Lyrics At Seventeen | Janis Ian
At Seventeen - Janis Ian

Intro |C|/|/|/|

1. Strophe

I learned the truth at seventeen
Dm G7
that love was meant for beauty queens,
C
and high school girls with clear skinned smiles

who married young and then retired.

The valentines I never knew
Dm G7
the Friday night charades of youth,
C
were spent on one more beautiful,

at seventeen I learned the truth.

Bridge:
Eb Dm G7
And those of us with ravaged faces lacking in the social graces
Cm7 Fm Cm7 Fm
desperately remained at home inventing lovers on the phone,
Ab G7 Cm7 Fm7 Dm
who called to say come dance with me and murmured vague obscenities.
G7
It isn't all it seems at seventeen.

2. Strophe
C Dm
A brown eyed girl in hand me downs
G7
whose name I never could pronounce,
C
said, "Pity please the ones who serve

They only get what they deserve."

And the rich relationed hometown queen
Dm G7
marries into what she needs with a guarantee of company,
C
and haven for the elderly.
Eb
Remember those who win the game
Dm G7
lose the love they sought to gain,
Cm7 Fm Cm7 Fm
indebentures of quality, and dubious integrity,
Ab G7
The small town eyes will gape at you
Cm7 Fm7 Dm
in dull surprise when payment due
G7
Exceeds accounts received at seventeen.

Instrumental |C|/|/|/|

3. Strophe

To those of us who know the pain
Dm G7
of valentines that never came,
C
and those whose names were never called

when choosing sides for basketball.
Dm
It was long ago and far away
G7
the world was younger than today,
C
and dreams were all they gave for free

to ugly duckling girls like me.

4. Strophe
Eb
We all play the game when we dare
Dm G7
to cheat ourselves at solitaire
Cm7 Fm7
inventing lovers on the phone
Cm7 Fm7
repenting other lives unknown
Ab G7 Cm7
that call and say, come dance with me
Fm7 Dm
and murmur vague obscenities
G7
At ugly girls like me at seventeen...

Coda |C|/|/|/|