At Seventeen／Janis Ian
At Seventeen／Janis Ian
（１７歳の頃／ジャニス・イアン）
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
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
Married 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
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
To 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
Someone is waiting over by the window just beyond the stairwell Someone's crying
Drowning in the words of the prophets that are written
for the dead and the dying Someone's lying No one's buying
Someone is dying Panic in the streets can't get no release Someone escaping
Waiting on a line for the holy revolution parading illusion Someone's using Most amusing
Will you dance? Will you dance?
Smell of caviar and roses
Teach your children all the poses How familiar are we all・・・
Will you dance? Will you dance?
Light fantastic in the morning How romantic to be whoring
boring though it may be who'll survive if you and I should fall?
Someone in bleeding crimson in the night strangers, in the light a sudden meeting
Greeting one by one every life runs flashing before those dashing eyes
Will you dance? Will you dance?
Take a chance on romance and a big surprise?
Will you dance? Will you dance?
Take a chance on romance and a big surprise?
▼ The Carpenters' version
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There was a man, a lonely man ひとりの男がいた 孤独な男で
Who lost his love through his indifference 不器用さのため 恋人を失った
A heart that cared that went unshared 愛の心は わかちあう人もないまま
Until it died within his silence 沈黙のうちに 涸れて行く
And Solitaire's the only game in town その町で ソリテアだけが彼の慰み
And every road that takes him, takes him down 外を歩けば ただ憂鬱になるばかり
And by himself it's easy to pretend ひとりでいれば 思い込むのもやさしい
He'll never love again もう二度と 恋はしないと
And keeping to himself he plays the game ひとりに こもって ゲームをする
Without her love it always ends the same 愛をなくした今 結果はいつも同じ
While life goes on around him everywhere まわりでは 人々の暮らしが続き
He's playing Solitaire 彼は ひとり ソリテアをする
A little hope goes up in smoke つかの間の希望は 煙の中に消える
Just how it goes, goes without saying いつも同じく あたりまえのように
There was a man, a lonely man ひとりの男がいた 孤独な男で
Who would command the hand he's playing 自分の持ち札を 意のままに扱う
And Solitaire's the only game in town その町で ソリテアだけが彼の慰み
And every road that takes him, takes him down 外を歩けば ただ憂鬱になるばかり
And by himself it's easy to pretend ひとりでいれば 思い込むのもやさしい
He'll never love again もう二度と 恋はしないと
And keeping to himself he plays the game ひとりに こもって ゲームをする
Without her love it always ends the same 愛をなくした今 結果はいつも同じ
While life goes on around him everywhere まわりでは 人々の暮らしが続き
He's playing Solitaire 彼は ひとり ソリテアをする
And Solitaire's the only game in town その町で ソリテアだけが彼の慰み
And every road that takes him, takes him down 外を歩けば ただ憂鬱になるばかり
While life goes on around him everywhere まわりでは 人々の暮らしが続き
He's playing Solitaire 彼は ひとり ソリテアをする
