Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday – At Seventeen

March 27, 2017

Remember those really awkward junior high and high school days? Yeah, me too. Not the funnest years of my life but not all bad either. This song hits the nail on the head about those turbulent years from a girl’s point of view.

Janis Ian wrote this song in 1973 when she was 22 years old “inspired by a newspaper article about a former teenage debutante who learned the heard way that being popular did not solve all her problems” (from the Wikipedia article on this song which you should read). But it was also a personal song for her for she too felt that awkwardness in her teens. For me, this is a song about being the ugly duckling in a school full of popular girls with beautiful skin and the pain of those years. She put all those feelings into this song and I’m so glad she did because it felt like someone finally understood how I felt.

I’d like to say that time changes things (and people) but I still find that some women still play catty girl games that I don’t even get into. I still struggle with skin problems, still trying to make friends, and recovering from a messy life. I do feel however, that I’m finally becoming me and I’m finally accepting of myself. It’s taken a long time, but I think I’m getting there.

I’m not going to comment overall, but going back through it there is a verse that says to be kind (pity) those who seem to have it all because in reality they really don’t. All the games they have to play to keep up appearances I would never want. I’ve done a little of that and it’s just not worth it.

Take a listen if it’s been awhile (or if you’ve never heard this one) and I’ll go put the mp3 into my cart at Amazon.

At Seventeen – Janis Ian

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 called to say – come dance with me
And murmured 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
With a guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly

So 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

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

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 on, dance with me
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me, at seventeen

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» 2017 » March » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday – At Seventeen

March 27, 2017

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