call HART crazy

call HART crazy .. but

A friend of mine with a music and other trivia blog, emailed me a 2-second bit of song and I (think) it was Janis Ian .. who did “At Seventeen”. I liked that song! I remember seeing a version on an early Saturday Night Live show and it was really soft and quiet, but you could still hear the emotion in the song. Looking for it on YouTube .. I couldn’t find that particular show… but I did find these. Enjoy~

Live - 1976

Live - 2006

Here Are The Lyrics

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

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 dance with me
and murmur vague obscenities
at ugly girls like me, at seventeen

Lyrics courtesy of .. Janis Ian!

Copyright © Janis Ian/her co-writer(s) if any/their publisher(s). All rights reserved.
Re-printing these lyrics for limited personal use is fine. Using these lyrics to make money is a violation of lots of laws; do not do that please!
Permission to quote in books, magazines, etc. may be obtained by writing to rudegirlpublishing@janisian.com

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