+downs
whose name i never could pr+nounce
said, “pity, please, the ones who serve
they only get what they deserve”
and the rich+relationed hometown queen
marries into what she needs
with a guarantee of company
and haven for the elderly

[chorus]
remember those who win the game
lose the love they sought to gain
in debentures of quality
and dubious integrity
their small town eyes will gape at you
in dull surprise when payment due
exceeds accounts received
at seventeen

[guitar solo]

[verse 3]
to those of us who knew the pain
of valentines that never came
and those whose names were never called
when choosing sides for basketball
it was long ago and far away
the world was younger than today
when dreams were all they gave for free
to ugly duckling girls like me
[chorus]
we all play the game and when we dare
to cheat ourselves at solitaire
inventing lovers on the phone
repenting other lives unknown
they call and say, “come dance with me”
and murmur vague obscenities
at ugly girls like me
at seventeen

- janis ian lyrics

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