At Seventeen
Janis Ian * Track #2 On Between the Lines
Download "At Seventeen"
Album Between the Lines
At Seventeen by Janis Ian
Release Date
Performed by
Janis IanProduced by
Brooks ArthurWrited by
Janis IanAbout
A must-listen for unpopular teens and ugly ducklings, “At Seventeen” was a #3 hit in 1975 about not having social or romantic success in high school (and rubbing later success in the faces of everyone you went to school with).
It seems to strike a chord with comedian/actress Tina Fey who included i...
At Seventeen Lyrics
[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 pronounce
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
[Instrumental]
[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
At Seventeen Q&A
Who wrote At Seventeen's ?
At Seventeen was written by Janis Ian.
Who produced At Seventeen's ?
At Seventeen was produced by Brooks Arthur.
When did Janis Ian release At Seventeen?
Janis Ian released At Seventeen on Thu May 01 1975.
What did Janis Ian say about "At Seventeen"?
Janis Ian told Songfacts in 2003:
To me (‘At Seventeen’ has) never been a depressing song, because it says ‘ugly duckling girls like me,’ and to me the ugly duckling always turns into a swan. It’s like that Billie Holliday line, somebody said, ‘Why are your songs so sad?’ And she said, ‘They all ha...