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
I guess now it's time for me to give up
I feel it's time
Got a pictureof you beside me
Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup
Got afist of pure emotion
Got a head of shattered dreams
Gotta leave it,gotta leave it all behind now
Whatever I said, whatever I did I didn'tmean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell methe song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood
Unaware butunderlined I figured out this story
It wasn't good
But in the corner ofmy mind I celebrated glory
But that was not to be
In the twist ofseparation you excelled at being free
Can't you find a little room insidefor me
Whatever I said, whatever I did I didn't mean it
I just wantyou back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood
And we'll be together, this time isforever
We'll be fighting and forever we will be
So complete in our love
We will never be uncovered again
Whatever I said, whatever I did Ididn't mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong justtell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood
