...AT SEVENTEEN... by Janis Ian
------------------.............

*from 'Between the Lines' (1975)*


Verse 1:

  CI (x32010@1)learned the truth at seventeen,
     DmThat (xx0231@1)love was meant for beauty queens.
    G7And (320001@1)high school girls with clear skinned smiles,
    CWho (x32010@1)married young and then retired.

    CThe (x32010@1)Valentines I never knew,
    DmThe (xx0231@1)friday nights charades of youth.
     G7Were (320001@1)spent on one more beautiful;
   CAt (x32010@1)seventeen, I learned the truth.

Chorus 1:

    EbAnd (x43121@3)those of us with ravaged faces,
Dm (xx0231@1)            G7 (320001@1)Lacking in the social graces,
Cm7            Fm7 (131141@1)Desperatly re-mained at home,
Cm7               Fm7 (131141@1)Inventing lovers on the phone.

    Ab (xx1114@1)                  G7Who (320001@1)called and say; "Come dance with me",
    Cm7               F7And (131241@1)murmured vague ob-scenities.
Dm7                        G7 (320001@1)It isn't all it seems, at seventeen.

Verse 2:

  CA (x32010@1)brown eyed girl in hand-me-downs,
      DmWho's (xx0231@1)name I never could pronounce,
       G7Said; (320001@1)"pity please, the ones who serve,
     CThey (x32010@1)only get what they deserve.

    CThe (x32010@1)rich relationed home-town queen,
Dm (xx0231@1)Marries into what she needs.
  G7A (320001@1)guarantee of company,
    CAnd (x32010@1)haven for the elderly".

Chorus 2:

   EbRe-member (x43121@3)those who win the game,
Dm (xx0231@1)                G7 (320001@1)Lose the love they sought to gain.
   Cm7           Fm7In (131141@1)debentures of quality,
    Cm7        Fm7And (131141@1)dubious in-tegrity.

      Ab (xx1114@1)                 G7Their (320001@1)small town eyes will gape at you;
   Cm7                 Fm7In (131141@1)dull surprise, when payment due;
Dm7                            G7 (320001@1)Exceeds accounts received, at seventeen.

Verse 3:

   CTo (x32010@1)those of us who know the pain,
   DmOf (xx0231@1)valentines that never came.
    G7And (320001@1)those whose name were never called,
     CWhen (x32010@1)choosing side at basketball.

   CIt (x32010@1)was long ago and far away,
    DmThe (xx0231@1)world was younger than today.
    G7And (320001@1)dreams were all they gave for free,
   CTo (x32010@1)ugly duckling girls like me.

Chorus 3:

       EbWe (x43121@3)all play the game and when we dare,
   Dm7                G7To (320001@1)cheat ourselves at solitaire.
   Cm7            Fm7In-venting (131141@1)lovers on the phone,
   Cm7           Fm7Re-penting (131141@1)other lives unknown.

     Ab (xx1114@1)                G7That (320001@1)call and say; "Come dance with me",
    Cm7             Fm7And (131141@1)murmur vague ob-scenities,
Dm7                        G7 (320001@1)       C, Cmaj7 (x32000@1)At ugly girls like me; at seventeen.


CHORD DIAGRAMS:
---------------

   C (x32010@1)     Dm (xx0231@1)    G7 (320001@1)    Eb (x43121@3)    Dm7

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x32010  xx0231  323000  6654xx  xx0211

   Cm7     Fm7 (131141@1)   Ab (xx1114@1)   Cmaj7 (x32000@1) EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 x35343  131111  466544  x32000


Tabbed by Joel from cLuMsY, Bristol, England, 2004
(clumsyband@hotmail.com)