Janis, Ian - At Seventeen lyrics

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'd call to say, "Come dance with me"

and murmur 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.

A haven for the elderly.

Remember, those who win the game

lose the love they sought to gain.

Indebentures of quality

and dubious integrity.

Their small town eyes will gape at you

in dull surprise when payment due

exceeds accounts received,

at seventeen.

To those of us who know 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 duckling girls like me.

We all play the game and when we dare,

we cheat ourselves at solitaire.

Inventing lovers on the phone.

Repenting other lives unknown

that call and say, "Come dance with me",

and murmur vague obscenities

at ugly girls like me,

at seventeen.