Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Janis Ian
Canonical path: /janis-ian/at-seventeen
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
At Seventeen
Read At Seventeen lyrics by Janis Ian on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
At Seventeen
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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
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
A brown eyed girl in hand-me-downs
Whose name I never could pronounce
Said: Pity, please, the ones who serve
They only get what they deserve
The rich relationed hometown queen
Marries into what she needs
A guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly
Remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
In debentures of quality
And dubious integrity
The smalltown eyes will gape at you
In dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received at seventeen
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
And dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly ducking girls like me
We all play the game and when we dare
To cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
Who called to say come dance with me
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me at seventeen
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Who performs "At Seventeen"?
Janis Ian performs "At Seventeen", and this lyric page sits inside the Janis Ian catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "At Seventeen"?
Yes. The related section below points to Stars and Sugar Mountain with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Janis Ian?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Janis Ian's lyric pages.
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