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At 17

by Janis Ian
I learned the truth

at seventeen

that love was meant for

beauty queens
And high school girls
With clear skin smiles
Who married young

and then retired
The valentines

I never knew

the Friday nights

charades of few
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

0n the phone
Who'd call to say come

dance with me

and murmur

faint Obscenities
It isn't all it seems

at seventeen
A brown eyed girl
in hand me downs

who's name

I never could pronounce
Said pity please the ones

who serve

they only get

What they deserve
And the rich relation
hometown queen

marries into What she needs
With a guarantee

of company

and haven for the elderly
Remember those
who win the game

lose the love

they sought to gain
The small town eyes

will gape at you
in dull surprise when

payment due
To those of us Who

knew the pain

of valentines

that never came
And those Whos 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

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
Atugygkbukenm

atseventeen
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Title
At Seventeen
Artist
Janis Ian
Brand
Helluvadisk
(12 Other Versions)
Code
HV01-07
Genres
classic uk pop, folk, folk rock, mellow gold, singer-songwriter